Dutch green?

[Kristian]

Just returned from a week in Holland and walking around in Amsterdam I saw all these beautiful crafted front doors painted in the same high gloss dark green color. Can anyone tell me more about this color? Is this an "official" color similar to falu red in Sweden and does anyone know the color code since I would like to use the identical colour on a project back here in Denmark.

Thanks.

- Kristian

 

[Kev]

This is deffo something that should have been a Kodak moment! [wink] [big grin]

 

[neeleman]

In Amsterdam the green colour used is probably called "Herengracht" as is the street name.
Besides the RAL colour system in Europe in Holland many colours have names, like the green one.
I assume it's the same in other countries.
Here are some green colour names: Zaans, Zaanlands, Veluwe, Rijnland, Herengracht, Rijtuigen, Grachten, Jacht, Oud Hollands, Hollands, Dennen, Woud, Klassiek, Monumenten and Rotterdam.

 

[bertv]

Some years ago a book was published about the regional styles and colors, which I do have but can’t find (prob. in storage), which was a kind of catalogue to be used by architects and restorers. It’s not only cities that have their own scale of colors, but also regions and sometimes provinces. Google for images of the Staphorst region and you'll see that it can be quite wildly colorful…

BTW Most cultures have dedicated color systems for buildings and such. Eg the Dutch traditions of the 17th century have spread to the USA, as did Scandinavian, British etcetera. In the This Old House tv-series some of this is explained, esp. regarding Victorian buildings.

The front door of my Amsterdam property is painted in a dark green, as per instruction by the Coöp (yep, I know, that’s pretty a**l…) and the regulations of the municipality, and at the time I had to buy it at a specialized shop. If necessary I could ask the current inhabitants to take a picture and mail it. : )

 

[tbellemare]

In Amsterdam the green colour used is probably called "Herengracht" as is the street name.

That's interesting. I lived there for a couple of years and it never really caught my attention. I guess because it blended in so well.

So, since there is a Herengracht color, is there also a Prinsengracht color or did the whole Centrum adopt the Herengracht?

Tom

 

[Kristian]

Here's a picture of the front door of the house we rented. We saw this specific color all over the country - not just in Amsterdam. I read somewhere that this color was chosen in Amsterdam to match the dark color of the water in the canals and that it was the mandatory choice in some parts of the city. Not sure if that's true but there seems to be a connection between the Dutch people and this color all over the country.

- Kristian

PS: While writing this Bert Vanderveen posted his reply so I guess there really is something to the mandatory choice of color in Amsterdam! Wow. Thanks, Bert!  [big grin]

[attachimg=1]

 

[bertv]

Grachtengroen (or Heerengracht groen) is equal to RAL 6012 (ACC N3.11.17):

http://sikkenskleuren.nl/q0-05-10-grachtengroen/

Nice overview of traditional ‘Old Dutch’ and ‘Authentic’ colors:

http://huis-en-tuin.infonu.nl/doe-het-zelf/28660-schilderen-oud-hollandse-en-of-monumentale-verfkleuren.html

 

[Kristian]

Thanks Bert! Do you know Grachtengroen to be a "semi-official" colour in The Netherlands or at least one chosen by many? It definitely seems very identical to the colour we saw all over the city.

 

[AlexThePalex]

There are no "official" colours, but there are several much used colours, some of which stem back from the 17th century.

Grachtengroen (canal green) is perhaps the most used green colour in the center of Amsterdam, and that's where it got its name from. It is a very dark green colour. Below some pictures of doors in this colour as example. De colour Herengracht Neeleman mentions is very close to it. 

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[attachthumb=3]

The Dutch paint brand Sikkens put these old well known colours in their collection called Authentieke kleuren (Authentic colours). These are the names and colour codes of the greens:

- Grachtengroen        Q0.05.10  (canal green)
- Monumentengroen  N0.15.10  (monument green)
- Rijtuigengroen        L2.10.12    (carriage green)
- Standgroen            L0.20.15    (stature green?)

I have made a picture of these colours in my colour sample book. A 5th often used green is alse there, RAL 6009. It is hard to capture the right colour on pictures like this, but maybe you can recognise the colour you need.

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Looking at the picture of the door you posted, that green is not one of the most used colours. Maybe it's just the picture, but it looks too blueish.

 

[Kristian]

Thanks Alex! "Grachtengroen" = canal green, it all seems to make sense now. This is definitely the colour.

I recall the colour of the door I attached to be a darker green as well so I think we can blame the mobile camera on this one.

Thanks for all your input, guys.

- Kristian

 

[semenza]

  In the USA there are ranges of colors that are required / permitted to be used on buildings that are in districts zoned as historic or if the building is on a historic building registry.

Seth

 

[leakyroof]

  In the USA there are ranges of colors that are required / permitted to be used on buildings that are in districts zoned as historic or if the building is on a historic building registry.

Seth

  Although it doesn't help the OP one bit, the green to me looks like our Benjamin Moore Essex Green... [unsure]