Spanish Colonial architecture is distinctive and easily recognizable.
The year 1749 marked the beginning of the Spanish Colonial period in the U.S. It was in this year that the Spanish colonists founded the first Spanish civilian settlement on the site of what would become Laredo, Texas. Rooted in the history of their native homeland of Spain, the distinct colors of the exterior walls of Spanish Colonial architecture came from the natural colors of the sand, the mud and the available natural pigments found in the areas in which they were built. Does this Spark an idea?
Coral Pink
Navajo sandstone formations appear to be painted by the sunset.
Spanish colonization in the U.S. centered primarily around the areas now forming the states of California, Arizona and Florida. One color used in Spanish Colonial architecture and found primarily in Arizona was the iron oxide-rich coral pink color of Navajo Sandstone. Zion National Park in Arizona is home to some of the most otherworldly formations of Navajo sandstone found in the U.S.
White
Whitewashed stucco is a common theme in Spanish Colonial architecture.
In California, the popular Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style features whitewashed stucco walls and red tile roofs. The style is so popular in California that one town, San Clemente, has building codes prohibiting the building of any home or commercial building in a form of architecture other than the Spanish Colonial Revival style.
Shades of Brown
Spanish Colonial architecture often made use of adobe walls.
Not all Spanish Colonial homes had stucco walls. Many had adobe plaster or brick walls of dried clay and mud. Though sometimes whitewashed or colored with natural pigments, adobe walls were more often left in their natural shades of grays, browns and reds, depending upon the type of mud or clay used.
Other Colors
Exterior walls of authentic Spanish Colonial homes are always earth tones.
Though characterized by muted earth tones, Spanish Colonial homes are by no means limited to a boring color palette. According to archaeological records found in Florida, the exterior walls of Spanish Colonial homes were also found in dark blue, a light yellowish-gold color known as ochre and a deeper mustard shade of yellow.
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