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WHEN we stop to consider, is it not 
 strange that, in a country whose peo- 
 ple are the most enterprising of any on the 
 face of the globe, the growth of interest in 
 art as apphed to house painting has been 
 so slow ? Fashion rules in many ways, and 
 now that she dictates important changes in 
 house painting, let her be guided by correct 
 principles. 
 
 The old and young of all conditions are 
 more or less familiar with customs of dress, 
 carriage and general demeanor ; but is it 
 not surprising that so few know anything 
 at all about the art of painting and decor- 
 ating — the proper cblors to use, or the 
 means to employ to make their homes at- 
 tractive and beautiful ? It is our purpose 
 to give some general instructions upon this 
 important phase of art, which we trust 
 will assist in correcting present errors, sug- 
 gesting new ideas an4 stimulating all to a 
 careful study of this important subject. 
 
Copyright, i$8^, by Sh^r^'in, WUlmms *• Co, 
 
^^kxiov* 
 
 * ' What shall I do with the outside of my 
 house ? " is a question often asked by those 
 who wish to paint. Every one ought to 
 know what colors harmonize perfectly, 
 either by sympathy or contrast, before at- 
 tempting to express an intelligent opinion 
 of the proper combination of colors to use 
 on the outside of a house. 
 
 In exterior decoration, the surroundings 
 should be taken into consideration, and the 
 building treated in such a way as to har- 
 monize as nearly as possible with them; 
 especially should this be the case in 
 suburban residences, as there is nothing 
 that so effectually destroys the beauty of a 
 landscape as to see a house painted in 
 colors that are in discord with objects about 
 it. In fact, few houses are painted as they 
 should be. Only two shades of color are 
 generally used — one for the body or main 
 part of the building, the other, usually a 
 darker shade, for both high-lights and 
 shadows. Occasionally sl house is painted 
 
with three colors, but invariably the dark- 
 est is used on the lightest and most prom- 
 inent parts of the building, instead of being 
 used on the shaded parts as it should be. 
 This destroys, to a great extent, the archi- 
 tectural beauty of the structure. The 
 appearance of color depends largely on 
 gradation. A building painted of one 
 uniform color appears hard and disagree- 
 able, when the same color, if gently varied 
 in shades, becomes pleasing to the eye as 
 well as true to nature. Gradation of color 
 is almost universal in nature, and some 
 knowledge of color and color law should 
 constitute a portion of our education. The 
 uneducated eye feels the effect of gradation 
 in nature and painting, but is unable to 
 trace the delicate play of light and shade 
 on which it depends. 
 
 FRAME BUILDINGS. 
 
 PRIMING. 
 
 The first, or priming coat, bears an im- 
 portant relation to the durability of paints. 
 If a paint is to do good service, it must 
 not only be composed of suitable materials, 
 but must be so applied as to assimilate with 
 
the surface on which it is spread. Good 
 paint is largely composed of oil, and as oil 
 and water, under ordinary circumstances, 
 have no affinity for each other, paint 
 cannot take hold of a damp surface and form 
 a durable coating, and although this fact 
 has been so often expressed, yet dampness 
 is so insiduous that its effects are giving 
 trouble every year, sometimes where not 
 one in a hundred would believe that 
 moisture existed. New, unseasoned lum- 
 ber, parts of surfaces on buildings where 
 the sun and air have not done their good 
 work, or undried under-coats of paint, will 
 not only cause paint to come off in some 
 way, but the same surface will be similarly 
 affected soon after. We see by these facts 
 the importance of having the first coat 
 right. Where dampness is suspected, and 
 no way can be devised for drying, a good 
 coat of shellac varnish will usually prevent 
 the moisture from working out through 
 the paint. 
 
 PAINTING. 
 
