Bungalow Colors Exteriors: Exteriors

Rating:
Summary: Useless
Review: Lots of nice bungalow pictures if that's what you want. Doesn't appear as this book had an editor, so many typos and errors. If you need a book that will help you decide on colors don't waste your money on this one. The color photography although nice, does not come close to matching the actual colors named in the text. On top of that the colors described in the text are often just plain wrong. The Sherwin Williams Color Chips in the book are totally off when compared to the actual color chip card from Sherwin Williams. The icing on the cake is that the book binding was so poor it disintegrated after about a week of limited usage. The good news is, this book is now serving a more suitable role as part of a landfill. What a waste of money.

Rating:
Summary: Start your research with this--you might not need another!
Review: This book was so encouraging, with its color and colorized photos of old houses. The REALLY helpful parts are the list of resources and the color palettes for helping to choose your home's restored look.

The author really provides a good argument for thinking through what look (historically accurate, modern, romantic, edgy, whimsical, etc.) you want to achieve BEFORE choosing colors--and then thinking a little bit more.

The author's easy-going voice covers an incredible range of topics and suggestions. But at no time does he steer a reader towards any particular conclusion--he doesn't seem to have an agenda, in other words, which is pleasantly surprising.

The book inspired me to peel off a bit of paint from my house (right down to the wood--guess I bought this book just in time!) and discovered its original color (somewhere between butternut squash & peach), painted 72 years ago. Being able to see the body's original color was SO exciting!

Restoring older houses is worth the effort. Get this book and go for it!