It’s always interesting to look at mid-century paint brochures to see the color combinations that were being promoted at the time. They tend to be so much more… adventurous… than we attempt today. I recently acquired a 1960 brochure from Dupont promoting their paint lines, and it shows a number of palettes for both the interior and exterior. Today, a look at some of the exterior colors that they were spotlighting, in case spring has you thinking about a new coat of paint for your house. Tip: Click on the first thumbnail below — it will enlarge and launch the slide show.
Janet Gore says
The original owner of our 1961 ranch got tired of sealing the redwood on a yearly basis, and so painted the exterior wood a “beigey” color about 20 years ago. We purchased it in 2008 and knew that beige would not be OUR choice, and since the paint was chipping, etc. and showing its age, we decided to ‘go for it’. After trying samples of a number of Sherwin Williams colors, we decided on ‘sequoia’, which is actually a stain, formulated into a paint. It’s a reddish color … very deep and quite beautiful. Reminds me of the ‘rich’ colors here.
gavin hastings says
Then I was a kid….
Every street had at least one “shake” sided house that was dark charcoal (almost black) with white trim’shutteres and a carnation pink or pale yellow 3 panel door. I loved them and was sure the owners were living some charmed cocktail party life.
I never see them anymore.
gavin hastings says
…WHEN and SHUTTERS…gosh I don’t need spellcheck, but EYEcheck.
Dix says
I love vintage paint chips so much it hurts.
There was a pink house on our block when I was a kid, in the Eighties. The little old lady who lived there had probably done so since the 1950’s, when the house was new; I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the original color, or nearly so.
Googieagog says
The house at the top of page 7 is outstanding. You don’t see that combination of colors and materials every day.
carole says
I love that yellow, and it would be a perfect color for the NW climate.
Those types of colors are coming around again. I’ve seen many similar in paint brands such as Eddie Bauer, Yolo Colorhouse, and others.
With the ability to match paints these days, if someone came across the old brochures with colors they like, they should be able to be duplicated pretty closely. What fun!
Jane (aka Elvis) says
This is a lovely look at colors that are a little newer. I find I like the 60s colors and the unexpected color combos in pastels…can’t believe I’m saying this!
We are planning to paint our 1956 ranch, so I used the Sherwin Williams Visualizer to experiment. I’d love input from other retro renovators:
http://mulchmaid.blogspot.com/2010/03/which-house-color-looks-best-with.html
gavin hastings says
Are you able to paint that white trim? Also, you might want to play around with a contrast paint on the gable…..Have fun!
Cindy says
Thanks for posting these. My 1959 ranch in Fresno is a yellow/gold that I think doesn’t match the tones in the red brick base very well. The pallete you posted has some greens that would do the trick, but now I’m wondering if I have the nerve to paint an Easter egg pastel. OH MY, what would the neighbors think? That’s very ’60s of me in the burbs, don’t you think?
Kellita says
Thank you for posting this! I’m in the process of buying a 1960s house clad in a pale pink brick and have been trying to figure out what color to paint the trim. I love the bold colors of the time period. What a great resource!
sumac sue says
Whenever you see a ’60s era house still sporting colors like these, it really looks good. But, it’s important to get the right colors with the right house styles. There’s a bedford stone-and-frame split-level around the corner from us that has a color scheme similar to the house on the left in #9 above. The aqua color looks so right on that house. I’ve tried a similar color on my front door, and it’s OK. But, truth be told, I think aqua just isn’t right for the more colonial style of my house. A spruce green probably would look better. I like having some color, however. So many houses in my neighborhood have the good old black shutters and white door scheme, or white shutters and white door. As Elaine so aptly put it, Bo-o-o-ring!
Elaine says
I agree, the colors were so happy. When I was little in the early 50s, we would drive by a block of little new cement block houses, each one a different bright pastel color, There were yellow, turquoise, coral, pink, pale green and even one white one. I called them Easter egg houses. Now the block is deteriorating. Some of the houses area gone, some have had siding added and some have been painted white or gray. No more pretty pastels. Bo-o-o-ring!