Companies Selling Authentic Historic Paint Colors

There are some paint jobs that require authentic, historically correct, period paint colors. If the project is an historic restoration, or if the desired result is a correct period color combination, look to the experts for color choice.

Finnaren & Haley Paint and Coatings is located at 979 Third Avenue, in New York, New York . They manufacture acrylic latex exterior paint in semi-gloss, low luster, and flat finishes. They manufacture acrylic latex interior paint in semi-gloss, satin, low luster, and flat finishes. Their interior paint line includes a Master Scrub Flat with "superior stain resistance, scrubbability and washability" for rooms that need frequent washing but look best with a no-gloss flat surface. They have been in business for over 90 years and serve the markets in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

California Paints at 169 Waverly in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sells a line called Historic Colors of America. They say, "The historic New England curators and conservators have won national attention for unlocking the secrets of how paint colors actually looked when new, before time, sunlight and weather altered them." For help in selecting authentic period colors, they recommend Historic New England in Boston.

Old Village Paint Colours is located in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania. They say that they have captured the "charm and character of Colonial, Federal and Victorian periods." They have oil base paints in low luster and satin for both interior and exterior applications. They also carry acrylic/latex paint and a line called Colonial Williamsburg Buttermilk® that is water base and can be used on interior and exterior surfaces, as well as for decorative painting techniques including stenciling, folk art, and faux finishing techniques.

Olde Century Colors is located at 24656 Old Cleveland Road in South Bend, Indiana. They say their paint colors "lead the renaissance of 18th and 19th century architectural interest." Their line includes milk paints, acrylic latex paints, oil base paints and gel varnishes and stains. Their website has a dealer locator to make finding a retailer easy.

Homestead House Paint Company is located at 95 Niagara Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They sell VOC-free latex and milk paint. Their paints are available in oil, too. They have color collections called Craftsman, Gothic & Italianate, Early Victorian, and Georgian. You can order color samples online. You can provide them with the name and stock number of any competitor's paint and they can duplicate the color. There are retail outlets in Ontario, but they will ship anywhere in the US.