Victorian Exterior Decoration: How to Paint Your ... (ISBN 0805023135)

Quite a good reference book for old house lovers (like me!):
This book is over 110 pages and every page has at least one picture, and most have two or three. Beyond the good information re: color schemes, there is a lot of information in this book about the 101 details (fretwork, finials, porches, etc) of an old house. Unfortunately, there are precious few old drawings and the ones they do have are done in muted browns and beiges. Now, I know they didn't have color photos back in those days, but I do wish they'd included more color pictures (drawings) of these old houses. There are also some very interesting old paint ads - such as one that suggests the right house paint is *the* key to health and happiness. The book also contains plenty of written information and history, which is interesting reading. And the photos/drawings offer a nice blend of the ostentatious Queen Annes and by contrast, the simple and modest "Builder's Style" homes. I'm an old house purist trying to redo my simple old home as authentically as possible. This book is a good resource for that.

Excellent detail, very helpful:
I really enjoyed all the details and information so that I can paint my own Victorian home. Good color combinations, great historical information. I do wish there had been a few more photos of correctly painted homes.

very good book:
I found this to be a very good book and very educational. I am painting my 19th century house using it as a guide. In the previous review someone wrote: "Unfortunately, there are precious few old drawings and the ones they do have are done in muted browns and beiges. Now, I know they didn't have color photos back in those days, but I do wish they'd included more color pictures (drawings) of these old houses." This person has obviously missed the point of the book. Did you read it? Those _are_ color drawings and those "muted browns and beiges" _were_ the colors used back then. People have a stereotype of 19th century colors as supposedly being bright and contrasty; this is due to the colorist movement in San Francisco back in the 70s, but is not appropriate when seeking 19th century accuracy. The crazy row-house colors of San Francisco are modern interpretations; whereas the Victorians preferred earth tones. The authors go at length to explain this with drawings and historic reproductions that are accurate in color. My only gripe with this book is that there should be more photographs of 19th houses painted historically. I think more photos would give home restorers more ideas to pick from.

Useful, but not quite as directional as the title suggests:
From the title, I guess I was hoping for some clear direction on what colours to use. Instead, the book gives an overview of colour usage during this period, and changing trends, supported by quotes from critics of the period and illustrated by many original images from contemporary paint companies, advertisers, books of architecture etc. So what the authors expect you to do is to study all of that material and make your own decisions on what colours to use. To help you, they provide a detailed list of equivalent modern paint colours from several major companies such as Sherwin. Although helpful, I would have appreciated something a bit easier to understand and some more direct suggestions of typical colour schemes for, say, 1880. It is fascinating to see the original illustrations but, despite the quality of the reproduction, it is not always easy to make out what colours they have used.