After watching my father and my daughter complete their annual Spring flower planting, it occurred to me that we all seem to seek a little burst of color to help lift our spirits as we emerge from the winter months each year. Why is it then, that so many of us stick with “white” or “neutrals” when it comes to painting the exterior of our homes?
With the question still fresh in my mind (and while researching things to do in Charleston, SC for an upcoming painting convention) I stumbled across “Rainbow Row”. Rainbow Row is a stretch of fourteen homes in downtown Charleston dating back to the 1700’s, each painted a different (and bright) color. I will definitely take a stroll while in town to see it for myself. And what about all the colorful home fronts that line the streets of London, The Doors of Dublin, and the vibrant pastels found throughout the Caribbean Islands where many of us seek refuge from the harsh Northeastern winters? Seems we’re among the minority when it comes to expressing ourselves with our exterior color choices, or not expressing ourselves, that is.
It has been proven that color affects our emotions and speaks to our personalities, so do we all really feel as drab and dull as the whites and beiges that we see all around us? We recently helped a customer revive her Victorian Mansion to its original splendor. Sadly, it had been painted white by the previous homeowner. We were able to provide her with not only a sound home, but a beautiful and unique one as well, which resulted in a very happy customer.
We all know that the first purpose of exterior painting is to protect your home, but why not give it some life and make it beautiful while you’re at it? When it came time to paint the front door of his own home, our estimator chose yellow. His reasoning, yellow has been proven to evoke happiness, and he wants all of his guests to feel elated as they step into his home. So, for all of us who have been living in the world of “traditional” and “conservative”, I think it might be time to break free from the “cookie cutter” syndrome and add a little exterior color of our own – tastefully and elegantly, of course.
To see the complete transformation of the Victorian Mansion, visit the House Tours section of our website.
