Heritage Places - Colour & architectural style

External colour locations generally

Window and door joinery normally use the same colour schemes: Joinery was always painted in the nineteenth century.

The underside of eaves should be painted in off-white, eau de nil* (light, slightly greyish green) or another light colour (except in the Inter-war period, when darker stains were used).

Downpipes and other fittings should be "painted out" in the colour of the wall or fascia* they are fixed to, unless there is evidence that they were "picked out" in a contrasting colour.

"Blockwork" boards should use the same colours as weatherboards, but particularly stone colours, with joints picked out in a lighter colour (cream, light brown, stone or buff).

Baseboards below floor level, are usually painted or stained a dark colour different from the wall colour, such as dark grey or black.

External Mid Nineteenth century (1840-1880) colours

• Timber walls: were painted cream, light stone (for blockwork), light ochre, buff, mid-brown and rich ochre. Light brown, rich brown, Indian red, light grey/green and mid grey/green were used less frequently.
• Joinery: was painted rich brown, Indian red, purple-brown, deep olive green.
• Off-white, cream, light stone light brown, deep Brunswick green, Prussian blue and black or near black were used less frequently.
• Wood-graining was used on some elaborate buildings.

Wood-graining: Wood graining is a highly skilled specialisation and expert advice is encouraged.¹ The timber was painted with a cream base coat, then one or two brown or rich ochre "graining" coats were applied. This was then stroked with combs, brushes or rags while wet to imitate the grain of more expensive timbers and finally varnished. Various timber elements were grained differently to appear as different timber types.

• Metalwork including cast-iron lace: was painted cream, bronze, Indian red, and joinery colours.
• Roofs: Nineteenth century roofs, for example, were sometimes painted mid-green, Indian red, light stone or slate grey. In the 1850s roofs were sometimes coated black.

External Late nineteenth century (1880-1900) colours

In the late nineteenth century more colours were used in the one scheme than had previously been used. Elements were "picked out" in areas such as joinery and verandahs. Sashes, for example, were a lighter colour, in contrast to window joinery. Other elements that were highlighted include angle stops, barges and gables, spouting and spouting moulds.

• Render (including decorative moulds and quoins*): was painted dark buff, browns, buff and rich terra-cotta bands.
• Spouting (gutters) and spouting mould: were painted dark joinery colours.
• Fascias* (the flat timber the spouting is attached to): were painted light contrast.
• Verandah posts: were painted joinery colours. Verandah capitals (at the top of the posts) and collars (at the bottom of the posts): were painted a light contrast.
• Cast-iron lace: may be painted either light or dark.

Verandah roofs were sometimes painted in alternate light and dark wide stripes (about 800mm, to match the sheet width) to imitate canvas awnings. Even if most of the paint has gone, evidence of the earliest paint (excluding undercoats) may exist. It may even be shown on an early photograph. Only if this evidence exists should the roof be repainted in this fashion.

• Colours were: Indian red, greens and browns, with off-white, cream or light stone. The dark colour should match the joinery.

External Edwardian (1900-1920) colours
(including Federation and Queen Anne Styles)

Many Victorian colours continued to be available in the new century, but new colours and different schemes emerged with the Edwardian style.

• Joinery: was painted cream and off-white, mid-greens and browns, red oxide, light ochre, wood grain (more elaborate buildings) and oil stain or varnish.
• Walls: weatherboards and roughcast*: were painted off-white and cream.
• Dressings*: were painted rich stone.
• Angle stops: were painted dark, rich colours.
• Spouting: was painted dark joinery colours.
• Barges and fascia*: were painted light buff and light ochre.
• Barge cappings* and mouldings*: were painted darker trim colours: Brunswick green and Indian red.
• Roof: (if painted) as painted mid-green and red oxide
• Verandah, frame & posts: were painted dark colours.
• Capitals*: were painted light colours.
• Valance*: was painted either light or dark colours.

External Inter-war (1920-1940) colours

The interwar period* is characterised by simplified schemes with fewer colours, usually a maximum of three and often only two colours. Although some Edwardian colours were still available, there were fewer contrasts. Colours were derived from natural materials such as stained timber and clinker brick.

Today, acrylic stains are an acceptable substitute. Particular styles and their paint schemes during the interwar period* are:

Bungalows* and interwar houses

• Exposed timber frames, weatherboards and lining boards, timber trim, shingles* and joinery: were dark oil-stained, or creosoted*, or painted light and mid-greens, greys, and off-white for solid colour.
• Timbered gables: were stained dark and contrasted with light coloured painted panels.
• Window joinery: was painted browns, greens, some Indian red, creams, off-white. For the trim and sashes: Some sashes in lighter contrast to frames. Black or Indian red were also used.
• Render to walls: was pre coloured.Roughcast* render: generally cream, stone, white or off white and was not painted. If not painted leave as unpainted natural Portland cement or paint in original colour scheme.
• Weatherboards: were oil stained or painted off-white, light green and browns. Bungalows only: were painted cream, buff, brown, stone and dark olive green.
• Shingles*: shingles were untreated to weather so that they became a silver-grey colour, or they were stained with oil a deep brown, a deep or mid-green, or painted with a dark brown as a substitute. Sometimes the surface was blowtorched and then the charred surface was wire-brushed to heighten the grain effect.
• Fascia* and spouting: were painted a light colour.
• Verandahs: were painted a light colour. Verandah ceilings: were dark stained with off-white panels.

Moderne and Modernist.

These schemes used brighter, more varied colours, to match the cream or salmon coloured bricks, (rather than clinker.) Sometimes a light render was used rather than a dark stain.

• Walls: were painted white, cream, and light ochre, or unpainted render.
• Window frames: were painted white. Steel window frames and doors: were painted white, eau de nil*, black or apple green. In the 1930s windows and doors: were painted yellow, sky blue, red, apple green and chevron two-tone.
• Metalwork: was painted white, black and mid/light grey. In the 1930s metalwork was painted: vermilion red, yellow and mid-blue/grey.

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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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