Victorian Makeover - Onancock, Virginia

This early Victorian era home is located at the edge of an historic district and had been vacant for 60 years before being restored.  It is considered by many to be a town centerpiece. This was an important factor in the color scheme developmental process; to make sure the house conformed to correct period color placement as well as fulfill the needs of the owners who wanted a bright home with a variety of colors.

With classic vargeboards at the eaves, and detailed corner boards, the house contained enough visual elements to allow

for a multi-colored trim and accent scheme. An historic period yellow body is framed with a medium green trim highlighted

with an off-white accent.  This accent helps tie the light colored windows to the scheme.  An historic red was painted on the

shutters, columns, and at the eaves to add strong visual lines.

The porch detail is complex and multi-colored to allow the multiple historic moldings to be seen from the street.

The use of highly contrasting colors enables the various parts of the architecture to visually separate from

one another.  Homes such as this can be difficult to color and it is important to consider all the design elements,

the location, and the owners preferences in order to produce a pleasing final product.

Copyright 2002 - 2008: Robert Schweitzer. February 16, 2008