Depending on which stage of the Victorian period your house was built, or is modeled upon, the following paint types and colors were popular:
- Off-white & Cream – Whilst white is often a tempting color to paint a house in, the brilliant white paint wasn’t available in the Victorian era. ...
- Dark blue, red, green and rich brown were popular options for the exterior of Victorian house colors, during the mid-Victorian era, adding more color to the neutral tones that began the Victorian period.
What colors should I paint my Victorian home?
Paint-Color Ideas for Ornate Victorian Houses
- Paint-Color Ideas for Ornate Victorian-Era Houses. In the mid-1800s, when Italianate and Second Empire houses started dotting America, paint colors were muted and earthy owing to their natural pigments.
- Strong Contrast. ...
- Period Purist. ...
- Period Purist. ...
- Warm and Authentic. ...
- Eye-Catching Trim. ...
- Five-Color Beauty. ...
- Light Touch. ...
- Vibrant Body. ...
- Sky Blue. ...
What are the best colors to paint houses?
- North Facing. The element associated with this direction is water, and the colors to use are black, dark blue. ...
- Northeast Facing. This direction is connected with Earth and the relevant colors are Black, blue, and green. ...
- East Facing. ...
- Southeast facing. ...
- South facing. ...
- Southwest facing. ...
- West facing. ...
- Northwest facing. ...
How to choose the perfect house paint color?
Tips For Choosing A Paint Color
- Make sure the undertones of a paint color will complement the color palette in a room.
- Use neutral colored lights in your home (artificial lighting).
- Know which direction (North, East, South, West) a room faces, and use a paint color that is well suited for the natural light.
How to paint the interior of Your Victorian home?
- Using a two-inch angled brush, start by painting your corners and around the trim. ...
- Use a roller to paint the rest of the wall. A good method to use is the 'W method'. ...
- While the paint is still wet, remove any painter's tape from the wall and trim. ...
- If you are painting for a client, skip the paint in the bucket, and use large trays. ...
What color were most Victorian houses?
Typically, houses decorated in the Victorian era used strong, deep colour schemes such as blues, greens, reds and yellows. The main issue with the Victorian colour scheme is the deep shades, sometimes making rooms look very dark.
What paint colours did Victorians use?
Traditional Victorian Paint ColoursFerdinand.Portland Stone.French Grey.Bath Stone.Sage Green.Ashes of Roses.Light Bronze Green.Light Gold.More items...
How many colors paint Victorian house?
Early in the Victorian period, homes usually had a three palette color scheme, but the number of colors increased as time went on with some using four to five colors.
Did Victorians paint their houses?
A three-color paint scheme was the most common, but later in the period houses were often given four or even five colors. Victorian architecture is characterized by the fact that different styles of house were popular at the same time.
Is grey a Victorian colour?
Grey was not part of the Victorian palette, but it's a hugely popular contemporary colour and looks fabulously smart on wood panelling or cupboard doors in a traditional space.
How can I make my house look more Victorian?
How To Decorate Your Home Like The Victorian EraConsider your colors carefully. Followtheflow/Shutterstock. ... Decorate with different fabrics. ... Add some fringe and tufting. ... Create a simple collection. ... Hang a gilded mirror. ... Line a wall or two with wallpaper. ... Replace light fixtures. ... Cover walls with fabric.More items...•
Is pink a Victorian color?
During the Victorian era, pink was considered a sweet, feminine color, suitable for the gowns of young ladies in their first season. It was also fashionable for more mature Victorian women, who often wore evening dresses made of fine pink satins and silks.
Did Victorians use yellow paint?
These homes were from both the Victorian and Edwardian era and were later dubbed the 'Painted Ladies'. The colors used to paint these mansions were bright yellow, orange, chocolate, blue, and red.
Is Teal A Victorian Colour?
“Victorian colours are warm and can range from deep, rich reds, browns and blues, through to shades of teal, sage green and mustardy yellow. Soft colours with grey or cream bases are also popular.
Why are Victorian houses so colorful?
Closer to the city, where everything was heated and run by coal, white houses would be white only a few weeks. Part of using many colors other than white was to hide all the soot and keep them semi-presentable in between scrubbings.
What colour were Victorian window frames?
In the early Victorian period exterior paintwork including doors, door frames and windows tended to use colours such as browns, greens and grained wood effects, and then finished off with a varnish, hence the high gloss appearance.
What is Victorian blue?
Victoria Blue is a midtone, pure, blueberry blue with a wisteria undertone. It is a perfect paint color for a living space. Pair it with white trim and whitewashed woods. R: 125 G: 174 B: 225 LRV: 42.
Did Victorians use yellow paint?
