The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) located in historic Newport, Rhode Island was created in 1968 because of an urgent need to save the city’s rapidly disappearing 18th century architecture. The formidable resources made possible by Doris Duke allowed a preservation effort that few have attempted before or since. These houses, all of which are still owned by the Foundation, represent a remarkable collection of early Rhode Island architecture. Visitors to Newport can see the results of this massive undertaking simply by walking the streets of one of the last wooden cities in America.

Since most of these houses are constructed of wood, protection from the elements, especially in this coastal region is extremely important. NRF Coordinator, Robert Foley started specifying California Paints to be used on these national treasures during the summer of 2001.

To ensure historical color accuracy, the NRF chose California’s Historic Colors of America palette, which was developed in cooperation with the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA).

Here are some helpful tips from the experts at California Paints:

1. Accentuate the detail of intricate woodwork using multiple colors. Instead of one trim color, use two or three colors if you have detailed molding or wainscoting and would like to bring attention to these features. Most historic homes have beautiful detailed woodwork and these features are usually accentuated by color.

2. Use muted wall colors. The interiors of historic homes usually have deeper, muted wall colors as opposed to the lighter, brighter colors used today. Also popular in older homes, the trim colors are usually lighter than wall colors. In some cases, you will see the trim painted the same color as the wall. This is especially common for the body and trim on the exterior of historic homes.

3. Use colors that will accentuate historic features of your home. For instance if you have added a tin ceiling or wide plank hardwood floors as examples, use colors that will not distract from these architectural features and in turn emphasize them. On the contrary, if there are modern architectural features in your home, such as vinyl windows or low ceilings you want to de-emphasize these. Use colors that will draw attention away from such modern details or that will allow these features to blend into the historic look of the room.

4. Dont make it perfect! Historic homes have a lot of minor surface imperfections. When painting your home to give it a historic look, be sure to keep this in mind. 200 year old homes dont have perfectly flat and level walls and ceilings.

For more information visit: http://www.californiapaints.com/colors/historic.asp