Decorating A Historic House With Color
Prepared by john fiske for the ipswich historical commission and the architectural preservation district commission.
Decorating a historic house with color. Historic collection interior preservation palette. Interior paint schemes grounded in period architecture can look as fresh now as they did in their heyday especially when given a bit of a twist. I typically paint the walls trim and ceiling one color but with a slightly higher gloss on the trim. A simple coat of paint then is your first step to preserving and highlighting these details.
Colonial and federal 1640 1840. Stick to colors like beige or gray especially on the first floor where flow is important. Paint was used to delineate the three main visual elements of colonial and federal houses. As soon as these homeowners found their historic home they knew they wanted to bring a youthful fresh twist to the decor.
Combine these historically accurate paint color palettes for wall trim and accent colors that help you achieve a coordinated period look for the rooms in your home. Classic furniture keeps the decorating style grounded. An ongoing black and white theme is a crisp backdrop for the mix of bold patterns and colors used in high impact spots like the living room s round ottoman. Best paint colors for historic houses color trends may come and go but some paint palettes just seem to have staying power perhaps because they re rooted in the past.
Neutral walls give you the greatest decorating flexibility allowing you to easily switch up your accessories. When thomas jefferson s country house monticello was restored in 2010 the blue dining room received a fresh coat of chrome yellow paint that made waves all over the design world despite its bold and modern look the color is actually authentic to the room historians discovered that jefferson himself used it in 1815 shortly after its invention in france. Jan 4 2019 i m constantly creating and love house ideas decorating fleamarket furniture couch chair kitchens historic antique color lamps mirrors ideas.