House painting in Danville can be done to re-create famous architectural revival styles in your home. One of these is Victorian-style architecture which is often esteemed for its embellishments, diversity and bold, richly complex color combinations.
The most famous example of Victorian-styled houses is found on Postcard Row, the handful of beautiful houses that dot San Francisco’s Alamo Square. They are as iconic as the Golden Gate Bridge. But they’re not the only examples of the famous architecture in the city. In fact, there are 16,000 old Victorian-style homes that are still standing in the city. These are only the remaining Victorian houses from their original total of 48,000 that once existed between the mid-19th century to the early 20th century.
Even if your home doesn’t have the Victorian architecture, you can recreate that style through painting. When it’s time to refresh your home and you’ve decided to go with Victorian house painting in Danville, the process of choosing a Victorian-style color palette could be intimidating. However, don’t be dispirited – as long as you some learn important tips, you will be able to get through this sometimes-labyrinthine process.
Since a Victorian style is diversified, this is made easier with the modern paint technology which allows more choices for homeowners than ever before. They can either stick with the traditional palettes or stretch into something bolder.
More often than not, choosing a Victorian-style color palette can be based on personal preferences. We all have our own different likes regarding color, whether they’re associated with our favorite wardrobe, a favorite flower or decor, or our memories (like that red sports car you once bought). Our preferences can be a good start in our selection process. Decide what colors you like and those that you don’t want. Be sure to address this matter early.
You can also gather inspiration for the Victorian-style color palette through researching different magazines or books that deal with architecture or home design. The Internet is a vast resource of information where you can find pictures of Victorian houses. Take a look and find which homes catch your eye. You can also gather tips from several architecture, home decorating, or home improvement websites.
You can also cruise your neighborhood and look for any homes that have Victorian architecture, or are painted in such style. Once you’ve found a few that you like, jot down their addresses for your contractor.
When you start house painting in Danville, consider the things that you can’t change, including weather and sun exposure. Many painting professionals recommend a primer and two coats of paint to arrive at the best results.
You can also look around your neighborhood. If you have a next door neighbor whose exterior paint has a bold color, choose a paint that will blend with your neighbors’ but at the same time should stand out on its own, in a nice, subtle way. Paint your home’s accents with eye-popping hues such as red or even metallic colors like gold – these will definitely add drama to your home.
On the other hand, you don’t want your home to in blend seamlessly with the neighborhood. For this, choose a color that will make your house totally eye-popping. Paint your house with a striking (but not too harsh) yellow so as to be a standout in a row of white or beige houses.
Usually, Victorian styles employ at least three colors that should highlight their architectural details and designs – sometimes, even more than three colors. Basically, you have three paint colors – one for the base, another for the trim, and one more for the accents. The step should normally be: paint the base first, and then the trim, and lastly the accents. Accents are the key to a house’s finished appearance – painters in Danville should know where are these accents are and what colors they should use.
You can also add more visual interest by other ways. For instance, if your house has stonework or brickwork beneath the siding, you may want to add a horizontal band between the stonework (or brickwork) and the siding, to define lines. Professional painters suggest that you paint a lighter color on top and a darker color on the bottom.
Once you’ve found your own color scheme, test the colors with samples at several times during the day to determine the contrast, lightness, or richness of these colors. This is a good way to change colors while you save a lot of money and time. Once you’ve made the decision, your painting contractor will have the blueprint to work with.
Painting your home with a Victorian style in mind needs the same preparation as any other painting job. Scraping the old and peeling paint, filling and caulking holes and cracks, sanding the surfaces, spot priming, repairing and replacing, getting rid of mold and many others – good prep work will result with a good painting job. Prepping is still the key for a professional-looking paint finish. When you are about to do prepping, or hire someone to do the job, prepare your budget and expect additional expenses in this preliminary step.
Just like painting any house, Victorian house painting needs a lot of prep work. Research the right color combinations as well as the right painting applications. Once your Victorian house painting in Danville project is completed you will have a home that you really admire – a home whose style harks back and pays tribute to its origins.
