Interior Victorian Paint Scheme for Wall and Trimwork
This 1915 condominium building in downtown Washington DC was in dire need of a facelift. It's walls were dreary and tiles in poor shape. Urban Revivals gave the residents a number of color choices, and worked with them to lighten the area, fix the door, remedy the degrading tile, and enhance the architectural ornament.
![Lobby Before](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-paint-tests-113.jpg)
BEFORE Painting
Original lobby with color samples in one corner (blue in one corner, yellow in another, grey in a third)
![Painted lobby with compound cornice](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-after-116.jpg)
AFTER Full Renovation
Sunny yellow with gilding on rosettes and corbels was selected, with compound cornice painted in white, grey, and charcoal.
![Historic tiles octogonal require cleaning](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-before-127.jpg)
BEFORE Tile Cleaning
Octogonal unglazed tile and colored tiles need cleaning, repair, and in some cases, total replacement.
![encaustic floor tile repair](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-during-103.jpg)
AFTER - Tiles replaced, restored, color restored in areas
Urban Revivals recast a number of replacement tiles and used airplane model (epoxy) paints to restore missing color chips in the Greek key pattern. Dremel tools were used to remove deeply ingrained dirt. Grout was restored. (More about tile restoration here)
![Casting of New Tiles](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-during-132.jpg)
Molds for New Encaustic Tiles
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![Compound cornice historic paint colors](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-during-168.jpg)
DURING - painting of compound cornices
Sections to be painted were alterated, so that painters tape could be applied to create clean edges for the colors. (Learn more about cornices)
![Completed compound cornice painting](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-during-165.jpg)
AFTER - painting of compound cornices
![Paint color selection](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-color-chips-104.jpg)
The importance of color samples
Not is it only important to review color boards, it was essential to provide samples on the wall of colors, so residents could make their choice.
![Gilding of Architectural Ornament](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-after-120.jpg)
Gilding of Architectural Ornament
![Gilded rosettes](photos/med-460w-250h/renovation-wyland-after-101.jpg)
Gilding of Rosettes
These plaster runs date from 1915, and were made more visually interesting by gilding the rosettes with composite leaf (nontarnishing gold substitute).