These homes were from both the Victorian and Edwardian era and were later dubbed the 'Painted Ladies'. The colors used to paint these mansions were bright yellow, orange, chocolate, blue, and red.
What colour did Victorians paint window frames?
In the early Victorian period exterior paintwork including doors, door frames and windows tended to use colours such as browns, greens and grained wood effects, and then finished off with a varnish, hence the high gloss appearance.
What colors were popular in the 1910s?
Black was the color that defined the 1910s. Trends from the Victorian era were still dying away and black remained an extremely popular color for clothing for a variety of reasons. It hides dirt, is modest, and is always appropriate for a funeral. And it wasn't just clothing.
Did Victorians use gloss paint?
Towards the end of the nineteenth century it became fashionable to paint stucco with oil-based gloss paint, especially in towns and cities, where the gloss surface would repel dirt.
Can I use lead-based paint to redecorate my house?
No. Licences to use paint containing lead are only issued under strict conditions for special historic building renovation projects.
Is brilliant white an authentic Victorian colour?
No. 'Brilliant White' was not available until after WWII. Choose an off-white or cream colour for a more authentic result.
Is it dangerous to keep old paintwork, which may contain lead?
Old lead-based paint is not dangerous unless it is disturbed in such a way as to release the lead into the environment, where it can be ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Special precautions must therefore be taken during redecorating work, when the old paint is likely to be rubbed down, sanded, burnt off or removed with volatile solvents. For advice on the procedures to follow, on protective clothing and equipment and on safe disposal of lead-contaminated waste, contact the Health and Safety Executive Infoline: 08701 545500, open 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Fax: 02920 859260, Website: www.hse.gov.uk. Email: [email protected].
How can I find out what colours were used in the original decoration of my house?
Existing layers of old paint can be examined under a microscope to determine the original colours. However, it takes expert training to be able to analyse the layers, so although a casual scrape with a penknife will give you an idea of the number of paint layers and the range of colours used, it cannot be relied upon to provide an accurate colour sample for a particular date in the past. You would be lucky to find enough old paint samples to provide sufficient information to allow you to recreate an entire decorative scheme, and the cost of professional paint analysis is unlikely to be justified except for conservation of historically significant interiors. The best course is to 'get your eye in' by visits to preserved interiors and reading round the subject.
What paint was used to paint stucco?
Towards the end of the nineteenth century it became fashionable to paint stucco with oil-based gloss paint, especially in towns and cities, where the gloss surface would repel dirt.
What is the phone number for lead disposal?
For advice on the procedures to follow, on protective clothing and equipment and on safe disposal of lead-contaminated waste, contact the Health and Safety Executive Infoline: 08701 545500, open 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Fax: 02920 859260, Website: www.hse.gov.uk. Email: [email protected].
What color is used on ironwork?
No; various colours have been found on historic ironwork. In the first half of the nineteenth century 'invisible' greens (so called because they would blend into a background of foliage) were used for fences, gates, railings and garden furniture. In 1840 Humphrey Repton recommended a 'bronze' finish, made by powdering copper or gold dust on a green ground. Green was used throughout the mid Victorian period but dark blue, red and chocolate brown were also popular.
What colour paint did the Victorians use?
The traditional Victorian colour palette was dark and consisted of dark, rich and deep shades of maroon, red, burgundy, chestnut, dark green, brown and blues. Maybe this sounds a bit dramatic for your tastes but you can mix this possibly overwhelming colour palette with lighter shades in the following way. You could choose a dark shade with contrasting white-painted woodwork, light fireplace tiles and a pale-wood floor to really make your Victorian tones take centre stage.
How should I decorate Victorian relief wallpapers?
The Victorians loved to show off their wealth and good taste in the decoration of their homes, using lots of varieties of colour, texture and eye-catching designs. Lincrusta and Anaglypta wallpapers perfectly fitted this bill and were easy to clean and hardwearing, practical and able to hide rough and uneven walls that might otherwise need replastering.
What colours should I choose for panelling?
For a quick simple solution you can use our wall panelling kits. Paint in a moody dark grey, dark blue or even an off black for maximum impact. White can also be used and is especially effective in a dark room. Finish off surrounding woodwork in the same colour. This can make an otherwise boring wall into something really special for a relatively low cost.
What colors did the Queen Anne style use?
By the 1880s, when the exuberant Queen Anne style became popular, synthetic pigments allowed for vivid blues, greens, purples, and yellows; also common were multihue schemes that celebrated the style's diverse architectural details, such as turned porch spindles and fish-scale shingles under the eaves.
What color is the Queen Anne?
