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Historic House ColorsMaking America More Beautiful…One Building at a Time Victorian - Bungalow - Arts and Crafts - Retro
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Historic House ColorsMaking America More Beautiful…One Building at a Time Victorian - Bungalow - Arts and Crafts - Retro
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You receive custom color schmes designed specifically for your building and custom color placement.
Accepting color clients for the 2009 painting season
Historic House Colors was named to the "Best Building Pros in America " list published by "This Old House Magazine"
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Click on the above list of topics for further information on each.
This service is a great investment for your home – perhaps the best money you will spend on it – the client comments below suggest just that!
Completed Projects
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GRAND PRIZE WINNER Chicago Painted Lady Contest This 1856 Italianate Home was restored by Marcie & Bobby Schulien. Click on the picture to see more! |
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1896 West Coast Victorian restored! See amazing side by side photos of the transformation. Click on the picture to see more! |
NEW - Read articles on Bungalows and other architectural styles, chick here to view the current list.
See Robs latest artilce in the March 09 issue of "Victorian Homes" magazine.
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See Rob's extensive historical contribution to the Kelly-Moore Paints Historic Lifestyles ™ of the West color card. This palette of 106 colors developed by Rob is available now at Kelly-Moore retail outlets in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma, ,Oregon, Texas & Washington. --- To view part of the card click on the logo above." |
Now Available!! Rob's book on bungalow colors. Purchase an autographed copy directly from the author! Click on the logo above to order. |
Read Rob's columns in "Cottages & Bungalows" magazine. C&B is available at Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores, Target, Lowe’s, Walmart and select grocery and drug stores, or call 866-368-5651 to order a copy. For more information and to subscribe see: http://www.cottagesandbungalowsmag.com |
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Have a question? Email me at Robs@umich.edu
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What clients are saying
"Thank you so much for helping us to come up with colors for our home. My wife and I cannot say enough about your vision for our home, and about your expertise in assisting us with color choices. We are so proud of our home, please feel free to use our images on your website. Using your services was by far one of the BEST investments we have made in our restoration. Sincerely, Robert & Pamela Griffiths December 2008
" Rob,
The painters just finished spraying out the body colors today and unwrapped all the windows, doors, etc.
It looks amazing.
We never would have come up with such a pleasing scheme without your assistance. It is amazing how well it fits in with the yard, yet highlights the features of the house. We are ecstatic with the results". Lew Guenther September 2008
" I wanted to tell you thanks again for the help you gave Cheryl and I eight years ago. We are happy with the colors and as you know so are a lot of other folks that have used you in Birmingham, AL. Keep up the good work." Ethan and Cheryl Lewis October 2008
"Thanks so much for all your help. Youve made what would have been an impossible and stressful task really fun and easy for us, and I know the results will be so much better than what we could have done on our own!" JenniferMonroe July 2008
"Painting has begun. We are very pleased with the color choices and placement. We will be certain to send you photos of the completed project. Thanks again. We feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with you on this project." Best, John and Marsha Ellis, June 2008
"I have to say I am extrememly happy with the colors. They look beautiful. I have had numerous neighbors stop me and tell me they love the colors. I had one neighbor say the colors are very elegant. That is exactly what I was going for. There are so many yellow and light blue houses in our neighborhood. Ours really stands out now and in a good way. I can't wait to show you the pictures!" Dawn Harris, June 2008
"The house turned out great! We didn't paint the background of the teeth yet. Hopefully we can do it in the spring. We really appreciated all of your input during the decision process. It's amazing how much more detail stands out than it did before with the house painted all white. People thought that we added details when they were there all along. Once again, thank you for all of your help. The house turned out wonderfully!" Mary Robertson March 2008
"I must tell you that your service was worth every cent. We are very happy with the way our home has turned out and we are receiving comments almost daily. Thank you so much." Tom Halay August 19, 2007
"Thanks for helping us Rob! You made this very daunting porject A LOT EASIER!!" Lindsey and Jeremy Thesis, April 1, 2007
"We continue to get calls on the home. I just got a call Tuesday from someone who had just moved up to Whitefish asking who painted our house. I told her who painted it but then went on to advise we went through a process with you to come up with the scheme. We definitely achieved a great result; very happy with it". Dane Boat, Whitefish, MT, March 15, 2007
