This authentic 1880s paint scheme illustration and text are from W.T. Comstock’s “Modern House Painting,” published in 1883.
“This design is presented as a fair example of a modern Queen Anne wooden house. It may stand as a type for houses of a more expensive nature than the designs given in the foregoing plates, and, as far as the painting is concerned, it will answer as a guide for all houses where there is a large use of shingles.
The decorative idea underlying the painting as shown in the plate, consists in grading the colors from heavy rich shades at the bottom, up through a middle harmony to the lighter tones of the gable peaks. The tones used for this purpose are warm and rich. The trimmings on the contrary are painted a cooler color, giving great strength of contrast, and emphasizing the body colors. The roof, would, perhaps, be of slate. If it was covered with red tiles, the effect of the whole would be improved.”
This scheme is quite a contrast to the current trend to paint such houses all gray. The subject of appropriate color schemes for historic houses is discussed in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners,” including resources for researching historic schemes.
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© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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