Colorful Lifestyles of the West Color Scheme

For Homes of Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow


Background

Kelly-Moore’s ‘Historic Lifestyles of the West’ color palette features six classic architectural styles of the 19th and 20th centuries. These styles are a testament to the settlers who bravely came West from all over the globe during the 1840s gold rush, and those who later followed, as word spread of the region’s abundant natural resources and temperate climate. Historical styles developed after World War II are also included in this palette.

The palette features historically accurate and modern regional color adaptations that bring an authentic flavor to both modern and historic homes.

Facts

  • The palette is a collection of 106 livable interior and exterior colors.
  • It also includes 44 illustrated color idea cards (available at Kelly-Moore stores):
    • 22 authentic and 22 modern adaptation schemes
  • It represents six Western architectural styles spanning 110 years: Victorian, English Revival, Spanish Revival, Arts & Crafts, Jazz Age and Retro.
  • Kelly-Moore offers two environmentally friendly zero-VOC, low-odor product lines, the premium Enviro Coat and the professional Green Coat that can be tinted to a wide variety of historic colors.
  • Made in three decorative sheens: flat paint, eggshell and semi-gloss enamel.
  • The paints are sold in one-and five-gallon containers.
  • The palette can be previewed using Kelly-Moore’s Color Tool (tab) on the Kelly-Moore website (www.kellymoore.com) or can be picked-up at any of Kelly-Moore’s 163 stores, where Kelly-Moore owners are pleased to assist.
  • Kelly-Moore Paint Company, Inc., a leader and innovator of waterborne-coating technology and the first major paint company to offer recycled paints.
  • Kelly-Moore’s Color Studio Services:
    • Can create a specific color palette for homeowner association’s housing projects.
    • For large building contracts (150 gallon commissions), color renderings are available.
    • For interior designers, Kelly-Moore offers color tools for client’s projects.


Six Western Architectural Styles

Victorian (1850-1900) – The gold rush led to Western expansion. People moved beyond the East Coast and brought Victorian architecture West.

  • This architectural style sprang from Queen Victoria’s England. It can be found globally in any British colony from that time.
  • Spread throughout America representing status and new wealth. Victorian homes were ornately decorated, sometimes with dozens of colors. Verandas and roof gables were common, and intricate painting schemes showcased the wooden bric-a-brac.
  • Although elaborate color was popular, colors were muted as the technology to create brighter colors was yet to be developed. Still, Victorian colors resulted from the discovery of aniline dyes that were stronger and harsher than previous coloring agents.
  • These houses exist in Western cities with a heavy concentration of lumber and mining industries.
  • Victorian colors from Kelly-Moore’s Architectural Style Index:
    • California Chamois, Oregon Hazel, Gold Rush, Albert Green, Olympia Ivy, Victoria Red, Gould Gold, Eastlake Lavender, Slate blue, Inness Sage, Land Rush Bone, Tiffany Amber, Gettysburg Gray, Remington Rust, Grant Drab, Frontier Shingle, Trail Dust, Whistler Rose, San Francisco Mauve, and Clippership Twill.


English Revival (1890-1950) – Liberated from the Victorian Age, English Revival homes mimicked the style of the English countryside with an objective to look as old and rustic as possible.

  • These houses, built for new wealth, such as shipping and lumber executives, showcased large fireplaces and dining rooms similar to those in a castle. Smaller bungalows were for the working class.
  • The emergence of Art Nouveau in the 1890s led to designs derived from nature: plants, flowers, waves and the female form.
  • The use of pastels was a direct result of the fashion palette, which reflected a reaction against the harsh maroons, purples and blacks of the Victorian period.
  • English Revival colors from Kelly-Moore’s Architectural Style Index:
    • Windsor Toffee, Cambridge Leather, Stratford Sage, Buckingham Palace, Crown Gold, Victoria Red, Windham Cream, Jacobean Lace, Tudor Tan, Eaton Gold, Hanover Pewter, Oxford Brick, Trail Dust, Cotswold Dill, Nottingham Forest, British Khaki, Norwich Green, Canterbury Cathedral and Salisbury Stone.


Spanish Revival (1890-1940) – Echoing English Revival, this architectural style drew inspiration from Spanish and Mexican architecture.

