WHEN JEFF FISHER and his husband, Ed Cunningham, decided to paint their Portland, Oregon, home, they never imagined how it would affect their garden. “The siding had faded to a dull gray,” says Jeff. “We wanted to try bolder colors to liven things up, especially during the winter months.”
They spent two years perusing paint chips and looking at other homes before deciding on a color scheme of Spanish Olive (Glidden), with Cream Silk (Benjamin Moore) and Black Tulip (Glidden) for the trim. “The painter was skeptical, but once he began to apply the choices, he could see our vision,” Jeff says.
The new paint shades altered the appearance of the yard, calling for a more vibrant palette for plants and accessories so that the house wouldn’t overwhelm the landscape. Furniture,…