ᐅ Which paint color is best for wooden gables?

Hello everyone,
I have been renovating a house for about a year now.
The interior work is mostly finished, and now I’m gradually improving the exterior.

On the two gable ends, I only have a wooden facade. In other words, the attic is not bricked in.
Since there is nothing else on the wooden facade, I want to repaint it.

Attached are two photos where you can clearly see the gables and the wood.

Question 1: Which paint would be best?
Question 2: Can I use a different color shade? For example, I am thinking of a gray tone instead of the old-fashioned brown.

Thanks for your comments and advice!

If you want to refresh open-pored stain, use a stain with similar color pigments. Gray will not work.

If you want to change the color, you will need something more opaque – a lacquer stain probably won’t be enough, thick-film stain? I don’t think so.

Your remaining option is to paint, then gray is possible, but after some time it may peel.

The neighbor has painted over it with the typical brownish color. I don't think it's paint in the strict sense; if I remember correctly, it was about three coats. You can only see that it was a different color before by looking very closely at the end grain of the beams.

Could you possibly send me a photo? Or ask which color it was?

Unfortunately, the outlook is rather poor, sorry.

Whether it’s Alpina or another quality paint, I definitely wouldn’t choose a glossy finish. However, that is a matter of personal preference. A glossy finish might have the advantage that dirt doesn’t stick as much. But I would recommend visiting a specialist store and asking for advice.