This is a similar home. Does the architect's response help you? "Yes the soffit is painted ( Resene Bokara ) to make it similar to the cladding. We did it this way in order to emphasis the sculptural form of the house - if it was white it would have broken up the form somewhat. I think it depends on what you want to achieve, if the line of the joinery is at ceiling level then it is good to have the ceiling and the soffit the same colour in terms of how you experience the interior space. If the exterior look is more important then the dark soffit would probably work better."

I would like a warm mushroomy gray with darker brown/charcoal for the trim and window framing. Also, trim the bushes out front so we can see where the front door is...

Oh wow, it looks fantastic! The black looks so striking against the white, not too sharp at all. Congratulations on the house, you must be very excited to move in. :)

A difficult dilemma. Unfortunately I cannot help with any other types of products but if you do want that dark and light look my only suggestion is to paint the pine dark to the stain you liked, or matching your garage door. Resene have a "cool colour" system so that dark colours don't absorb the heat. From a distance it will look similar to the stain. I hope you get some other helpful advice. Best of luck.