1865 - 1870s DeVoe Exterior
Mid-1860s to 1870s Collection
33 Historically Documented Colors
The DeVoe paint colors from the mid-1860s through the 1870s represent one of the earliest standardized architectural color offerings in America. This was a pivotal era in paint manufacturing — when companies like DeVoe began transforming color from a purely local, hand-mixed craft into a documented, distributed product available to homeowners nationwide.
Architecturally, this period marked the rise of expressive Victorian design. Italianate, Second Empire, Gothic Revival, and early Queen Anne homes began defining streetscapes across the country. Ornamentation increased. Brackets, cornices, window hoods, and decorative trim demanded intentional placement.
And color responded accordingly.
Unlike the brighter aniline dyes and synthetic pigments that would dominate later decades, mid-19th-century colors were rooted in mineral and earth-based pigments. These tones were substantial, grounded, and architectural in character.
Within this 33-color collection you will find:
- Warm ochres and stone buffs
• Iron oxide reds and deep browns
• Olive and moss greens
• Slate, charcoal, and mineral grays
• Muted creams and body colors designed for masonry and wood
These were not random selections. Period documentation often specified how colors were to be applied — body, trim, shutters, sash, doors, and architectural accents. The relationship between color and structure was deliberate.
This collection reflects those documented offerings.
Whether you own:
- An authentic 1860s–1870s home
• A later Victorian you wish to paint in true 19th-century colors
• Or a modern home seeking the richness and depth of early American palettes
These colors provide a historically grounded foundation.
Because this website is organized by decade rather than style, this set allows flexibility. A Victorian built in 1895 can be returned to an earlier aesthetic. A farmhouse built in 1920 can be given mid-19th-century depth. Or a contemporary home can adopt the confidence and restraint of this formative period.
These 33 colors are drawn directly from period material and preserved as part of the Historic Home Colors archive — offering homeowners, designers, and restoration professionals access to authentic mid-19th-century paint options.
This is not a modern reinterpretation of “Victorian.”
These are colors as they were offered and used during the mid-1860s into the 1870s.