  • Stucco exteriors were painted with whites and browns, while interiors were fashionably brighter, following period trends. Tile roofs covered many homes.
  • Architects played an important role in this style. Probably the most famous Spanish Revival Architect in California was George Washington Smith who practiced during the 1920s and ‘30s.
  • Spanish Revival houses are commonly found in the warmer climates of California and Texas.
  • The style has a romantic look that captivated the suburban homeowner.
  • Spanish Revival colors from Kelly-Moore’s Architectural Style Index:
    • Adobe White, Coronado Moss, Del Sol Maize, Toledo Cuoio, Seville Scarlet, Cortez Chocolate, Alhambra Cream, Sonora Apricot and Galleon Blue.


Arts & Crafts (1910-1940) – Beginning in Britain, the global Arts and Crafts movement spread throughout the U.S., including the West. Bernard Maybeck, John Galen Howard and Frank Lloyd Wright are a few notable architects.

  • This was an era of economic prosperity. Coupled with an abundance of natural scenery and materials, the architects and homebuilders of the Arts & Crafts movement had wealthy clients willing to explore.
  • People came to the West to build a home. Elaborate designs gave way to simple, useful architecture that suggested living in harmony with nature, as seen with the simple Bungalow and Craftsman homes.
  • This was an era of kit homes from Sears, Roebuck and Co., Wardway Homes (Montgomery Ward), Harris Homes of Chicago, the Ready Built House Company, and Robinson's, as well as cozy cottages.
  • The color palette was decidedly “autumnal,” and two-color bodies were popular.
  • Arts and Crafts has been the most replicated style over the last decade in the new home market. These versatile modern houses usually remain true to their authentic color roots and often synchronize color schemes with neighboring homes.
  • They can be easily spotted in the Midwest, the East and California, especially the San Francisco Bay Area and Pasadena.
  • Arts and Crafts colors from Kelly-Moore’s Architectural Style Index:
    • Frank Lloyd White, Bungalow Brown, Limbert Leather, Ruskin Bronze, Ballie Scott Sage, Ruskin Red, Ellis Mist, Artisan Tile, Voysey Gray, Norman Shaw Goldspar, Morris Leaf, Maybeck Muslin, Owl Manner Malt, Hammered Pewter, Tobey Rattan, Ruskin Blue, Veranda Green, Greene & Greene, Bungalow Maple, Mercer Charcoal, Indian Red and Inglenook Olive.


Jazz Age (1915-1940) – A mixture of Colonial, English, and Arts and Crafts architecture, Jazz Age houses are found in suburbs across the West.

  • These small houses have lighter exteriors than previous decades. Off-whites, grays and greens, and strikingly brighter interiors were common.
  • Elegant interiors with simplified lines inspired by the cubism of Picasso and Braque were often executed in neutrals. Black and silver walls were a shimmering backdrop for lacquered furniture and screens reflected in shiny tiled floors. African art, black onyx and white rock crystal completed the picture.
  • Hollywood loved this exaggerated and glamorized look.
  • Jazz Age colors from Kelly-Moore’s Architectural Style Index:
    • Leather Chair, Champagne, Wooster Smoke, Speakeasy, Grant Wood Ivy, Steiglitz Fog, Roadster Yellow, Stocking White, Charleston Chocolate, Top Hat Tan, Scatman Blue, Red Hot Jazz, Daisy White, Gatsby Brick, Fitzgerald Smoke, Swing Sage, Trumpet Teal and Saxophone Gold.


Retro (1930-1960) – Built in an era synonymous with corner windows and the newly introduced attached garage, these ranch homes had all the modern amenities. Exteriors were simple and interiors showcased vibrant colors, chrome and glass. Rationing, synthetics, new technology and improvisation were key words of the '40s.

  • Strong colors in fashion including red, yellow and navy were morale boosters during the gloom of the early war years.
  • As the war progressed, consumer goods, including paint, furniture and fabrics, became increasingly scarce with limited color choice.
  • The technology of plastics, as a substitute for scarce materials, was developed to a high degree.
  • Color invaded the kitchen for the first time, with appliances available in yellow, turquoise and pink.
  • Popular throughout Western suburbs, these houses can be found in warm climates.
  • Retro colors from Kelly-Moore’s Architectural Style Index:
    • Moon Doggie, Martini Olive, Jitterbug, Bubble Gum, Drive-in Cherry, Graceland Grass, Cream Cake, Ritzy, Grape Soda, Tricycle Taupe, Fiesta Rojo, Butterscotch Sundae, Daddy-o, Melmac Silver, Gatsby Brick, T-bird Turquoise, Poodle Skirt Peach, Bakelite, Snow globe, Silver Lustre and Pumpkin Pie.