September 28th, 2018 How Paint Can Preserve History
New Orleans celebrated its 300th birthday this year. In the city’s 300 years of history, several distinctive styles of architecture found their way into the Big Easy. Grand, off-white homes with undertones of grey evoke the beauty of French chateaus. Warm brickwork, broad porches, and towers nod to the British Queen Anne style of architecture. Rectangular, towered homes in shades of earth tones characterize the Italianate style. And crisp, true white, columned mansions speak to Green Revivalism. With century-old homes, care, expertise, and a very gentle touch help us preserve history. In a city built on a swamp that has survived hurricanes, floods, and dramatic temperature changes, historical preservationists work hard to combat the elements and preserve the character of historical homes.
Paint can help protect and preserve these historical homes from often rough outside elements. At Painting by Jason, we understand the importance of protecting historic homes while remaining consistent with their architectural styles. We paint the “old way.” Our painters apply and implement the same painting techniques and craftsmanship that painters used over fifty years ago while introducing modern products, styles, and trends. Because homes in this area of town are by nature architecturally rich and often hundreds of years old, they require a high level of expertise and craftsmanship. Understanding these homes and their homeowners allows us to choose the best products and painting styles for New Orleanians.
We believe in creating and restoring beauty through the combination of drywall and interior/exterior painting, decorating, restoration and new construction projects. There are several methods we use in order to preserve history and beauty in century-old New Orleans homes.
Color to Preserve History
Many paint companies offer colors modeled after historical interior styles. We particularly love working with Benjamin Moore. Benjamin Moore offers an incredibly extensive historical collection that goes beyond normal “vintage” and “timeless” color descriptions to bring color into it’s historical context. For the United States’s bicentennial in 1976, Benjamin Moore collected shades from important periods of US architectural history to create a colorful timeline of design. The 191 shade historical collection offers color groupings based on over 200 years of United States architectural periods. Based on the architectural design and interior styling of your home, matching it to the corresponding paint period collection offers beautiful color inspiration to preserve history.
Fine Paints of Europe also offers an incredible range of high quality, historical shades. The Dutch paint company was developed using formulas dating back to the 1800s. In historical homes, Fine Paints of Europe matches the composition and shades of the home’s original paints. These high-quality formulas replicate the historical combination of pure oils and pigmentation to create a rich and protective wall coating. Fine Paints of Europe, like Benjamin Moore, offers historical collections with color palettes suited to historical homes. The vibrant shades also showcase detailed architecture. With the high gloss finishes available, these finishes can draw attention to gorgeous architectural details such as molding and millwork using paint alone.
Prep to Preserve History
Before painting, our professionals do extensive interior and exterior prep work. To ensure the safety and durability of your home, our painters sand, scrape, power wash, fill cracks, and even out peeling paint. We revitalize all parts of exteriors from the base to doors to shutters. When restoring interiors, we do extensive prep work as well. To ensure the best quality and appearance of surfaces, we fill in cracks, sand uneven areas, and apply high-quality primer to reduce discoloration.
Techniques to Preserve History
After priming, paint adds another layer of strength to your historical home. Using formulas like Fine Paints of Europe that replicate old-world applications, paint can revitalize spaces. With these oil-based formulas, we can both restore dull finishes and enhance intricate detail. Made from the highest quality materials, these products last longer than normal paint. They also offer an extra layer of protection to both interiors and exteriors. In a city with an often unpredictable climate, durable products keep wood from rotting, paint from chipping, and water from damaging your walls. For home exteriors in particular, painting your home with the highest quality products keeps your history safe. During rainy season, flawless paint application keeps the often centuries old wood foundations of New Orleans homes from rotting.
We take our time with restoration projects. Using quality products like Benjamin Moore and Fine Paints of Europe, our painters are trained to be artisans. Having worked in historic homes throughout the city, painters use the utmost care to preserve history and avoid damaging priceless architecture. Even when stripping older, toxic paints in exchange for safe, durable choices, our painters make sure to preserve the integrity of the space.
Posted in Blog | Comments (0)