Last weekend we took a scenic roadtrip west to Galena, Illinois to satisfy our craving for autumn color and cozy, nostalgic, wholesome, feels. (Old architecture is as spooky as it’s gonna on this site for a Halloweenie weekend, kittens.) Downtown Galena was poppin’ with traffic and smiles thanks to spectacular weather (73 degrees and clear skies). A few blocks past eclectic storefronts offering gelato, oil paintings, and shaman readings are well preserved 19th-century homes built into the steep hills of this glorious landscape. One of my favorites on Dewey Avenue is the Daniel Harrison House, built in 1826 or 1827. Let’s peek at its two-hundred year old understated beauty and sublime simplicity.
I’ll also share ideas for paint colors inspired by this lovely home!
The Sublime Simplicity of a Limestone in Galena
Setting of Daniel Harrison House
It’s such a fabulous town to visit for rich Civil War history (the Ulysses S. Grant Home is an Italianate mansion history buffs adore), trolley tours, or even ghost tours.
There are bourbon tasting rooms and fabulous pubs full of friendly laughter.
If you’re downtown, you can’t miss the oldest continuing hotel in Illinois (1855), The Desoto House Hotel, where Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant gathered.
But I visit to time travel and simply walk along gnarly lopsided sidewalks and cobblestone.
I’m there for the sublime simplicity of homes like this 1,632 square foot limestone where Daniel Harrison lived.
Do you suppose the interiors were redone since the last time it sold?
There’s such a pretty garden…
Exterior Paint Colors for a Limestone
I have guesses as to the paint colors for the trim and front door if you are smitten with them. Let’s start with the dark gray green door color. Is it a deep olive? A historic grey-brown?
SW Dried Thyme
I personally find it herbalicious and think DRIED THYME is a worthy contender even if it may not be the exact tone the owners chose for the door. How lovely and natural is it with the creamy limestone?
Sherwin-Williams calls DRIED THYME an organic, outdoorsy shade that feels fresh and sophisticated. I agree. It definitely has a refined feel that is also atmospheric and hard to describe in a few words. The brand suggests it is perfect to make a statement on kitchen cabinets, with a hint of blue to keep it cool and calming. Here’s another contender from Behr:
BEHR Grounded
Turns out, Grounded is Behr’s 2027 Color of the Year.
Behr’s 2027 Color of the Year GROUNDED is called “A mossy olive with earthy brown undertones, Grounded balances softness and depth. Inspired by the restorative essence and quiet energy of nature, this refined green creates spaces that feel warm, connected and effortlessly inviting.Grounded speaks to a growing movement toward spaces that feel rooted, lived-in and real. It leaves room for imagination to move freely, giving the home the rare feeling of being both settled and quietly alive with possibility.”
Farrow & Ball TRERON
Would you, could you, color drench a porch with it to turn up the fall feels? Here’s another dark grey-green to consider when you’re after a sophisticated natural shade for inside or out:
Isn’t it gorgeous? Farrow & Ball call their dark grey green TRERON an enduring dark green version of Pigeon, this one named after the green variety of the same species. Despite its traditional feel, the brand says Treron’s perfect for modern homes where natural materials are used in abundance. One of my favorite natural materials? Limestone. I snapped a close-up of this beauty in Galena:
Some of us geek out on light neutrals, and notice how light changes the temperature of all of those gorgeous stone hues. It looks warm and creamy below, contrasting gently with the gorgeous putty-toned trim.
Trim Color Idea
While the trim’s paint color may appear cool-ish in the photo, it was not sterile or bluish to my eye in person. Here’s a smart pick to pair with DRIED THYME:
Sherwin-Williams says CONSERVATIVE GRAY (SW 6183) is perfect if you’re after a pleasant sanctuary with a natural green-gray. Pairing Conservative Gray with a warm white like Nacre will emphasize its complex blue-green undertones.
Can we talk about how amazing the blushing hydrangea tree looks with the limestone facade?
I was ready to move in…except I would never get used to tourists stumbling around near my limestone sanctuary. Does anyone have an extra old 19th-century limestone I could transport to our backyard?
Autumnal Color Story on a Historic House
The wreath on the front door? Also sublime with its soft autumn palette against the drama of the dark door.
It was perfectly quiet as I stalked this little lot, but things were not so romantic here two hundred years ago. At the same time this home was built, tensions were high. Once a lawless frontier settlement, Galena settlers became involved in an explosive local war with Native Americans. Mines shut down. Locals organized for war. A mounted militia formed. Residents built protective frontier forts in nearby settlements.
With so much development, turmoil, and change over the centuries, no wonder this beautiful stone structure speaks to my soul with such vibrational strength. It has seen change, unrest, peace, and weather. Will a future environmental uprising, Civil War, or settlement crisis reduce it? Expand it? Erase it? History may not repeat itself as much as it compounds.
What a gift to spend time with a solid surviving shelter right where I am.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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