Period-appropriate paint schemes generally enhance the appearance of a house. The historic photo shows that this Italianate-style house was more interesting in period colors than its current, mostly white paint scheme. Although the black-and-white photo cannot tell us what the colors were, we can see that at least three colors were used and where they were applied. With this information alone, it would be possible to select period-appropriate colors of similar tones (degrees of dark and light) and return the house to an approximation of its historic appearance.
Determining a period-appropriate color scheme requires research into what colors were commonly used for house exteriors at the time in question. Excellent books on the subject include “Paint in America: The Colors of Historic Buildings”, by Roger W. Moss, and “Victorian Exterior Decoration: How to Paint Your Nineteenth-Century House Historically,” by Roger W. Moss and Gail Caskey Winkler. Period advertising can be an excellent source of information about popular colors and their placement on houses after the middle of the nineteenth century, when color printing became widespread.
The topic of paint for historic houses, including a discussion of historically appropriate paint schemes, is covered in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!
© Scott t. Hanson 2024.
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