Brownstone Cornice

My cornice was green when we bought the house. We’ve been painting it with Rustoleum “leather brown” ever since. I have no idea what the original ws but the dark brown is “grandfathered in” since we’ve used it since well before landmarking. The Rustoleum paint holds up well and I like the glossy finish.

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 6 years and 10 months ago

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nlt327 | 6 years and 10 months ago

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We are having our brownstone cornice repainted. Any insights as to what color and sheen these would have been originally? Thanks!

neilw | 6 years and 10 months ago

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https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/31/nyregion/neighborhood-report-harlem-you-want-to-paint-a-cornice-sure-it-s-the-right-color.html

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 6 years and 10 months ago

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The NYT’s recommendation of uniform cornice colors might not be appropriate for later brownstones and limestones [1890s, early 20th Century], where the unified front concept was abandoned for more individualized facades.

murph | 6 years and 10 months ago

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Given the choice when I had Malek resurface the brownstone I matched the cornice with the window frames and iron-work. I applied semi-gloss black but I added a gold-colored(copper really) trim. I like to show off when I’m laying out big bucks.

When I was scraping the window frames I detected some maroon coloring. Perhaps it was faded black coloring but you can never be sure after a hundred years of repeated paintings.

brikenny | 6 years and 10 months ago

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My 1886 home is brick, and I had the cornice painted dark green. The painter asked if I had researched the color first as he found the bottom layer of paint was almost the same color (just a coincidence, really.) That’s a bit different, even for a brick rowhouse; my neighbors’ homes have a variety of colors, but mostly browns and blacks. For limestones and brownstones, the cornice was usually painted a close approximation of the stone color, but unless you’re doing a real “period restoration” or live in a historic district, you’re pretty much free to choose a color based on your own aesthetics; but don’t go too crazy. 😉

yudashasom | 6 years and 10 months ago

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Oil based black semi