The Colours of James Bay

I have written before about the aesthetic of development in James Bay in Victoria, but it is worth another post. The old houses which have been refurbished and renovated are a big part of the charm of the area.

Of course there are high rises, and I have heard people expressing concern that the community might lose its character if many more larger scale condo developments are constructed.

The older houses are finished with wonderful architectural details, and are often painted, and landscaped, beautifully. The photos in this post reflect my take on aesthetics.

A common colour theme is a combination of shades of green, burgundy and cream. Several examples follow.

From choice of paint colours, to architectural detail, to the colours and shapes of landscaping plants --- I love the way it all comes together. The shades of green and burgundy are "complementary" on the colour wheel and work well together.

Another house with an elegant selection of colours in the same range of greens and burgundy.

Here are a few more examples. 

I was intrigued by how the green and burgundy were interwoven on the door.

Slightly different shades of cream, green and burgundy from the previous two examples. The intricate detail over the front door stood out for me.

The greens and cream were offset by a salmon pink in this house, rather than burgundy.

Green, a yellowy cream and burgundy. I can imagine that determining which colour to paint each part of these houses must take the owners some careful design time. 

There are many other colours in James Bay besides the refrain of green/ burgundy/ cream that I have highlighted in the foregoing photos. 

Some have taken the theme and modified it in various ways.  

Here is a sample:

Green, burgundy and purple.

Cream, and two shades of purple.

Cream, brown tones, and pink.

Mostly pink!

A darker fuchsia version of pink, along with cream. The intricate paint job on the architectural detail of the bay window adds to the interest.

Some might think the pastel blue, green, yellow and cream don't work together, but I liked them.

A muted approach with neutral tones.

A closer view showing the neutral colours

Neutral earth tones

Burgundy, cream and earth tones

Finally, the freedom of expression in this house!

These paint colours broke all the "rules" - but work!

I have highlighted only a small selection of the colourful houses I have noticed. The variety of houses, landscaping and paint styles is one of the things that makes James Bay such an interesting and enjoyable walking area.