A palette three centuries in the making.
Charleston’s colors aren’t random. Some come from tradition, some from the materials available, and some from what the Board of Architectural Review has approved over decades.
The palette.
Haint blue
Porch ceilings across the Lowcountry, in the tradition that came from the Gullah Geechee. Pale, sky-and-water blue.
Charleston green
A green so dark it reads black until the sun hits it. Shutters, doors and iron gates all over the peninsula.
Lime white
The warm off-white of old limewash. Trim, piazza columns and whole single houses.
Rainbow pastels
The pinks, yellows, blues and greens of Rainbow Row and the streets around it.
Oxblood and black
A deep red for front doors on white or gray houses.
Marsh and battery tones
Muted greens and grays that sit quietly beside the marsh.
A note on names
The names on this site are ours, for describing a look. Paint companies sell their own versions of these colors under their own names, and they differ. We’ll paint out large samples of the exact paints on your house before anyone commits.
Paint out samples on your house.
The painting contractor’s site, built in seven days.
Sixteen pages: a Charleston color library, lead-safe practices for pre-1978 houses, the city’s BAR color-change process, and prep written so a homeowner can compare three bids.