VictorianVictorian Exteriors
Multi-color schemes picked out on brackets, spindles, shingles and porch railings, with every detail brushed.
- Period color research
- Accent and trim layouts
- Gingerbread detailing
24/7 dispatch · Raleigh
Painted Ladies, Old Sashes& Hand-Done FinishesHistoric house, church and storefront painting in Oakwood, Boylan Heights, Hayes Barton and across Raleigh
Raleigh's oldest neighborhoods hold Queen Anne cottages trimmed in spindles and brackets, Craftsman bungalows with original wood windows, and churches with grained doors and stenciled walls. Painting them well means choosing the right colors for the era, saving old sash instead of sealing it shut, and knowing how decorative finishes were done a century ago. That's all we do. Our office on Plaza Place runs a 24/7 dispatch line.
3–5color Victorian schemes
27612Plaza Pl office
24/7dispatch
Clapboard by brush · Oakwood
9:41
RH
Raleigh Historic
Dispatch on duty
Text dispatch
Questions we get by text
What we paint
Historic painting, outside and in
For 1870s Oakwood cottages, 1910s Boylan Heights homes, 1920s Hayes Barton Revivals and the old churches and storefronts downtown.
Victorian
WindowsWood Window Sash
Original sash removed, stripped, reglazed and painted in the shop, then rehung so it opens and closes again.
- Reglazing
- Sash cord repair
- Painted to operate
InteriorsHistoric Interiors
Plaster walls, picture rails, wainscot and heart-pine trim painted or refinished with care for original surfaces.
- Plaster patching
- Trim stripping where needed
- Lead-safe practices
DecorativeGraining, Marbling & Stencils
Hand-painted wood grain, faux marble and stenciled borders restored or recreated for homes, churches and lodges.
- Wood graining
- Faux marble
- Stencil recreation
ChurchesChurches & Institutions
Sanctuaries, fellowship halls and classrooms painted between services, with tall-ceiling scaffolding and careful protection of pews and organs.
- Weekday scheduling
- Tall-ceiling access
- Furnishings protected
StorefrontsHistoric Storefronts
Cornices, window hoods and wood storefronts on downtown and Glenwood South buildings, painted early so businesses open on time.
- Cornice and trim repair
- Early-morning crews
- Lift and rope access
One flat color everywhereDetails lost
Body, trim, accent, sashEvery bracket shows
Oakwood · Mordecai · Glenwood-Brooklyn
Victorian color, done the way it was meant
More than body and trim
Late-1800s houses were often painted in three to five colors: body, trim, accents, sash and porch ceiling.
Mapped before we paint
We draw up which color goes on every element so the whole house reads as one scheme.
RHDC guidance
Raleigh's historic districts have design guidelines, and some exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. We'll help you find out what applies.
Hand-brushed detail
Spindles, brackets and fish-scale shingles are cut in by brush for clean color lines.
Raleigh coverage
Inside the Beltline and beyond
We're on Plaza Place near Glenwood Avenue and the Beltline, a straight run to downtown's historic districts. Tap a neighborhood.
Estimator toOakwood
About16 min
Choose a neighborhood
Dispatch answers
Estimator leaves Plaza Pl
Text on approach
House walk & color talk
Times from 2840 Plaza Pl. The Beltline and Glenwood back up at rush hour, so dispatch confirms timing on the phone.
Original wood windows
Painting old sash so it still works
Most painted-shut windows in old Raleigh houses got that way from careless painting, not age. Our process keeps them weathertight and working.
FREE
Break the seal
We cut through old paint lines and remove stops and sash without splitting the wood.
REGLAZE
New glazing putty
Failed putty is removed and replaced, saving the old wavy glass wherever possible.
PAINT
Thin, even coats
Paint lapped slightly onto the glass to seal it, and kept off the sliding edges.
REHANG
Back in the frame
New sash cord if needed, and every window tested to open and close before we leave.
Decorative painting
Finishes most painters won't touch
Before modern veneers and wallpaper, painters made pine look like oak and plaster look like marble. Many Raleigh homes and churches still have traces of that work.
Wood graining
Doors and wainscot hand-grained to look like oak or mahogany, matched to surviving originals.
Faux marble
Mantels, columns and baseboards painted to look like stone, as they often were originally.
Stenciled borders
Old stencil patterns traced from paint layers and recreated on walls and ceilings.
Paint layer exposures
Small test windows through old layers reveal the original colors and finishes before we start.
Grained door painted overOriginal hidden
Graining recreatedPeriod look back
Why would a painting company need 24/7 dispatch?
Old houses don't keep business hours. Storm damage to trim, a broken window sash, or a church needing a room ready before Sunday can come up any time. Our dispatcher answers and lines up the right crew.
How do you choose colors for a Victorian house?
We look at the house's age and style, test small paint-layer exposures if you want the original scheme, and draw up a plan showing which color goes on each part.
Do I need RHDC approval to paint my house in Oakwood?
Raleigh's historic districts follow design guidelines, and some exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Raleigh Historic Development Commission. Check with the RHDC for your project and we'll provide whatever details you need.
My windows are painted shut. Can you fix them?
Usually yes. We free the sash, reglaze, repaint and rehang it so it opens again, keeping the original glass whenever possible.
Do you do faux bois and marbling?
Yes. We restore and recreate wood graining, faux marble and stenciled borders for historic homes, churches and public buildings.
How do you handle lead paint in old houses?
We assume pre-1978 surfaces contain lead and follow lead-safe work practices for containment, dust control and cleanup.
Which neighborhoods do you work in?
Oakwood, Mordecai, Glenwood-Brooklyn, Hayes Barton, Cameron Park, Boylan Heights, downtown and North Hills, plus Crabtree, Cary, Garner and Knightdale.
Neighborhoods
Raleigh's historic districts and nearby towns
We focus on older homes, but we paint wherever there's character.
- Oakwood
- Mordecai
- Glenwood-Brooklyn
- Hayes Barton
- Cameron Park
- Boylan Heights
- Downtown Raleigh
- North Hills
- Crabtree
- Cary
- Garner
- Knightdale
Old house, right colors, working windows.
Raleigh Historic Painting Experts runs a 24/7 dispatch service for historic homes, churches and storefronts.
(919) 850-5855 Call Raleigh Historic
Raleigh Historic Painting Experts
2840 Plaza Pl Ste 104
Raleigh, NC 27612
(919) 850-5855
Find the office →
Raleigh, NC 27612
(919) 850-5855
Find the office →
| Monday | Dispatch staffed |
| Tuesday | Dispatch staffed |
| Wednesday | Dispatch staffed |
| Thursday | Dispatch staffed |
| Friday | Dispatch staffed |
| Saturday | Dispatch staffed |
| Sunday | Dispatch staffed |