To paint or not to paint....

I wonder if there is a color theory for exterior paint and how the contrasts between shade and sun exposure works. Or whether we all have to learn it the hard way. I definitely learned that the way brown behaves in Seattle and in Portola Valley is very different.

My house is so dark that it sits there as a dark blob most of the day. Though, the brown color is reasonable light as soon as it is NOT in shade. Here is two variations snapped out of the same photo.

I wouldn't know how other colors would work. For instance, if I expend a fortune on new cedar siding - just to find out that it too is a dark indiscriminate blob!