With roots tracing back to 17th century England, Victorian-era houses are an enduring legacy of European stateliness and majesty. Often referred to incorrectly as Victorian-style houses, Victorian-era houses, built during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837—1901), in fact come in many styles such as Second Empire, Queen Anne, and Italianate, to name only a few. These styles are vital to keep in mind when pondering a new coat of paint, as the features of each style often went hand in hand with certain colors. With some mindful planning and careful knowledge of the particular style of the house you’ll be able to draw out the beauty of the Victorian-era house that has kept it popular to this day.
It’s important to be attuned with the personal feel of your Victorian, but there are a few general directions for most houses to go in. Victorian houses often have some of the most flamboyant rainbows of color in the entire world, being the style of the famous “painted ladies”, which are painted in at least 3 contrasting colors mixed harmoniously to bring out the architectural embellishments of the house. A Victorian house just begs to be flaunted, and should you choose this route there are several ways to accomplish this. The most obvious, and possibly the boldest, way is the paint the house in contrasting colors (namely, red and green, blue and orange, purple and yellow). Another option is to use white as a canvas for contrast, and then to liven things up by strategically placing bold trims for highlight. If, however, you want to be true to the history of your Victorian, you can hire a professional to revitalize the historic colors of the house and all the stateliness and splendor that comes with it. Suggested color schemes are dark green and olive walls, trim and accents in blue, yellow, and sand brown and light green walls, trim in cream, dark green and terracotta for detailing around windows.
