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As the flamboyant architectural styles and textures of the late Victorian period gave way to more austere tastes at the turn of the 20th century, the public's earlier preference for dark colors in kaleidoscopic hues shifted to favor "kinder and gentler" schemes in both muted and bright colors. These colors were expressed on the exteriors of a new wave of houses competing for attention—Colonial Revivals, Arts & Crafts bungalows, Foursquares, Tudor Revivals, and a few combinations in between.
• Exterior colors should be chosen according to the style of the house. • Location of the house and the surroundings should weigh in on the decision. • In suburban settings, colors should harmonize with nearby houses, not duplicate them—cooperate, don't compete. • Large houses painted in medium to dark colors recede into the background. • Large houses painted in light colors stand apart from the background. Arts & Crafts Bungalow (1900 to 1935) The popular bungalow adapted to both expensive—think Greene and Greene—and modest-say, Sears or Aladdin ready-cut-budgets to spread across the country, filling entire subdivisions with charming, practical homes. Known for their low roofs with generous overhangs, deep porches, and honest architectural elements, in their purest forms bungalows were intended to be built with natural, site-specific materials and to blend into the environment. Thus, it was no accident that the palette advocated for bungalows was often earth tones, woody stains, and other subdued, complex shades. Yellow trim on an oak brown shingled body was typical. Double-body schemes were equally common, such as the one depicted in the 1923 Morgan Woodwork Catalog Building with Assurance: a "Western" bungalow design with dark green shingles on the second floor and brown horizontal siding at the first floor, all trimmed in brown to evoke America's vision of a pine wooded West. The "natural look" was by no means law, however. To prevent regionalization that might limit sales, Morgan also showed similarly styled houses with pale yellow stucco and white trim—colors more suitable to the bright skies and white beaches of Florida or Southern California. Foursquare (1895 to 1940) Coinciding with the popularity of the bungalow was its utilitarian alter-ego, the Foursquare—a two-storey, hipped roof house now so named for its boxy proportions. Recognized at the time as "the most house for the least money," Foursquares carried few exterior architectural embellishments except for siding details and front porch elements-columns, piers, balusters—that might be classically derived, bungalowlike, or so stark they lack any stylistic influence. Early versions often expressed a Victorian aesthetic with a subtle use of dark colors and contrast, particularly on a solid-body Foursquare—for instance, a reddish-yellow body with brown trim and dark green sash. An even more striking combination recommended in 1915 was a dark brown body, white trim, and black sash. Though Foursquares built after the 1920s frequently lacked the earlier attention to harmony and subtlety of details, double-body cladding treatments still appeared. A common scheme incorporated dark green stained shingles at the second storey with tan or white horizontal siding at the first storey and white or tan trim. Colonial Revival (1880-on) Since the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, the popularity of the Colonial Revival movement—or many a pastiche of Colonial Revival elements—has continued unabated. Whether it's a diminutive Georgian manse with dormers, dentiled bed mouldings, and columned porticos or gambrel-roofed Dutch Colonials, these homes evoked the romance of days-gone-by, providing a traditional contrast to the earthy, progressive bungalow. Generally, Colonial Revivals were painted brighter and bolder than bungalows. Nearly every period paint brochure or pattern book at the turn of the 20th century began with recommendations for a body of "Colonial yellow" with white trim and dark green shutters. White was another popular body color with shutters and sash painted in a darker contrasting color to accentuate the white. In the 1920s and '30s, the Colonial Revival enjoyed an added burst of popularity, with many houses built in brick and, invariably, white or yellow trim. All-wood Colonial Revivals also lightened and whitened so that, by World War II and into the 1950s, a white body was prescriptive, highlighted by bright contrasting shutters or trim. Tudor (1905 to 1940) From the beginning of the century until World War II, the Tudor Revival-style house offered a romantic, vaguely medieval alternative to the symmetrical and clearly classical Colonial Revival. Tudor homes were commonly built side-by-side with other styles, often filling neighborhoods, subdivisions, or even entire suburbs, such as Shaker Heights, Ohio. Known for their steeply pitched roofs, half-timbering, and mix of unpainted stucco, brick, or stone, Tudors rarely displayed the diversity of colors seen on other styles. Dark brown (almost black) was the most popular trim color contrasting with lighter stucco that frequently sparkled with embedded mica or other minerals that created a subtle flair. Various browns were also favorite trim colors—and, yes, Tudor trim was occasionally painted white.
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| Common Color Combinations Ideas for Typical Schemes Recommended by Period Texts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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