advice on how to finish columns
hey Brownstoners, I’m gearing up to have the entry of my house repaired and am looking for advice/input on what color to paint the columns. I’ve looked around a lot, and the houses I’ve seen with standalone entry columns are wood frame and mainly painted white. My house is brick/brownstone and the columns are some sort of metal. I wonder if they should be finished to “look” as if they’re brownstone? Any input would be appreciated. I’m hoping to get feedback on the architecturally correct style.
classon
in Facade and Brownstone Repair 11 years and 1 month ago
4
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4 replies
brokelin | 11 years and 1 month ago
I think the right thing to do, for the best look, would be to do whatever was originally done. There are sources from which you can find this out. Easiest may be looking for similar homes, or an old tax photo or your home (I know they are black and white, but you can tell if it is light or dark, which would give you some clue.) Other sources of inspiration don’t have to be homes with columns … just other buildings, and there are many, with brownstone trim at the first floor level and brick above, and some sort of other trim, wood or metal. My Brooklyn coop had a somewhat similar configuration, with brownstone for the stoop and basement level trim, limestone at the first floor, and three floors of brick above, although our brick was not the same color as yours. There was a substantial bit of metal trim around the bay windows running down the top three floors. When I moved in, the metal was painted a pinkish color to pick up the brownstone color, which looked fine. When it finally got repainted, someone in the building determined that the paint on the metal was originally the color of the limestone on the first floor, so the metal trim was repainted in that color. It also looked good, and perhaps better, as it was now a very similar shade to that on the identical buildings on either side of ours. My guess is that they were originally painted the same color as at the brownstone, and that is what I would do. That doesn’t have to be brown. Brownstone, even on one house, is a variety of shades, varying from a pinkish shade to tans to browns. Or you could find a shade that looks good with both the brownstone color and the brick color. You can never go wrong with going with historical preservation concepts, paining the columns in their original color, and that usually gives the best looking results. I do hope you meant not just the columns, but the trim over the door as well – I think that they should be painted in the same color. I think there are brownstones with trim above the door like yours, even if they don’t have columns, that you could look at to see what looks good.
cate | 11 years and 1 month ago
Nice! I would say they’re supposed to resemble wood, so you could paint them dark green or really any color, while the ironwork should be black.
daveinbedstuy | 11 years and 1 month ago
I agree with painting them and not trying to brownstone them, or even paint them brown. Yhe rails, columns and cornice should all be painted. I would probably go with a satin black as well for all the trim. high,ight it with bright brass door hardware and a gold leaf number in the transom
bklynpwds | 11 years and 1 month ago
Beautiful, lucky you! I would paint them the same color as the banister. My pick would be satin black, so that the detail shows up nicely.