A gray-blue body color, white trim, and rusty red accents on this Queen Anne create a crisp and contemporary three-color scheme that's also rooted in tradition.
What color is the Italianate house?
Taking its cue from the surrounding sky and clouds, this blue-and-white-painted Italianate-style house feels cheery and energetic. Subdued shades of red or brown and cream would have been more typical for the home's vintage, but perhaps not as inviting as this updated scheme.
What is modern paint technology?
Now, modern paint technology allows for an even broader array of colors, including saturated shades that until recently were prone to fading. Homeowners have more choices than ever, giving them the option of sticking with traditional palettes or branching out into something bold.
What color should I paint my porch?
If you have a porch, its cornice might be distinguished from the cornice on the roofline of the house by a different color scheme. Soffits might be painted a lighter color, especially if the overhang is deep. Recessed faces of compound brackets might be accented with a lighter trim color. Porches are good candidates for special colors on both the ceilings and floors. I recommend limiting yourself to no more than seven or eight colors, including such given colors as an asphalt roof and masonry walls; however, you can create the illusion of extra trim or accent colors by placing them in the context of different color combinations.
Why do dark colors have lower LRV?
Dark colors will have lower LRV numbers because they reflect less light. When it comes to the holy trinity of exterior colors—body, trim, and accent—LRV will help you separate dark accents from lighter trim and body colors.
How many exterior colors are in the painter's hand book?
My general sense of appropriate light reflectance values for exterior colors came in handy when I isolated 60 exterior colors in The Painter’s Hand-Book, an 1887 book written by the secretary of The Master House Painters’ Association (a trade-organization ancestor of today’s Painting and Decorating Contractors of America). The book’s 116 chromo-lithographed color samples didn’t distinguish exterior and interior colors, because Victorian master painters would have known the difference.
What is the meaning of living in exterior colors?
Living your life in exterior colors is all about you and your architecture. If friends, neighbors, and strangers challenge you to defend your color scheme, answer them with the wisdom of that sage of the silver screen, Mae West. She could have been talking about the benefits of architectural color selection and placement when she said, “It’s better to be looked over than overlooked.”
What is the function of exterior paint?
The traditional function of exterior paint is to serve architecture, not be its master. Follow the advice of The Painter’s Hand-Book and “get en rapport with the architect of the house and aid in bringing out his idea with colors.”.
What is shade and tints?
Shades and Tints: Names or Numbers? is the title of a rare 1899 Sherwin-Williams booklet defending the company’s refusal, at the time, to name exterior paint colors. “No two people have exactly the same ideas as to the proper names to be applied to many shades,” the booklet explained.
Do door casings need to be the same color?
Doors and window shutters have different functions, so they don’t need to be the same color. Door casings might be painted to match the porch floor, serving as a bridge between the rich, dark door color and the much lighter wall color.
What colors did Victorians use?
The Victorians were so into color that they were literally willing to make health sacrifices for it. The following were common Victorian colors. Prussian Blue.
What was the Victorian era?
The Victorian era was an eventful time for color as the first synthetic dyes emerged in 1856. This resulted in a broad range of colors for paint and fabrics. The Victorians rarely painted interior walls as this was the age of peak wallpaper with unbelievably complex, ...
What color is Mummy Brown?
This color is also known as Mummy Brown.Fashions, particular ball gowns, where also made with poisonous pigments in the Victorian era.Indian yellow was originally produced with the urine of cows fed a diet of mango leaves. This was a cruel process that caused malnutrition in the animals that was banned in 1908.
What color was made from mummies?
Unbelievably, Egyptian Brown pigment was made with white pitch, myrrh and the ground-up remains of Ancient Egyptian mummies. Beginning around 1900, people started to boycott this color as its production involved destroying antiquities. It was sold until at least 1915 in Britain. This color is also known as Mummy Brown.Fashions, particular ball gowns, where also made with poisonous pigments in the Victorian era.Indian yellow was originally produced with the urine of cows fed a diet of mango leaves. This was a cruel process that caused malnutrition in the animals that was banned in 1908. This lead to the development of synthetic equivalents made with nickel azo, hansa yellow, and burnt orange.Victorian architecture was a series of revival styles that were loosely based on classical and medieval European architecture. As such, they often used colors that simulated the look of stone. Many of the colors above were sourced from paint samples and advertisements produced in the 1890s and may differ from modern interpretations of the same color name.In addition to poisonous pigments, 19th century paints included other hazardous materials such as asbestos.
What were the Victorian revival styles based on?
This lead to the development of synthetic equivalents made with nickel azo, hansa yellow, and burnt orange.Victorian architecture was a series of revival styles that were loosely based on classical and medieval European architecture.