“We can't begin to tell you how happy we are with the finished product. To say we had a hundred people stop in our yard and admire it would be an understatement. In fact, the local paper (Caroline Progress) and the Richmond-Times Dispatch newspapers are doing articles on the home and the color scheme. Again thanks for all of your expert guidance in turning our home into a real show place that the entire community now enjoy. We certainly love it...came out better than we ever could have imagined.” Ken & Mary Barnett, Bowling Green, VA, October 25, 2006
"Once again, thank you for your help! If it weren't for you, this process would have been very stressful and time consuming. I'm glad you provide this great service! Elaine Ladwig, April 14, 2006"
"The general feeling around town is that everyone LOVES the color scheme! People just stop and stare and are so appreciative that an old house in the middle of town now looks like this...it's been a huge hit primarily due to the colors. THANKS! Your service was worth every penny ;-) Steve Perricone, May 2, 2006"
"As we have painted the front of our home we have had many compliments. Every day we have at least 3-4 people walk by and look at the house. We have even had people from other neighborhoods tell us that they now take their morning walk past out house now so they can see the progress and new colors. I am so excited about the house colors and can hardly wait to see the end results! Once again, thank you for your help. The house colors we chose look fantastic!" Elaine Ladwig, BSSW, LSW, Marshall, MN, July 9, 2006
"Wow, this house is really coming together after a month of grime and noise. And your help has been invaluable!
It's such a leap of faith to trust your suggestions, but as the job is completed I see the rhyme to your reason and thank you for it. We've had nothing but positive feedback about your choices and love it ourselves." Janise Hawes, August 18, 2006
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Articles, Lectures & Media information - Rob in the News
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North America has been graced with many types and styles of historic architecture. The Georgian Colonial of the South and the Federal homes of the North were constructed in the eighteenth century. Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, along with Italianate homes, were the popular house types in the early nineteenth century. The Second Empire and Stick Styles were fashionable after the Civil War in what we label the early Victorian house period. Toward the end of that century Queen Anne homes with large verandas were in vogue as well as Colonial Revival and English Tudor styles. Bungalow and Craftsman homes with an Arts and Crafts influence were early twentieth century types. By the twenties Dutch Colonial homes and Cape Cods were favorites. Ranch and Retro style designs followed in the post war years, and today we have a wide variety of Modern and Post Modern architecture. My architectural history experience includes thirty years of university level teaching, extensive period research and preparing color schemes in both historic and modern paint colors for all these styles.
Paint stores today offer a bewildering range of color choices. One inch paint chip samples frequently turn out differently on your house than they look in your living room. Often people turn to white or taupe exterior colors out of the sheer frustration of selecting a proper, acceptable color scheme for their house. Now there is no need to settle for something bland. Do you wonder how those classy Victorians, Bungalow and Architect/designer homes turn out so stunning? Now there is a service that will assist you in developing an exterior paint color scheme for your home, office or commercial building. The methodology for this service has been proven after many years of testing with hundreds of clients. Color combinations are drawn from historic period sources and modern color theory. The colors suggested are readily available in your area. View Client List
"There is one color...frequently employed by house painters, which we feel bound to protest against most heartily, as entirely unsuitable, and in bad taste. This is white, which is so universally applied to our wooden houses of every size and description. The glaring nature of the colour, when seen in contrast with the soft green foliage, renders it extremely unpleasant to an eye attuned to harmony of coloring, and nothing but its very great prevalence in the United States could render even men of some taste so heedless of its bad effect."
-- Andrew Jackson Downing, 1842, Cottage Residences
The color you paint your house is more important than the color you choose for a car or your wardrobe. The house color remains constant throughout the years and is the residents' statement of feelings towards their home and neighborhood. Many buildings today, you will agree, are poorly colored and this does nothing to highlight special architectural features. Adding an appropriate color scheme to your building increases its value, not merely in terms of dollars, but in how the entire neighborhood is perceived. Historic colors increase personal pride in ownership. The house just feels good to come home to. Once hidden features now delight not only the owners, but casual observers, as well. Buildings take on a new charm, a whole new identity when the correct colors are applied.
Contact Historic House Colors at: Robs@umich.edu
Copyright 1997-2009: Robert Schweitzer - Last revised: January 6, 2009
