Painting Tampa Historic Homes

When it comes time to paint a historic home, there are a lot of factors to consider. Depending on where your home is located, there may be restrictions on the colors you’re allowed to paint. Hiring a professional in your area that specializes in historic house painting sets you up for an authentic, long-lasting paint job that follows proper guidelines, too!

Color history of historic homes

We don’t think about it much, but color choices and trends from historic buildings are as much based on availability as they are popular styles of the time. As production of paint increased and new types of paint were introduced, so did the options for homeowners. If you want a historically accurate paint finish, look into the time period your home was built or based on.

How did color trends evolve over time?

Before the First Industrial Revolution, most paints were made in small amounts with natural pigments found in nature. Because of this, the color selection was limited to mostly earth-tones such as darker reds, yellows, and greens. White was very limited in use, and was often only used as trim with the earthy primary colors being the body color of most homes. As you get into the 1820s, white becomes more popular as Greek Revival architecture becomes widespread. 

How did color choices expand in the latter 19th century?

As the 19th century advanced, mass production increased, specifically in paint. More colors were available, as a direct result of no longer relying on natural pigments. Even with this expansion of choice, the earth tones from a century prior persisted as the most popular choice. Even today, it’s rare to see extremely bright colored houses, or colors that aren’t primary as body choices. This is especially true of homes where you want to preserve value, as some paint color choices can actually improve the value of your home.

historic house

Choosing a new paint color for your historic home

When it comes time for a repaint of your home, the choices are endless (unless you live somewhere with an HOA). You can always go for the wild paint options, and be the wild cherry red house on the block. However, if you want your historic home to represent the time period it was built, or if you’re limited due to neighborhood restrictions, we have some ideas for you.

Option 1: Repaint with the original colors

Likely the easiest thing to do for a house repaint is to just apply a fresh coat of the same color you just had. We see our homes just about everyday, so we may not notice the toll that time takes on the vibrance of exterior paint. You can’t simply paint over the old layer, though. There’s a whole process involved with proper exterior painting. You need to power wash to clean, tape off windows, doors, and exterior fixtures, and of course, apply primer. Make sure each of these steps are done properly to ensure that your new paint finish lasts.

Option 2: Choose different colors fitting the time period

On the other hand, let’s say you just purchased a historic home that has some funky colors going on. You want to reinstate its historical, colonial grandeur instead of keeping that pastel pink trim. Old Crow Painting recommends using Sherwin Williams paint for both exterior and interior painting projects. They offer a great selection of those earth tones that we discussed earlier, such as the aptly named Green Earth.

Who should you hire to paint your Tampa historic home?

We may be a little biased here, but we believe you should always hire a professional when undertaking a project as important as painting. It takes an expert hand and years of experience to be able to provide quality, lasting work. This is especially true when it comes to older homes that need delicate, expert knowledge.

Hire an experienced, licensed professional

At Old Crow Painting, we’ve been specializing in historic homes in Tampa, specifically in Ybor City and Seminole Heights, for years. We also have experience with commercial and industrial jobs all over the city. Not only do you receive the best painting service in our area, but you also get professional, friendly customer service. Just read over our glowing reviews from past clients! If you’ve been thinking about repainting your historic home, contact us today for a completely free estimate.