Age and Patina in France and how you can get the look

While in France my three traveling companions concentrated on taking photos of the sites. I, on the other hand, was searching for colors, authentic patinas and old hardware. My task was a little challenging in that sometimes people were sitting on the objects I wanted to crawl around looking for the best chippy/peely. Most of the time I couldn't get close enough to a set of shutters or a door. This is what I did manage:

This is a detail of a wall in Versailles. It was beautiful!

My suggestion: Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue mixed with Old White

Or: American Paint Company Dollar Bill with Prom Dress

Or: Miss Mustard Seed Kitchen Scale with Ironstone

In this image a little darker blue is still on the edges.

My suggestions for the darker low-lights (and from here on out I'll abbreviate):

AS: Provence

APC: Beach Glass 

MMS: French Enamel

 How's this for authentic? Most of the windows at Versaillles looked like this.

What do you think?
Any antique white and dark wax? Lots of dark wax.
It would certainly take the right piece.

This console was the only piece of furniture I could get a shot of without having to disturb an exhausted tourist.

I would suggest putting down the gold metallic wax of your choice where you want it. Then laying your favorite white over it in layers. One thing that might be fun is to put down a couple layers of chalk paint and then go over that with milk paint. The milk paint will crack giving an interesting naturally aged look.

Here we are in Provence where all the best colors live.

Terra Cotta should be easy, right? Depends.
AS: Mix some Burnt Orange with a teeny bit of Napoleonic Blue. Add Arles if desired. (Ironically, the next few images were actually taken in Arles.)
APC: Well, I'm not sure. This one I have not tried. I can only offer a guess: Orange Grove with Amber Waves.
MMS: Apron Strings and Linen.

This interesting mauve was used on the entire buildings shutters but I liked the little balconies on the lower apartments.

AS: Emile with a little Old White. You could also add Old Violet if you want the color dulled down a bit.
APC: Dawns Early Light and dark wax.
MMS: Tricycle with Mustard Seed Yellow and Kitchen Scale. Add Ironstone as desired.

This is my favorite decorating green.

AS: I would try Antibes Green with Chateau Grey that has been lightened a lot with Old White.
APC: Dollar Bill with dark wax.
MMS: Lucketts Green mixed with a bit of Boxwood.

Be still, my heart. This is a detail from one of a handful of columns in Notre Dame. Most of the columns are natural marble - I have no idea why some were painted.

AS: Arles mixed with Old White. Louis Blue with a lightened Henrietta twig. Old Ochre tipped with Provence.
APC: A little Tumbleweed mixed with Home Plate. Try Plymouth Rock with lightened Beach Glass tips for the tulip shape.Some lightened up Surfboard, but I've not seen the pink color used on the twig in American Paint.

Lastly, I saw this door in Arles and loved it. We saw a number of these huge doors that were later cut to make a modern door size. Or maybe they were built to accommodate horses and humans? These buildings are certainly old enough - this being a Roman town - to have horses inside.

Something for me to research!

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