You may have noticed brightly painted Victorian homes (it is hard not to). These colorful abodes that vie for attention are called Painted Ladies. In the late nineteenth century a painted lady was a scandalous lady who wore too much make-up. The term was applied to homes during the colorist movement in 1968 by authors Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larson in their debut book of the same name. A painted lady by definition is a Victorian-era home that is painted in three or more contrasting colors. These colors are often used to highlight the extensive ornamentation and accentuate the intricate details. Fans or sunbursts are given a xylophone of color. Spindles are painted to show every turning of wood so that they undulate and resemble a croquet set. Springfield has a wonderful array of these cheerful homes.
An example of one of Springfield's stunning Painted Ladies.
List of Painted Ladies books.
Stay tuned for a future feature on selecting colors for your Historic Springfield home. In the meantime, check out our video on painted ladies.