Alameda Mediterranean Make-Over

Alameda has really grown on me since I moved to the East Bay. I seem to find myself over there for one reason or another quite often. There is a vintage/retro vibe that charms me; With bike/pedestrian friendly streets and a bay front area. The architectural gems are astounding! On any given street you can see Victorians of all eras as well as Mediterranean, Craftsman, Spanish and Tudor homes all living comfortably together. It's a real who's who of styles.

Mediterranean architecture is one of my favorites, so I was thrilled when the owner of an Alameda Mediterranean Revival home contacted me. Better yet, she happened to request a color range I was secretly hoping to work with. This young family's home had so many architectural features, it was a shame that the worn paint was not letting them shine through. My client and her family were ready to showcase this jewel while still being respectful of what colors fit into the scope of their neighborhood.

Benjamin Moore's Vintage Vogue-462, was responsible for this transformation:

We're still figuring out the stairs as the gray color we tried ended up being too cool. We are leaning towards a deeper stone brown to tie it in with the beautiful terra cotta roof.

Since we were using such a deep color for the main body, the use of white was rejected because we didn't want to have too sharp of a contrast, which can often give the final look a cheap quality. Instead we went with Benjamin Moore's Monroe Bisque, HC-26 around the arches and Toucan Black 2118-20 on the window casings. I experimented in Photoshop on different window variations with the placement of black, beige and other color options, but this one seemed to capture the best balance for the clients and I have to agree.