what colour could I paint my doors to make this better?

[whatcolourisyourwednesday]

Hi mumsnet.

Here is a photo of my problem.
I live in an area with millstone grit walls. soft shades of dark grey that look best with blue-purply heather colours.

I have an old garage (front) with "traditional" rather didn't-think-about-it front-door green paint. Behind it I have an even older shed (now sitting area) in ancient very dark falling-apart colours.

The problem, as you can see, is that my neighbour has built a watchtower posing as a shed in orange pine.

I've tried complaining, frothing at the mouth, looking at planning issues and all that stuff so please don't tell me to call the council.

Here's my thought: I maintain that the huge orange pine shed is awful BUT is it worse because of being directly against an "oposite" colour ie my dark green? And if I painted my garage doors (and the ancient falling shed) a different colour, might that lessen the clash?

But if so - what colour? It would be a bit sad to have more orange pine in the garden. What about something red in tone?

I'd be grateful for help from anyone who is good at colours.

Better?

If the garage disappears the shed doesn’t look so much in-mid-air

garish green bump :)

Would disappear if you painted their actual shed (or a big fence panel or two that covered it) in a green colour

Oh I dream of that :(

Would be awful if some idiots discarded their throw away bbq tray there and it took out the whole shed wouldn't it . Do you have a picnic blanket ?

You are giving this too much thought. Your neighbours new shed will weather with time. By all means spruce your's up a bit but the colour match won't make a huge difference.

Honestly, nothing you do paintwise to your garage is going to make the shed look less orange. But orange pine usually fades quite quickly.
Is your garden to the left or the right of orange shed?
Can you plant something to screen it?
I'm assuming their garden sits on a higher level than yours which is why it looks like a watchtower.
I actually don't think your garage looks particularly lovely (do any garages?) but maybe it looks better in a wider view with the surrounding buildings.

I'm sorry but you have over thought this! The shed is fine, it'll fade within a year & is partially hidden by a tree. As pp said, spruce up your garden/garage by all means but that sort of thing shouldn't bother you. Lifes too short.

Their shed is not the problem, it's new looking and smart / tidy. Unlike yours!

Yes give your garage and shed a bit of TLC. Any colour will look better that it does now (a greenish-grey might look good?) But It won't hide the other newer shed..but that one isn't the eye-saw, sorry OP.

Just choose the colour that you actually like best. And stop bitching about their shed - until you sort yours out you are in no position to moan about their perfectly ordinary shed.

well, when I look at the picture, the shed looks pretty innocuous, and the garage looks like an eyesore. So I have a little sympathy with the neighbour.
Paint the walls and door of your garage to improve it. Grow a clematis up on a trellis in front of the orange shed.

But our orange pine shed is now silver grey. All orange pine become silver grey after a year or so.

thanks for the replies :)

in my defence I inherited the garage :)

unfortunately my neighbour reoranges the watchtower every couple of years and cuts back the clematis I planted to try to screen it.

Maybe you need to draw your eye away from theirs which unfortunately would mean a brighter colour on your garage.

I have a similar thing, lovely back garden but whenever I look out my eye is drawn to bright blue railings on council property next door. Gah!

and cuts back the clematis I planted to try to screen it.

then you need to make sure that the clematis is growing up a trellis on your land, so she can't cut it. I would put in 2 posts, and string some wire across and then grow a beautiful clematis. You will lose a bit of space, but if the wires and clematis are on your land then she can't touch it.

Get a pink clematis and paint your garage doors pink!

Thank you