Welcome to Old House Colors!

Here you will find information on choosing paint colors for your Old House. Different house styles have different requirements for color schemes – Arts & Crafts Bungalows should look different from Victorian Houses, and different from 1920's houses. Interior paint colors are dependant on the fashionable colors of each period. Most houses look best in the paint colors of their period. Which historic paint colors are best for your house?

Articles in Old House Colors

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New! The Great Divide – What happened to colours in 1900?
An intriguing reversal of house colours took place after 1900. From dark to light, and light to dark. Find out more...

Cornice Colors for Victorian Homes
The crowning glory of a Victorian room is its cornice. But they were not white! Four elaborate recommended Victorian color schemes for cornices, plus the reality of simpler, original cornice colors.

Restoring the Colors of a 1912 Arts & Crafts house: Shingle Stains of 1912
Old Houses look best in original colors, as the paint colors were chosen to highlight the architectural design of the house. Follow the restoration of a fine 1912 house to its final color scheme, using two original colors and another of the period.

Five 1911 Interiors
What did my rooms really look like? Here are five examples of period interiors looking as they should - both appropriate and timeless.

Roof Colors of Early Houses
Roofs were not all black! How to re-introduce the correct colors to your roof, with several historic examples for inspiration.

Finding the original Colors of my House
How you can find the original colours of your house. Easy directions to reveal what your house looked like when it was built using the "bull's eye" method.

Stain versus Paint: What is best for Shingled walls?
Differing opinions. Stain versus Paint. Which is best? Some thoughts from a Heritage Consultant on bringing the best out of your shingled house.

Colors on Houses with two types of Cladding
Does your Old House have different cladding materials? Should everything be the same color? Making sense of the architecture and what color it should be.

Colors for Foursquare Houses
How to choose colors for your Foursquare house. How many colors are right?

A 1917 Colour Chart for House Colors
See a rare color chart from 1917 for a range of pre-mixed house paint colors. Are your Old House colors on this chart?