Driving along Highway 64 in the fall feels like passing through a receiving line where nature is dressed in her finest, arrayed in rich, vibrant colors. This season has me thinking about the classic, enduring hues that suit historic homes so well. In my search for inspiration, I found a fascinating article by Hugh Howard on Bob Vila’s website, exploring how to make thoughtful paint choices for historic properties.
Hugh Howard writes, “Even if you’re an historically conscious homeowner, you’re not required to grind pigments in a paint mill or boil linseed oil in a copper cauldron. If your house has an important architectural pedigree, you may wish to commission a paint analysis, but mainly you’ll want to consider clues you’ve found, such as old paint surfaces located in rarely repainted closets, atop moldings, or that emerged with the removal of old wallpaper. You may even wish to undertake a sand-and-scrape analysis yourself (if you do, keep in mind the colors are likely to be very much faded).
Another potential source of guidance is the good work done at many historic sites. Most paint manufacturers have been paying attention to these findings, and the marketplace now has many hues that replicate popular colors from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth century. That means old house owners can pay due regard to the historic character of their homes while using convenient water-based paints that offer easy clean-up and shorter drying times. Many of these products are also more environmentally friendly, as low- or no-VOC paints emit fewer volatile organic compounds.”
Main Street Rocky Mount 