1887 Benjamin Moore Interior

1887 “Moore’s Prepared Calsom Finish” Collection

9 Soft Pastel Colors for Walls and Ceilings

This exceptionally rare 1887 Benjamin Moore brochure represents an early chapter in the company’s history, produced when Benjamin Moore and Co. was still based in New York City at 256–262 Water Street, Brooklyn. The brochure documents Moore’s “Prepared Calcium Finish” — a line of colors designed specifically for walls and ceilings in domestic interiors.

With only nine colors included and no known copies widely circulated, this brochure is a remarkable window into late 19th-century interior design. The palette is delicate and refined, featuring soft pastel tones that were subtle yet elegant, reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities of the 1880s. These light, airy shades were intended to brighten interiors while complementing architectural details, woodwork, and furnishings — perfect for ceilings, parlors, bedrooms, and formal spaces.

Unlike the deeper and more robust exterior palettes of the same decade, Moore’s prepared calcium finishes were muted, ethereal, and understated, offering a gentle, sophisticated backdrop for everyday domestic life. These colors demonstrate the early attention to interior harmony, tone, and light, and they show that historic color choices were carefully considered even for subtle finishes.

Whether you are:

• Restoring an 1880s home’s interiors
• Seeking historically accurate pastel wall and ceiling colors
• Reproducing authentic period interiors for museum, design, or residential projects

This Benjamin Moore collection provides documented, historically grounded options for interiors, offering authenticity, subtlety, and charm from a pivotal period in American paint history.

This is not a modern reinterpretation — these are the colors as they were offered to homeowners in 1887, nearly 140 years ago, giving your walls and ceilings a touch of genuine late-Victorian elegance.