The Porch: Putting it together – the extreme in outrageous detail.

Unlike some projects, following the Secretary of the Interior Standards takes a bit more time, more money, and some luck. Essentially, every minor decision adds detail that together produce the historic fabric. No compromising.  The identification of the paint color is a good example.  We decided early to save the original porch posts.  For longer than we have owned the building the trim was painted red.  That color was harsh but it was there and it did match the roof metal.  Of course the roof of the main structure was originally wood shingle.  We had photographs showing metal as far back as the mid 1940s. The oral history of the owner in the 1950s related a story of her family practicing mountain climbing skills by repelling down the side of the building repainting the roof red as they went.  There was also the tale of the muddy footprints going up the side of the building. So we had not questioned the use of red.

When we were preparing to repaint, we scrapped the original posts.  Down several layers just above the bare wood was a green.  The photos were only black and white but it did upon inspection appear that there was a color other than white on the trim on the front only; not anywhere else.  Photos in the 1930s showed white only on all other trim.  We made the decision to replicate the green which fits the colors of the palette of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. ( http://www.valspar.com/explore-colors/historic-colors/paint-colors.html ).

The building code requires a light fixture by the front door.  Boulder County, to protect the night sky, requires the light be less than 15 watts, one escape the property, and we wanted something energy efficient and not be a visible fixture as there was no porch light in 1897.  We found the right type of fixtures at National Specialty Lighting in Louisville, Colorado (www.nslusa.com ). This LED light does have that surgical room look harsh light and at some point we will add a yellow filter to fix that problem but most important you can’t see the fixture but it meets all of the requirements.

This search for detail becomes a game.  How outrageously detailed can you get?