Expert: Rikki Nyman - 8/2/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello Rikki,

I live in an early 1930's Dutch Colonial that needs an exterior paint job.  What were the historical color schemes for this type of house back then?  What other color combination(s) do you suggest?  

Right now it's white with green shutters in the front.  I've never really been fond of green and white seems so plain (although I know it's probably a popular color regardless of the era). I'd like to also consider colors that are warm or striking in nature.

It's on a small lot (7000 sq ft.) with a 1 car detached garage and surrounded by neighbor's fences on 3 sides. The roof is brand new with nice architectural shingles (black)installed. Pictures are attached.  

Any suggestions are really appreciated.  Lastly, I'm pretty sure I'm using Sherwin Williams Duration paint.  Thanks.

ANSWER: Color schemes shown in period magazines from the 1930s give you a lot of leeway with respect to color. There's no reason not to go for a warmer scheme or one that has a little more punch.

For example, House & Garden article shows a burgundy body with the black roof, white shutters, and white door. That could easily be shifted into the mahogany range.

A second shows a warm yellow (like a manila folder) with charcoal shutters and front door. I think it would be spectacular with a dark green front door. The trim is a slightly darker shade similar to butterscotch, except for the window sash which is painted green.

Another option that looks very modern today is a warm taupe body with chocolate brown shutters. Black, brown, and taupe are always a sharp combo.

From a small Lowe Bros. paint color book (c. 1930) the advice is to choose subdued color for a traditional style home to maintain its dignity. Though the examples don't have black roofs and definitely favored the green shutter concept, the following suggestions could be attractive:

1) Body - Grass green; shutters - moss green; sash - white
2) Body - cream; shutters - moss green; sash - white
3) Body - "colonial yellow" (it's a sort of butter yellow); shutters - moss green; sash - white
4) Body - pale gray; shutters - grass green; sash - white
5) Body - russet; shutters - moss green; sash - white

Hope this gives you a little food for thought. Good luck with your paint project!

Best regards,
Rikki Nyman
www.antiquehomestyle.com



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Rikki,

Thank you for the excellent suggestions.  What are the details on the article and book you mentioned in your answer so I can find and read about it myself?  Can you recommend any other articles, books, websites where I can see pictures of Dutch Colonials to get a visual idea of what's possible?  

I've attached another image of the house (the back).

Thank you very much for your time and consideration!

Answer
Nick -

The booklet I pulled the second set of color schemes from was a small pub by Lowe Brothers called "Color Harmony in the Home" written by Helen P. Hammond. It was published in 1928 and offered through magazines ... if you sent in the coupon, they would send out this little booklet. I believe it was advertised in Ladies Home Journal, House & Garden, and House Beautiful among others. It was a common practice among manufacturers.

The article cited from House & Garden was typical of the articles that were published regularly to give home owners ideas for what they might do for their next project. My source was from a 1937 issue, but when I labeled the pages, I neglected noting the month. It might be December, but don't hold me to it!

Painting has always been a daunting undertaking and it wasn't any different back in the day. Probably the single largest difference between the 1930s and now was there was a concerted effort to give one's home dignity and presence.  Color schemes tended to be relatively tame and fairly simple with just two or three colors.

Finding source material can be difficult. A collectors' market has developed in the last few years, so much of this vintage material is hard to come by. Occasionally, you can find bits and pieces at the library. It was designed to be ephemeral, so not much has survived. If you have a large metropolitan or research library nearby, they may have a collection of old house and garden magazines.  Unfortunately, many libraries have converted their pubs to microfilm or ditched them altogether. Sometimes, you can find issues through online vendors.

In addition to Lowe Brothers, look for brochures by Benjamin Moore, Pittsburgh, Sherwin Williams, Dutch Boy, Martin Senour, etc. and companies like Weatherbest and Creodipt. They often had very attractive color ads. Keep in mind that the color ads of the 1920s were much diminished during the 1930s; often only black and white ads were displayed. Articles often went into considerable detail though in the descriptions of what was done, the colors used, and so forth. It begs the question though of exactly what "Colonial Yellow" was? We don't necessarily have a context for that, but  I think you'll find the historical collections by Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams pretty reliable.

If you want a professional source, http://www.historichousecolors.com/ by Robert Schweitzer is very well regarded by old house owners.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Rikki