the chromas | StudioPatina

Paint analysis is provided for projects that are either required to find the original colors or colors for a specified era when abiding by the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Preservation. Although not required, many clients who undertake a restoration or renovation will pay for a study to record the original intent of the decoration and often the updated color scheme is based on the findings - though not always replicated (it's is important to pay homage to the past but still make it your own).

The following are a collection of some of the more than 250 chrmacronologies (small samples polished on edge and examined under a microscope magnified 100x's or 40x's). All color layers are then matched by eye and photographed.

laharpe body (3)

laharpe room 1 2 walls (5)

laharpe LHI_6 Window Sill too

Laharpe Street, Treme, New Orleans

Left - exterior body of the house. Center - two coats of plaster on the interior (the second right over original paint on the bottom) with lots of itty bitty stones vistible. Right - window sill with crystalized varnish on top of the black paint layer.

Shutters 3

Dumaine Rear Building facade

dumaine_Facade_3rd floor

Dumaine Street, French Quarter, New Orleans

Left to right - shutters, front facade and back facade - painted after 1960.

For context, below.

Shutters

dumaine shutters 071

Shutters 3

The original shutters were still in use and were cleaned up and painted a color similar to the last one applied - not quite as saturated and much lighter than the original. The original pigment was likely verdigris which makes a rather dark green (slightly on the blue side). This was a common shutter color historically in New Orleans (and other areas of America). All layers of paint can be seen in the photo of a sample magnified 40x's, upper right.

pauger dining base (6)

PI_6 hall door trim (1)

PI_5b_Scullery (2)

Pauger Street, Marigny Triangle, New Orleans

Left to right - original dark red maroon from the baseboards, trim colors on the doors, vibrant yellow and green from the 20th century in the scullery.

Woodsiding_Closeup

Verandah_Under

Window Frame_Dep 2

Storefront sill (2)

Storefront Frame_Main

Shutters_second floor_2

Paint over brick_dependency_3

MAR 9A - Door Shutters, first floor 4

MAR 8A Storefront Frame

MAR 6_Ironwork 2

MAR 1_Stucco

MAR 2_Siding 5

The corner of Royal and Marigny streets, New Orleans

Over 220 years of paint. The 8th one shows the original graining layer - brown and ginger - on the shutters. The tenth is the rail with a nice coat of lead (the orange) between the black and green.