Heritage homes contain lots of style and character, encapsulated in the design of the walls, floors and ceilings. It can be particularly difficult to choose the right colour and style when re-painting a heritage home as there are many different options available, and only some will suit the home.
You will need also need development approval from your local council and the state heritage council prior to carrying out any heritage home renovations. Read on for 3 important things you should know before painting your heritage home.
- Paint colours
Often the mistake is made when homeowners opt for a colour scheme that actually makes the house look older than it really is. Some heritage homes may require the colour scheme to remain original.
The first and most important step in heritage house painting, is understanding the architectural era and style of your home. There are vast differences in the way that the home is designed, depending on the era it was produced as well as the style it was designed in.
Research Melbourne heritage house styles to get a better understanding of what to look for in your home. If you have a basic understanding of the home design, it will become much easier to choose the paint colours. Search for similar heritage houses online to get an idea of the colour schemes that are used.
Painting companies will often have heritage branded paints which are designed specifically to suit certain styles of home. Selecting colours can still be a challenge, so to provide some inspiration we have outlined some common heritage paint colours sorted by era below…
Early colonial
These heritage homes were designed with a one or two toned colour scheme, featuring creamy light yellow and brown shades for the walls, often with slate or red tiles for the roof.
Wood was often used for decorating windows and doors, arches, as well as for creating balconies and decking.
Image Reference: 1910s architecture in Australia: house styles and influences
Mid Victorian
Similar brown and yellow shades were used in Mid-Victorian homes as they were in the earlier colonial style, but many homes featured some darker shades to accentuate the Victorian design features. They also often featured three toned colour schemes. The weatherboard would often be painted in a yellow beige colour, whilst the trim and window decorations would tend to be slightly darker in tone. Complimentary colours for doors and other decoration included dark reds, browns and dark greens.
Late Victorian
Dark browns, greens and reds were still common throughout late Victorian style homes, but lighter colours were also used more frequently to give a contrast. These lighter colours included shades of cream, light brown, light green and grey. Many standard homes stuck to the three toned colour schemes, however more detailed designs would feature different colours for the trim, doors, windows, posts, rails etc. These colours would be lighter or darker shades of the colours mentioned above. The roof colours remained mostly the same as the Mid-Victorian style homes.
Dominion
As the dominion era arrived, many homes began to use a much broader range of architecture styles and colour than they had previously. In this time period, the Californian Bungalow was the most popular style, which featured pale whites and creams for the walls and shades of dark green, red and black were used for trimming, window frames, shutters and other features. Terracotta was often used for the roof tiles.
Image Reference: Statement lighting steals the show in this Californian bungalow renovation
2. Renovation limitations
When working on your heritage home renovation, it’s important to be aware of the limitations surrounding the renovations that you are able to carry out. The façade will usually need to be preserved with its original features, meaning that you cannot change or modify its features. Unless you are repairing the home or carrying out maintenance work, the façade must be left as original.
It’s also important to check that you are able to change the colour scheme before choosing a new colour for your home. Some heritage homes will require the paint colours to stay as original, so take this into consideration before painting begins.
3. Repainting of intricate features
Heritage homes will often contain many intricate architectural features which contribute to the character of the home. This can include tiling, sash windows, door frames, shutters and more. Much of the property value can lie within these features, so it’s important to take care when carrying out any heritage home renovations to ensure that the original features are preserved.
If you are using paint stripper, make sure to test out the product on a small piece of wood first to ensure that it doesn’t cause any damage. Old windows can often begin to stick when too many layers of paint have been applied over time. To solve this problem, sand them down and repaint them. Just be careful to preserve any of the original features of the window frames when sanding.
Heritage home renovation can often be a difficult challenge, with potentially limited colour choice and restrictions on the type of renovations that you can carry out. It’s possible that you may still be wondering what features you can actually paint or what colours you can use.
Thankfully our team of domestic painters on the Mornington Peninsula are ready to provide assistance and carry out any heritage house painting job you may have. Our team of professionals specialise in heritage painting and will ensure that your paint is of the highest quality, taking care of all the intricate architectural features. We can also assist with advice on heritage paint colours to ensure that the shades you choose will match your home and compliment the important features. If you would like to book a free design consultation and/or free painting quote with our professional house painters, please contact us today.