 No building should be painted with less 
 than three shades of color. First, the body 
 color or main part of the house should be 
 determined upon — take shade '*K" as an 
 
example.* Then all prominent parts, 
 known as high-lights, such as crown mold- 
 ings, face of brackets, face of window and 
 door frames, etc., should be painted a 
 lighter color — shade **J" (354). All the 
 shadows, such as bed of cornice, sides 
 of brackets, inside of window and door 
 frames, should be painted a darker color 
 than the body — shade "W" (371). For 
 window blinds, use some good contrasting 
 color— shades "R" (372), '*N" (368) or 
 *'S" (366), are often used — or, the blinds 
 can be painted the same color as the body 
 of the house. For the steps, use two 
 colors, one for the rises, same color as 
 the shadows, or darkest color on main 
 part of the building ; and for the treads, a 
 contrasting color that will the least show 
 dirt— shade **C" (356). If there is a 
 porch to the house, paint the floor same 
 as treads to steps — shade *'C" (356), 
 and paint the ceiling a gray shade — shade 
 '* D" (357). If a sky blue is desirable, a 
 slight addition of ultramarine blue to shade 
 ** F " (359), will produce it sufficiently near 
 
 ■^ The shades here indicated by letter and num- 
 ber are taken from the colors of the Sherwin- 
 Williams Paints, samples of which can be obtained 
 from responsible paint dealers throughout the coun- 
 try, or by application to the manufacturers. See 
 last page of this pamphlet. 
 
to be appropriate. A house painted in 
 this way, provided these colors harmonize 
 with surrounding objects, will be a correct 
 combination and pleasing to the eye. 
 
 For another example, take a house 
 within a few feet of a brick building : — 
 Paint the body or main part with shade 
 **N'' (368); for high-lights use shade *'R" 
 (372), and for shadows use *'P" (369). 
 These colors on a house in juxtaposition 
 with a brick house make a very good 
 combination; also will look well standing 
 alone, and will harmonize with more colors 
 than any other. 
 
 Another very fine combination for a 
 house built in the Queen Anne or Swiss 
 cottage style, on a large lot surrounded by 
 plenty of trees and shrubbery, with a good 
 stretch of well-kept lawn in front, is shade 
 **S" (366) for the body, and trimmed with 
 two shades, viz : '' R" (372) for high-lights; 
 **N" (s6S) for shadows; sash black. 
 Houses of this description generally have 
 slate roofs. But if the roof is shingled, 
 paint it with shade " M " (367). 
 
 BRICK HOUSES, 
 
 Most persons who ha\'e not studied the 
 subject, think that painting is done only to 
 please the eye or to suit tlie fanciful whim 
 
 T 
 
of people who have money to beautify 
 their houses. But such a view of the sub- 
 ject will be found to be erroneous, for 
 paint is a necessity on brick houses as well 
 as on wood, from the very nature of the 
 jTiaterials used ; in fact, a brick house needs 
 more paint outside than does one built of 
 wood, on account of the absorption of ex- 
 ternal damp. The use of paint will save 
 many times more than its cost in doctors' 
 bills alone. Don't spare it, either outside 
 or inside of the houses in which you live, 
 whether they be brick, stone or wood ; for 
 besides beautifying your houses, it saves 
 the lives and gives the greatest blessings to 
 those you love and cherish. 
 
 Brick houses are very appropriately 
 painted red (shade ''M" [367]) and pen- 
 ciled with some dark color. The general 
 way of painting a brick house is to paint 
 it red and pencil the seams with white 
 paint, which is a mistake, as the white 
 paint in the seams gives the house a very 
 flat and cheap appearance. If seams are 
 to be penciled light color, use shade <'F'* 
 (359)) 3^s it is nearer the color of the mor- 
 tar used in the seams than white ; but black 
 is the best color, as it gives the building a 
 much richer and more substantial appear- 
 ance. Woodwork on the outside of brick 
 buildings, such as door and window frames, 
 
have generally been painted stone color. 
 A much better way is to paint the wood 
 work a good contrasting color, like shade 
 "W"(37i). 
 
