An 1894 Queen Anne Victorian near Spy Pond in Arlington — turret, wraparound porch, ornate spindle-work and gingerbread trim, original lap siding. The owners wanted faithful restoration of the original three-tone period palette.
The challenge
Queen Anne Victorians have more trim surface area than siding. The cut-lines where two paint colors meet need precision because any wobble shows from the street. Plus the porch spindles + turret are intricate — sprayed paint reads wrong on this architecture.
What we did
- Color-match against archive paint chips to identify the original three-tone scheme
- Scrape failing paint to sound substrate; preserve sound paint
- Oil-bond prime bare wood; mildewcide prime north-facing shaded sections
- Full caulk replacement at trim joints (~580 linear feet)
- Hand-brushed two coats Aura Exterior throughout — no spray visible from the street
- Three tones hand-cut at every architectural transition
- Porch spindles hand-painted individually
The result
Period palette restored. Spindles catch the morning light. Hampshire Gray body, Antique White trim, Black shutters — the way the original 1894 architect intended.