Back by popular demand, Heritage NL has partnered with the Paint Shop to promote paint colours traditionally used in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Heritage NL originally partnered with Templeton’s some years ago for a similar promotion, but since the company closed, they’ve turned to the Paint Shop.
Heritage NL’s Andrea O’Brien says they’ve done extensive research including old photographs, samples, and even letters and diary entries to determine what paint colours people used for inside, and outdoor purposes.
Heritage NL is proud to partner with the Benjamin Moore Paint Shop @paintshopcanada to present the Historic Paint Colours of Newfoundland and Labrador. The booklet will be launched on Thursday, April 28th, 2022, at 3 pm. Check out our Facebook page @hfnlca for more details. pic.twitter.com/FBAaJclbYQ
— Heritage NL (@hfnlca) April 27, 2022
O’Brien says one of the long-held myths that many people have is that homes were always colourful.
She says in the early days of European settlement the main colours were white, red and yellow—colours that could be mixed using natural substances and oil or water.
O’Brien says it wasn’t until recent years that the colour palette really started to expand. While many homes in rural areas were usually white-washed with a bit of colour for trim, in St. John’s, homes were usually dark and drab with a lot of greys, browns and greens…and for good reason. Everyone was using coal for heat and if you had a “lovely, pristine” white home, with coal dust and smoke in the air it wasn’t going to be lovely or pristine for long she laughs.
