Ask Jane: We are building a new duplex investment property and are very stuck on colours. Can you help?

Jason asks:

“We are building a new duplex investment property and are very stuck on colours. Our builder has given us some suggestions and, although we like the house design, the colours are not quite right. Can you help?”  

Jane says:

There are lots of new homes springing up around the place, and many of them do tend to look the same (do you know that song Little Boxes made of Ticky Tacky? Need I say more!). Without going over the top or spending any extra, a great colour scheme can really increase the appeal of a property. Add to this some nice low maintenance landscaping – even if very basic – and you have yourself a smart little property that should see you well into the long term.

Firstly, I normally start with the colours which have the most limited range; in this case it’s Colourbond. If I select these colours first, then paint colours and other choices are much easier to make. Making colour selections the other way around can be a nightmare.

Secondly, I normally tend to do a darker roof than the wall colour, because this visually puts a “lid” on the house and helps to anchor it. You never want to go too dark though especially in hotter climates. Most often, I’ll do the gutters in the same colour as the roof. I find this is a much more contemporary aesthetic than contrasting the gutters and roof.

Another trick is to match your fascia colour to your aluminium window and door joinery. This is not a must-do, but it’s a good way to create a link between these different elements of the home exterior. In your case I’m recommending that the fascia, window/door joinery and garage are the same colour. However, I wouldn’t always do this; it does depend on the design of the house.

For a focal point, I’m favouring a timber door for this property. I like the warmth timber brings but since this is an investment property, you won’t want to spend any unnecessary money on things I’m sure; and certainly not timber which is generally quite high maintenance.

My colour suggestions are as follows:

• Roof and gutters – Colourbond, Woodland Grey
• Fascias, window/door joinery and garage – Colourbond, Surfmist
• Weatherboards – Dulux, Apparition
• Render – Dulux, White Duck Half
• Front door – Timber with horizontal glass inserts

The texture of the weatherboard is a great way to add interest and dimension without introducing any extra colour to the house. Keep things neutral but not boring to create a great looking property that is less likely to be out of date in 10 years – assisting in a long and profitable relationship with your investment property.

Jane Eyles-Bennett is an interior designer and renovation consultant. She’s the creator and driving force behind Hotspace Consultants and has consulted on more than 550 property renovations.