Benjamin Moore Trip
A few weeks ago I spent the most wonderful weekend in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. I shot so many photos, over 500, and it took quite a while to edit them down, but I can’t wait to share them with you.
Benjamin Moore invited me to learn more about the 144 hues of Benjamin Moore’s Colonial Williamsburg Color Collection.
My friend Lynn came with me, and we flew from Westchester, NY, to Richmond, VA, on Friday morning.
We were greeted by a chauffeur who drove us to the Williamsburg Lodge. Benjamin Moore really rolled out the red carpet for us.
When we checked in, we were greeted by Kelly and Ashley from Benjamin Moore and Jackie Hafner, who spent the whole weekend with us. We got settled in our pretty room, and then we got ready for the first event, a cocktail reception across the street.
We met up with the other bloggers, the wonderful Colonial Williamsburg team, and the whole Benjamin Moore team at the Taste Studio.
Three chefs had prepared the most amazing samples for us, and we all had a hard time to keep some space for dinner.
Pumpkin bourbon ice cream? Yes, please!
After we all chatted a bit and got to know each other better, we walked to the Golden Horseshoe Clubhouse for dinner. It was a wonderful evening full of yummy food, and I especially enjoyed getting to know Cheryl, who writes the popular blog Tidy Mom. She is so funny and she gave me some amazing blogging tips.
I fell into bed tired and excited for a full day on Saturday.
After breakfast, it was time for a walking tour of Colonial Willaimsburg. I couldn’t wait — I’ve been to Williamsburg once before and absolutely love it. The history, the beautiful houses — I feel at home there among all of those brick buildings and antiques.
Matt Webster, the director of Architectural Preservation, gave us a behind-the-scenes tour. The first house we toured was the Wythe House.
The wallpaper was stunning! It’s so colorful and busy, it’s absolutely lovely. This one was my favorite pattern.
This is Lindsay Souza, who writes The Pursuit of Style. She brought her fiance and they got married the next weekend! Such a cute couple.
We learned so much about paint and wallpaper. Back in colonial times, how you painted your house showed your status, and the same went for wallpaper.
The inside of cupboards were usually lined with wallpaper or painted in a bright color to show off your china, which came from England if you were rich.
People in the 1700s weren’t afraid of color! Having this kind of green wasn’t easy to achieve back then and again showed of your status.
Our second stop was the Governor’s Palace, which back then was the most expensive house in all of America.
The walls of the entry hall are lined with rifles and swords because that made it possible to arm the militia very quickly. The soldiers would run in and run out with a weapon, ready to fight.
I kept thinking of how much Don would appreciate all this pretty woodwork.
This was the pantry. Nice size, with shelves up to the ceiling, a bed, and a desk!
This room reminded me of L’s room because of the turquoise color.
The carvings around the windows are so pretty. Don’t you wish we lived in homes that still show this much craftsmanship? I do.
We walked out the back through this pretty garden, and then to the Robert Carter House.
Benjamin Moore used this house to paint the rooms with colors of their Colonial Williamsburg Color Collection, to shoot the new catalog.
The page in the catalog and the room it was shot in. Pretty cool to see.
I really love these historically inspired colors.
When I walked to the back of the house and step onto the veranda, this view literally took my breath away.
This is my single most favorite moment of the whole trip: there was a warm breeze that was just perfect, the view of the garden was stunning, and I was overwhelmed with how at home I felt there.
I wish I could have hung out longer, but it was time to walk down the street to get lunch at the King’s Arms Tavern.
How cute is this little house?
I really loved the branded dishes and ended up buying a small version to remember this trip.
I chose the “Garden Pye” — so yummy.
Another amazing meal, and a few of us shared this cake.
Our next stop was the Conservation Lab.
Kristin Moffitt, Colonial Williamsburg’s Conservator and Material Analyst, showed us around and then her lab.
This is what paint pigments in colonial times looked like! See how large the pigment sizes where, and how many layers were applied throughout the years?
Kristin can find out which exact color was used back then with her tools, which was so fascinating. And once she knows which color was originally used on a house in Colonial Williamsburg, she then makes recommendations to Benjamin Moore about how to recreate it so the house can be repainted in that color.
Skilled painters then use the paint techniques and the round brushes that were used back then to repaint the buildings.
Our next stop was the DeWitt Wallace Museum, where we all went on a fun scavenger hunt and revolutionary color tour, let by Liza Gusler. She is the licensing manager for all of the Colonial Willimsburg licensed line of fabrics and other items, like coaster, aprons, and notecards.
I think I better stop here and tell you about the rest of the day and Sunday in a second post. I hope you’ll come back for that — I have many more photos to share.
If you are in the market for paint, definitely check out all the choices Benjamine Moore offers! There are so many paint lines to choose from, and I adore especially the Colonial Williamsburg-inspired colors. They are so pretty.
Thank you so much, Benjamin Moore and Colonial Williamsburg, for inviting me to this amazing trip!
{This trip was paid for my Benjamin Moore, but I did not receive any other compensation. All opinions are my own.}
