Santa Cruz County is rich with Victorian architecture — from the painted ladies of the West Side to the Queen Annes and Italianates of downtown. Restoring one of these homes is as much research as it is craftsmanship.
Start with the era. A Stick-Eastlake from the 1880s wants a different palette than a Colonial Revival from 1905. Historic paint analysis services can pull original color samples from under decades of overpaint, and local historical societies often hold original photographs.
Period-correct palettes typically use three to five colors: a body color, a primary trim, a secondary trim, a sash color for windows, and an accent for ornamental gingerbread. The goal is to articulate the architecture — to make the eye see every bracket, dentil, and spindle.
Prep is exhaustive. Hand scraping, careful sanding, lead-safe practices for any pre-1978 surface, and meticulous priming of every detailed element. We use fine-bristle sash brushes for the ornamental work and never spray exterior trim on a restoration — the hand-applied finish is part of the integrity.
