Victorian Exterior Decoration: How to Paint Your Nineteenth-Century American House Historically

The title says it all. The authors do a great job of walking you through the history of Victorian Exterior Decoration so that you can determine how your house might have looked when it was built and/or expanded. They give insight into what was important to people in various time periods as well as what materials were available to them. Finally, they walk you through how you can choose colors today.

This book has long been out of print. I had a copy somewhere that I got years ago. Couldn't find it, so I got a used copy. Then I found the original and now I have two. If you can find this book, it will be the only book you'll need to paint a Victorian house without making a complete fool of yourself by selecting the wrong colors and too many colors This book shows you how the people who invented the style, as well as the paint, created the guides for handsome exterior home decoration. This book shows you how to paint every aspect of the home. The siding. The trim. The window sashes. The spindles on the stairs. The rails. The fancy gingerbread. The book shows original color charts and painting suggestions from catalogues printed in the 1890s. If you read and understand the book, you cannot screw up. If you get some other book about Painted Ladies, you'll get tricky and have a paint job that says SCENTED CANDLE STORE instead of BEAUTIFUL HOME. You want a house that looks like smart, rich people live in it. Not a business that sells candles, drug accessories, pancakes or real estate. This is this the only book you will ever need. But first you have to find it. Good luck.

I found this to be a very good book and very educational. I am painting my 19th century house using it as a guide. In the previous review someone wrote: "Unfortunately, there are precious few old drawings and the ones they do have are done in muted browns and beiges. Now, I know they didn't have color photos back in those days, but I do wish they'd included more color pictures (drawings) of these old houses." This person has obviously missed the point of the book. Did you read it? Those _are_ color drawings and those "muted browns and beiges" _were_ the colors used back then. People have a stereotype of 19th century colors as supposedly being bright and contrasty; this is due to the colorist movement in San Francisco back in the 70s, but is not appropriate when seeking 19th century accuracy. The crazy row-house colors of San Francisco are modern interpretations; whereas the Victorians preferred earth tones. The authors go at length to explain this with drawings and historic reproductions that are accurate in color. My only gripe with this book is that there should be more photographs of 19th houses painted historically. I think more photos would give home restorers more ideas to pick from.

This book is over 110 pages and every page has at least one picture, and most have two or three.Beyond the good information re: color schemes, there is a lot of information in this book about the 101 details (fretwork, finials, porches, etc) of an old house. Unfortunately, there are precious few old drawings and the ones they do have are done in muted browns and beiges. Now, I know they didn't have color photos back in those days, but I do wish they'd included more color pictures (drawings) of these old houses.There are also some very interesting old paint ads - such as one that suggests the right house paint is *the* key to health and happiness. The book also contains plenty of written information and history, which is interesting reading. And the photos/drawings offer a nice blend of the ostentatious Queen Annes and by contrast, the simple and modest "Builder's Style" homes.I'm an old house purist trying to redo my simple old home as authentically as possible. This book is a good resource for that.

I really enjoyed all the details and information so that I can paint my own Victorian home. Good color combinations, great historical information. I do wish there had been a few more photos of correctly painted homes.