Expert: Rikki Nyman - 8/26/2008

Question
Hi Rikki, I purchased a home that was made in 1950 and I painted it a light peach color with white trimming on all the windows,doors and even had and electric garage door installed that is completly white.  My questin is I built a fence that starts 8' in from the edge of my house on the rightside it extends forward 8' and the goes to the right for 60',it is wood natural pine dogeared and looks incredible perfectly straight and even, now would it be best to paint it white to keep the flow going to match the trimming and the rest of the house or do I leave it looking natural?  My house is on rather small hill. Maybe 15' at a 45 degree angle.  Thanks Rikki

Answer
Marco --

Thanks for writing. When your house was built in 1950, fences were treated as house trim and considered an extension of the house. White houses and those trimmed in white are almost always shown with white fences. Houses of the same period with natural shake or raked cedar shingles that have been stained tend to have fencing stained to match.

To preserve the fence and be historically accurate, I would paint the fence.

Hope that helps!

Rikki Nyman
Antique Home & Style
www.antiquehomestyle.com