 Almost all brick buildings are finished 
 with stone caps and sills ; but window and 
 door frames, never being made of stone, 
 should not be painted to represent it. The 
 only part of a brick building that should 
 be painted a stone color, is the cornice, 
 because it frequently is, and always should 
 be, made of stone. If the cornice is made 
 of brick, always paint it the same color as 
 the body or main part of the building. All 
 iron work, such as crestings, railings and 
 brackets of balconies, should invariably be 
 painted some dark color, such as black, 
 bronze green or vandyke brown. Sash 
 also should be painted very dark. Black 
 or bronze green are good colors for general 
 work. For olive combinations, a dark 
 rich wine color is good for sash. Vandyke 
 brown is the best general color for sash, as 
 it is a warm color, besides being dark, and 
 it harmonizes perfectly with all warm 
 colors. 
 
T 
 
 WOOD AND METAL ROOFS. 
 
 It is said ''custom makes law," and 
 we venture to say few laws on our statute 
 books are so strictly observed as the 
 custom of leaving shingle roofs unpainted. 
 We also venture to say, that if property 
 owners would give this subject the attention 
 it deserves, we should soon see a great 
 change, and instead of seeing less than one 
 roof in a hundred painted, we would see all 
 large roofs as carefully painted as any other 
 exposed parts of buildings. Does it not look 
 reasonable that if paint is a preservative, 
 it is of as much use when applied to the 
 most exposed parts as to the least ? Shin- 
 gles not only last enough longer to repay 
 the painting, but painting the roof of a 
 house gives a fine opportunity to get a good " 
 color effect and completes the picture. ' Of 
 course a roof should not be painted a light 
 color, but some dark color that will 
 strongly contrast Avith the paint on the 
 main part of the building. If a house is 
 painted with ''R" (372), ''W* (371), 
 «*P" (369) or ''N" (368), use ''M" (367) 
 or ' ' S" (366) for roofs, or vice versa. More 
 than one color can be used on a roof if 
 desired; some very good imitations of slate 
 
II 
 
 roofs have been obtained by the use of two 
 or more colors. "A word to the wise is 
 sufficient" — Paint your roofs. 
 
 OUTSIDE DOORS. 
 
 Where the outside doors are to be 
 painted, use some dark or contrasting color 
 that will harmonize with the color of the 
 house, or a very good effect is obtained by 
 painting with the same colors used on the 
 house — the dark color for the panels and 
 the medium or body color of the house 
 for the -stiles. A great many outside doors 
 are still grained in imitation of natural 
 woods, which is a very great detriment to 
 the advancement of artistic exteriors, be- 
 cause, in the first place, it is in very poor 
 taste, and is an imitation and deception, 
 and all imitations are bad; in the next 
 place, it gives rise to more bad feeling and 
 dissatisfaction than any other work per- 
 formed, for it is almost impossible to find a 
 door that has been grained that will stand 
 the sun and weather without blistering 
 and cracking. The graining color comes 
 off in round spots, exposing the light color 
 underneath, producing a very unsightly 
 appearance. When a door becomes spotted 
 in this way the thing generally thought of 
 
is to remove the old graining and finish as 
 before, which is very unsatisfactory and 
 expensive to the owner, as it will blister 
 and come off again. Never varnish a 
 door that has been painted, as it is sure to 
 lead you into trouble by cracking, blister- 
 ing or causing the paint to peel off. If 
 your door is hard wood, first fill the grain 
 of the wood thoroughly with the Sherwin- 
 Williams Filler, and then finish in oil or 
 varnish as desired. (The scope of this 
 pamphlet will not admit of our going into 
 details on this part of subject, but any 
 information desired can be obtained from 
 the publishers.) 
 
13 
 
 'Jnitviou 
 
 PARLORS AND OTHER ROOMS. 
 
