Readers Respond: Paint This Folk Victorian House

Use this page to suggest color ideas for our featured Folk Victorian home. Are you wondering about your own house? To ask questions, please visit our House Helpline.

Color This House

Victorian House

I like the look of colors of the same family with some lighter accent from a different but friendly color. I have been struggling to get my colors right. Now am trying to figure out how to get high enough up to safely paint the gingerbread stuff.

—Guest jenzpaintin

Victorian Colors

Green roof - architectural shingles. Gray house - medium to slate. Cranberry trim.

—Guest martha

Cream and Blue

I am not an expert on either Victorian houses nor designing in general, just an enthusiast. I think a creamy yellow (butter is what I call it) for the siding would highlight the white cladding beautifully, especially if you use white on your window & roof trim. I would also suggest a couple of accent colors for the porch, shutters, etc., but use two in the same color family. I think a blue coupled with a lighter blue would look fantastic with the cream and white color scheme. Good luck!

—Guest "K"

Watch Out For White Window Sashes

In choosing colors for your home a great book by Roger Moss is Victorian Exterior Decoration. If you paint your home WHITE, then the white window sashes will be acceptable. If you choose period earth tones - DO NOT use white on your window sashes. The white will create sort of block when viewing your home. Darker sashes will create a sense of depth and character. Just because your windows are vinyl or aluminum doesn't mean they can't be painted. There is nothing worse than seeing a house painted in earth tones and the only white on the house is the window sashes. Please reconsider. For more information refer to Victorian Homes Magazine. There is a house color section and I believe the last issue or so mentions about white sashes. Good luck.

—Guest OldHouseGuy

Consider Off-White

I would add the comment that old fashioned 'white' paints were not nearly as bright as modern whites, and they will have yellowed faster too. So an alternative to a dark colour is to use a cream or other off-white. Regards, Simon TL, www.thelondonhouse.co.uk

—Guest Simon TL