Victorian House

Victorian House Color Schemes
Choosing Authentic Exterior Paint Colors

If your house was built between 1850 and 1920, chances are it is one form or another of Victorian architecture. Detailed gingerbread woodwork, bold brackets and enormous shutters beg for a color scheme that will complement their detail. When choosing paint colors, historic homeowners (that’s an old house, not necessarily an old homeowner!) should try to stay true to the historical nature of the home. An Italianate Victorian built in 1855 would have a much different color scheme than a Queen Anne built in 1895.

Luckily for homeowners, Sherwin Williams (type ‘Victorian’ in their search browser) has a great selection of historical paint colors available in easy-to-determine available catalogs.

In Victorian times, natural earth-tone colors were favored, as a result of Victorian homeowners' fascination with nature. White was rarely used- more common were shades of green, brown, red, and mustard. The “Painted Ladies” of San Francisco are often found in more vibrant tones of purple, pink, and mauve, but the true Victorian-era homes were originally painted in much more natural tones.

Some Tips:

Choose Carefully
You are going to be looking at these colors for a long time. Pay attention to colors of surrounding houses, your roof color, etc. Consider all the combinations of colors, dark and light and different shades of the same color- remember that darker paint colors will fade over time in sunlight.

Read more at Suite101: Victorian House Color Schemes: Choosing Authentic Exterior Paint Colors http://home-exteriors.suite101.com/article.cfm/victorian_house_color_schemes#ixzz0g93nS8JK

Source: http://home-exteriors.suite101.com