 For many years it has been the custom 
 to use nothing on the woodwork of inte- 
 riors but plain, glossy, white paint, or 
 graining in imitation of woods, both of 
 which are very bad in many instances: 
 white, because it is hard and cold in ap- 
 pearance, and can rarely be made to har 
 monize with surrounding objects ; graining, 
 because it is an imitation of the genuine in 
 many houses, and is frequently a very poor 
 imitation. In painting a room, the wood- 
 work, should be in colors which will har- 
 monize with the wall decorations, either 
 matching the colors on the walls or using 
 some contrasting color that will harmonize 
 nicely. In painting in contrasting colors, 
 the hangings, furniture and carpets, as 
 well as the walls and ceiling, must be taken 
 into consideration. If you are not positive 
 which are the right colors to contrast nicely 
 with other portions of the room and make 
 a perfect harmony, we advise using colors 
 similar to those employed in the wall 
 
14 
 
 decoration. Paint the inside of windows 
 or that part of the frame nearest the sash, 
 Hght color ; the sash and the fiat part, or 
 face of the frame, dark color. If the 
 frame is cased with a molding on the 
 edge next the wall, paint it the light color, 
 as the gradation of color between the dark 
 on the frame and the general color of the 
 wall is more pleasing to the eye and is not 
 as strong a contrast as a dark color will 
 make. Paint the base dark, and the 
 molding at the top of the base light color, 
 the panels of the doors dark and the stiles 
 light. We have noticed that in many 
 instances the, panels are painted light and 
 the stiles dark, which is entirely wrong, as 
 the stile is the most prominent part of the 
 door, and of necessity must receive the 
 most light. But as most of the woodwork 
 now in use is perfectly flat, with the ex- 
 ception of grooves or beads run in them, 
 we would advise the use of three colors. 
 Paint high-lights light color, shadows 
 dark, and in grooves or on beads, use a 
 contrasting color, or one that will harmon- 
 ize well, and at the same time make the 
 woodwork look brighter, always being 
 careful to use a receding color in the 
 grooves and an advancing or stationary 
 color on the beads. Black has been fre- 
 quently used in parlors, and with a litde 
 
15 
 
 gold leaf it makes a very good color for a 
 room furnished with a variety of furniture 
 of different colors, as it will harmonize to 
 some extent with all colors. Although 
 artists prefer not to use black unless abso- 
 lutely necessary, yet it often makes a very 
 fine looking room, but should be used 
 nowhere except in a parlor. Sitting rooms 
 look well in olives and olive browns. 
 Dining rooms look best in warm olives and 
 browns, red on beads or lines of same 
 color. Chambers should be done in 
 lighter colors generally than ordinary living 
 rooms. Blue rooms are generally painted 
 blue, with the beads of the same color 
 darkened somewhat. Blue woodwork is 
 bad enough in light tints, without making 
 it worse by darkening the beads. If the 
 work must be blue, make the beads a warm 
 gray and the room will look a hundred per 
 cent, better. Halls, where the walls have 
 been painted or papered in dark colors, 
 paint the woodwork with some strong con- 
 trasting color. In rooms or halls where 
 the woodwork is painted and the decora- 
 tion of the walls is to be changed, by all 
 means change the color of the woodwork, 
 as that is an important item. When the 
 walls look well enough, and you would 
 like to have a different appearance given to 
 your room without much expense, change 
 
i6 
 
 the color of the woodwork. If it has 
 been painted to match the walls, try con- 
 trasting colors and you will be agreeably 
 surprised at the difference a little paint, 
 judiciously applied, will make. 
 
 FLOOR PAINTING AND FINISHING. 
 
 A few years ago, people thought the 
 most important part of an interior decora 
 tion was the part that cost the most money. 
 For instance, they would buy a very costly 
 carpet and make it the key to the entire 
 decoration, whereas it is the most inferior 
 part. Anything in the way of a floor cov- 
 ering will do, provided it is dark enough. 
 Color being the principal element in decora- 
 tion, it stands to reason that the walls, 
 ceiling and woodwork ought to be com- 
 pleted before purchasing anything in the 
 way of carpets or furniture, unless there 
 is a particular suit of furniture that cannot 
 be dispensed with, then, of course, decor- 
 ate walls to harmonize with the furniture ; 
 but where the floor is to be covered with a 
 new carpet, never purchase it until the 
 walls and ceiling are decided upon. 
 
