Heritage Places - Colour schemes

The City of Yarra will provide additional professional advice on heritage colour schemes.

This resource does not provide colour samples of colour schemes: it is difficult to reproduce colours accurately on electronic material

A good range of heritage colours are available at Richmond Town Hall, Urban Planning Department. Brochures outlining the colours are also likely to be available at your local paint store.

Refer also to Researching the History of Your Property

Generally, it is most appropriate to repaint the building in its earliest colour scheme.

Most paint manufacturers produce "heritage" colour charts which include the deep and rich colours found in Victorian and Edwardian colour schemes.

Choosing a colour scheme to give an overall correct design effect is generally more important than precise colour matching.

Modern timber stains are generally not appropriate for heritage buildings, unless specifically mentioned below.

Acrylic paint is appropriate for heritage buildings, since it is more porous than oil-paint and allows organic (timber) material to breathe.

Research the original colour scheme

Determine the date and architectural style of your building

Where possible, determine the earliest paint colours and their configuration or if the building was painted in the first place. This can be done by

• Paint scrapes. (Refer to Paint Colours - Additional Information)

• Early photographs or illustrations, Even black and white photographs and water colours may hint at early colour schemes, or at least their configuration.

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Further information

Urban Planning Branch
Richmond Town Hall
333 Bridge Road Richmond
Telephone 9205 5373
Email info@yarracity.vic.gov.au

Links

Within this site
What not to paint
For materials that should not have been painted
Selecting a colour scheme
Paint colours

External sites (Yarra City Council accepts no responsibility for the information or opinions contained within external sites)
Victoria Online
Information supplied by: Electronic communications & design officer - 9205 5214 - 20 January 2006

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