Selecting exterior house paint colors can be a challenge for anyone, but it becomes even more complicated if your home happens to lie in one of Los Angeles’ 30 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones or “HPOZ” (a designation indicating historical significance in Los Angeles County).
HPOZ-designated homes are part of LA County's architectural and cultural heritage and are strictly protected to ensure that they maintain a standard of excellence and historical accuracy.
According to the HPOZ website, changing an HPOZ-designated home requires special approval from an HPOZ Panel comprised of residents, a realtor, a contractor, and an architect. If you live in such a zone, any exterior paint color ideas for your home must be well thought-out and researched before asking permission from your HPOZ Panel. In this post, we’ll talk about some of the best ways to ensure that the exterior paint colors you select are accepted without problems.
Do Your Research
Understanding architectural historical preservation is important in getting approval for your painting project. Fortunately, the HPOZ website provides a wealth of resources that will help (look at the menu bar on the left-hand side of the website).
In addition, knowing generally about the historical time period when your home was built will help you get into the mindset of the people who built your home. This will help you choose the types of colors the original builders might have selected for your home’s exterior.
Consult with Experts
One of the best ways to find out which paint colors would be best for your home’s exterior is to consult with experts who know. Talking to historians and curators about the time period when your home was built can be more interesting than reading papers or books on the subject because talking to a real person can make the history lesson interactive.
To find a historian who knows about your home’s time in history, we recommend talking to local professors and museum staff. The Getty has taken a leadership role in preserving local homes in LA. The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) works with the city of Los Angeles to produce helpful research intended to preserve local heritage.
Find the Right Paint
If you’re lucky enough, you might be able to produce a color swatch from an old layer of paint on your home. This can be color-matched to ensure accuracy and will enable you to cover your home’s exterior with historically accurate shades of paint.
Of course, picking the right exterior house paint colors is not enough. You’ll also have to select paint that will withstand the harsh LA sun and the driving El Nino rain. Paint quality is critical for preserving older homes because paint provides a protective outer shell that prevents penetration from rain and harsh weather. If the paint fails, the structure underneath could be at risk.
Tashman Home Center – Approved HPOZ Vendor
If your property lies in one of the 30 designated Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, Tashman can help you navigate the HPOZ approval process and meet the required building codes.
We are experts in restoring and replacing wood windows and doors with historically correct materials and styles. We understand what the city requires for your project to be approved. You can also trust us for your paint supplies!
Our Architectural Paint System
We also represent the California-based Life Paint Company, which produces a top-of-the-line Architectural Paint System that fully complements interior and exterior paints. We can custom-match any paint color you bring us and provide that color in any finish you may require: primers, flats, non-flats, and specialty coatings.
If you’d like to learn more about how Tashman Home Center can help you with any aspect of your home’s HPOZ designation and renovation, please call (323) 498-2417 to set up an appointment or stop by the store (7769 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046). We have an experienced and knowledgeable staff, and we’d be delighted to learn what you’re looking to accomplish and how we might assist.
