Benjamin Moore Williamsburg Paint Colors “Trend Meets Tradition”

You know the old saying, “What’s old is new again”. We are seeing a flash back of something that was popular in the 70’s and 80’s, being redesigned and reintroduced in a fresh,new, exciting way. When I was a teen, I remember Colonial Williamsburg being all the rage! The brass, furniture and especially the paint line by Pratt and Lambertand Martin Senour was in vogue. The exterior trim on our house was “Bracken House Biscuit” with “Bracken House Blue” Shutters. Williamsburg colors weren’t relegated to just the exterior, our interior was adorned in the palette as well. The living and dining rooms were white walls with Williamsburg Blue trim and the color palette was evident throughout our house. When I was setting up my own household in the early 80’s, my colors of choice were Williamsburg blue and cranberry. I remember my first Christmas tree was done in Williamsburg blue with silver accents! I think I even crocheted a flame stitch afghan in Williamsburg colors! Wow, that seems like centuries ago and here we are in 2013 with a new look on an old classic.

In fashion, they say if you have lived through a trend once you are too old to wear it when it comes back into fashion, but luckily the same rules don’t apply to home decor. I’m not sure this qualifies as a trend anyway since it is dealing with history but I am really excited about Benjamin Moore and Colonial Williamsburg recent partnership to produce a new line of paints. The campaign called “Trend Meets Tradition” introduces 144 new colors in the Williamsburg Color Collection. The colors may be derived from pigments that date back 250 years, but they are far from antiquated. Benjamin Moore has taken the Williamsburg colors and used them in a fresh new way by mixing them with contemporary furnishing for 21st century furnishings appeal.

The Williamsburg Color Collection by Benjamin Moore, includes intense and vivid hues not typically associated with the 18th century. The updated colors being introduced are more vibrant than the original Williamsburg colors, because new research revealed the colors were actually more saturated than originally thought. This discovery was a result of new technology used Colonial Williamsburg Scientist revisiting paint samples, period documents and fragments of wallpaper and other architectural items to discover more vivid and intense colors. The houses of Colonial Williamsburg have been undergoing a color transformation inside and out since the creation of this new line. It will be exciting to see the results! I might have to plan a trip to Williamsburg with my family to see this transformation. The last time I was in Williamsburg was in 1980. It was Christmas time which is a favorite time to tour there with all the fresh fruit decorations. If you are planning a trip there you might want to keep this in mind. My guess is one of the shelter magazines will be covering a “Williamsburg Christmas” this year with the introduction of the new paint line.