Historic Interior and Exterior Color Statements --
Colonial
Throughout the 18th century, unique variations on the
Colonial house type evolved throughout North America.
Colonial homes typically reflected the pragmatic needs of the region in
which they were located and utilized local materials such as stone, brick,
and wood. The simplicity of the Colonial vocabulary, including slender,
multi-paned windows, numerous chimneys, pedimented dormers, and
paneled doors, has ensured its inclusion in the design of today's new
homes. The colors selected for this palette reflect the different regional
trends that developed throughout the colonies during the 18th century
Colonial period.
Queen Anne
Colorful and unexpected, the Queen Anne style, popular
in America from the 1880's to about 1905, was used for
houses, churches, public buildings and commercial blocks.
Key identifiers of this style include asymmetrical building forms, richly
textured wall surfaces, and multi-colored paint schemes. Unpredictable
window sizes and spacing, bay windows, towers, gable screens, elaborate
woodwork, porches with turned posts and balusters, and ornate latticework
complete the look.
Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture was popular
during the mid-19th century.
Architectural details from this style include wooden porches, shutters, and
windows painted in subtle and muted tones. These popular architectural
porch and interior details can be found residentially in the coastal
Southeast up through the Ohio River Valley and are very common in
high-style "temple front" public buildings from the Atlantic seaboard to
the Mississippi.
Chicago Bungalow
The Historic Chicago Bungalow has been the foundation
of family and neighborhood life for generations
of Chicagoans.
The sturdy one and one-half story brick houses were built in the early
twentieth century for Chicago families of moderate means and
incorporated new technologies such as indoor plumbing, central heat, and
electricity as standard amenities. Architecturally, the Chicago Bungalow
combined modern building practices with Arts and Crafts details like
limestone trim, art glass windows, and patterned brickwork. This palette
of exterior paint colors is inspired primarily by the shades found in the
bricks, clay tile roofs, and limestone details that characterize the Chicago
Bungalow. These earth-toned colors are complemented by bolder trim
colors typical of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Pueblo Revival
The adobe structures of the Pueblo Indians are the oldest surviving architectural forms to have substantial impact on the character of regional building in the Southwest.
Beginning in the late 19th century, European settlers brought the architectural traditions that have since evolved into New Mexico's five predominant styles. Mission Revival (1890-1930) was derived from the historic Spanish missions with red tile roofs, stucco walls, flat roofs, round log columns and vigas; Spanish Colonial Baroque Revival (1925-present) borrows simple elements from Greek Revivalp and Southwest Vernacular (1910-present) sparingly incorporates elements of any of the Regional Revival styles.
Art Deco
Art Deco is considered one of the first twentieth century architectural styles in America to break with traditional revival forms.
Buildings in the Art Deco style are typically angular and clean, and include decorative elements such as geometric patterns, abstracted natural forms, modern industrial symbols, and ancient cultural motifs. In Miami Beach, a unique form of Art Deco employed nautical themes as well as tropical floral and fauna motifs. Ocean liners, plam trees, flamingos, and numerous related elements graced the exteriors and interiors of the new local architecture.