 Prior to the new era in domestic art, say 
 before 1876, it was only in the back kitch- 
 ens or cheapest cottages that floors were 
 painted, and then it was usually done with 
 
17 
 
 yellow ochre, which, by the way, is not a 
 bad paint. But nowadays, when carpets 
 give place to rugs and bare floors, the ap- 
 pearance of the floor is an important con- 
 sideration. A paint to be walked on, and 
 otherwise injured and often washed, should 
 be of the very best quality. It should 
 contain much oil so as to be elastic. It 
 should contain a superior hardening and 
 binding dryer, a good body, drying with a 
 little gloss. Give each coat plenty of time 
 (several days) to dry, and after the last 
 coat is dry enough to step on without tack- ' 
 ing, wash it frequently with plenty of cold 
 water, which helps to harden the paint. 
 After a few weeks, on a porch or open 
 room, and somewhat longer on an enclosed 
 room, this paint gets hard and becomes 
 much like a coating of metal. For an 
 artistic floor, we recommend a center of 
 shade "H" (353), with a border two to 
 three feet wide of ** P" (369). '' B" (352) 
 and "C" (356) are good colors, but the 
 first is rather too light. *'H" (353), 
 "W" (371), -M"(367) and ^S" (366) 
 are suitable and much used. When the 
 room is not too small, two contrasting 
 colors should be used, the border any 
 width to suit. Should you desire to car- 
 pet, by all means leave a margin all around, 
 either to be finished in natural color of the 
 
i8 
 
 wood or painted or stained in some ap- 
 propriatc color. If the floor is of hard 
 WOOD, first fill the grain thoroughly with 
 the Sherwin-WilHams Filler, then finish 
 with two or three coats of shellac. 
 
 STOCK TO BUY. AND THE PROPER 
 PERSONS TO PUT IT ON. 
 
 The products of the most reliable man- 
 ufacturers are at times complained of; but, 
 careful investigation usually shows it to be 
 a fault in applying the paint, and not ot 
 the stock used ; therefore we advise you to 
 buy only the very best materials, such as 
 that manufactured by Messrs. Sherwin, 
 Williams & Co., and secure the servicer 
 of the most skillful workmen at your com- 
 mand. A slight addition in cost of the 
 best materials, and the price paid the 
 most skilled labor, always proves a true 
 ECONOMY in the end, both as to beauty " 
 and durability. 
 
 IN CONCLUSJON. 
 
 We are living in an age of great pro- 
 gress. Especially is this true in regard to 
 art. The pubHc generally are becoming 
 more enlightened and the different branches 
 of art are rapidly assuming their proper 
 
19 
 
 places. Then let us not be behind in the 
 art of painting and decorating our homes. 
 The undersigned have given particular 
 attention to the study of art in its appHca- 
 tion to decoration, and have embodied in 
 a pamphlet, which contains samples of the 
 Sherwin-Williams Paints, a large amount 
 of valuable information respecting quality 
 and quantity of paint to use, methods of 
 application, etc., which can be had of any 
 reputable dealer in paints, or upon appli- 
 cation to the manufacturers. We supply 
 dealers only with this line of our products, 
 and if they are not on sale in your vicinity, 
 kindly inform us of the fact, and we will 
 arrange to supply your wants. 
 
 Sherwjn, Williams ^ Co. 
 
 Manufacturers Finest PaitUs b* Colors, 
 
 ioo Canal Street, JJJ Randolph Street, 
 
 CLSVELANO. CHICAGO, 
 
MB- 1^ 
 

 
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