Finest and fairest of them all

You may want a bland house that doesn't attract attention if you are in the Federal Witness Protection program, but most people like to make their home stand out because they view it as an extension of themselves.

Some people draw admiring glances to their homes by planting outstanding gardens. Others do it with intricate brickwork. Still others do it by accenting architectural detailing with different colors of paint.

Chris Danzi of Elgin falls into that last category. And thanks to her efforts, the vintage 1891 Queen Anne-style home she bought five years ago was just named one of two grand prize winners in the Chicago Paint and Coatings Association's 22nd annual "Finest Painted Ladies" competition.

The stately old home features a six-color paint job that includes two shades of beige on the body of the house, accented with a light blue, dark blue, maroon and gold leaf.

"We used different colors to accentuate the different architectural details on the house, which includes harps, rosettes and fiddle necks," explained Carlos Rivera, owner of Homework Construction of Elgin, the firm that painted the home.

"The home was just screaming to be brought back to its former glory," Danzi said. "All of the architectural details on the house are just exquisite but they had all been painted over with Army green and you couldn't see them."

Danzi chose the new color combination and Rivera spent six weeks repairing the wood, priming it and applying the palette.

"I have a good eye for color and I wanted something very traditional," Danzi recalled.

So she chose a variation of the patriotic red, white and blue color scheme. And to give it extra pizazz, she added golf leaf.

The contest's other grand prize winner this year is the home of John and Kim Mayer in Green Oaks.

The Mayers built their new Victorian home 12 years ago and painted it a staid gray and white.

But after a dozen years the Mayers were ready for something new, so they called in Swanson Painting of Cary.

"So many things are lost when a house is painted all one color," explained Bob Swanson. "Paint color can make the details like the fan work on this house stand out."

Once you choose the colors, "it is all paint by numbers, completing one side of the house at a time," he quipped.

"We always wanted the house to be a new Victorian," explained Kim Mayer. "But we weren't brave enough to try the different colors until recently."

"Bob was phenomenal at knowing where to put the different colors and we are thrilled with the finished product," she continued. "It really fits in with the neighborhood."

"Even the Victorians themselves used lots of different colors," Swanson said. "Their colors were, admittedly, deeper and a bit drabber than the bold and vivid colors on many painted ladies today. But they used multiple colors then, too.

"And the personalities of the homeowners have a way of coming out through the colors they choose, which is great," he added.

More than 50 entries were judged this year by four experts from the Chicago Paint and Coatings Association, according to Bill Heiden, contest spokesman.

Entries are judged based on how paint and color has been used to bring out the beauty of the house and how the paint complements the house, surroundings and neighborhood, Heiden said. The style, size or age of the property is not a factor in selecting the winners.

Walter and Sharon Roberts of Mundelein can vouch for that. Their 16-year-old colonial home was one of three other winners in the contest.

"Eighteen months ago Mundelein was hit with a hail storm and our home's siding and roof were damaged," Sharon Roberts said. "And you know the way things go, we decided to have the windows replaced and reconfigured at the same time."

Working with their contractor, John Heinzinger of Heinzinger Construction of Mundelein, the Roberts also took that opportunity to enhance the curb appeal of their home.

"They wanted to do something unique and eye-catching to get away from the typical subdivision look," Heinzinger explained.

"We used our artistic abilities to suggest some eye-catching changes like adding dentil molding under the eaves, adding extra trim around the windows, adding crown molding above the first floor windows, putting more trim on the front porch posts, and adding scallops, which are also known as fish scales, over a section of the garage," Heinzinger said.

Then Heinzinger and the Roberts made it all "pop" with an eight-color paint job.

"Before we spiffed it up, the house was painted a muddy beige with green shutters and an orange door," Roberts recalled. "Now the shutters are gone and the wonderful mix of colors and details makes me say 'wow' every time I drive up."

"Our contractor had a great eye for color and design," she continued. "My husband was so pleased that he entered it in the Painted Ladies contest when he saw the entry form in the newspaper."

No winner's paint combination is more gutsy and unique than that of Rom and Carol Kazl of Evanston.

"We wanted the house to look like a bouquet that grew out of the land," they wrote in their entry. "So we looked at color fans and decided on six different shades of purple," accented by sunshine yellow.

"Although the house is not very ornate, it has some nice architectural and decorative features that were not clearly visible and we felt that we could accentuate those features by using the different colors," they continued.

This is actually the second time the 1889 vintage farmhouse has been painted in shades of purple. When they moved in 21 years ago, the house was painted white. Their three-year-old daughter suggested the purple color scheme and since nearby Northwestern University's colors are purple and white, it became a landmark of sorts in the neighborhood.

"Some people even thought it was a frat house," Carol Kazl laughed. "Buses on the way to games would honk when they went by."

But the Kazls got tired of the color and about 10 years ago painted it in shades of green with yellow and burgundy. The landmark was gone and many in the community told the Kazls they missed it.

So when it was time to paint again, they went back to purple - different shades this time - and added sunshine yellow. Their painter was Thomas J. Dewey and Co., which does lots of work in Evanston.

This is the fourth time Dewey has won an award in the painted lady contest, in fact.

"All painted ladies are unique. Some are more traditional, but you can really do a lot if you are imaginative," Dewey said.

Not far away, on the lakefront in Evanston, is the final winner of this year's contest. According to its architect, the renowned Joseph Lyman Silsbee, it is a "country mansion in the heart of the city," built in 1889. The 11,000-square-foot home has been undergoing renovations and restoration ever since Julie and Robert Gordon purchased it in 1996.

"Originally painted a stark white, the house has been converted into a Victorian painted lady, first in 2000 and with even more fine touches and details in 2008, executed by painting contractor Louis Perlia," the Gordons wrote to the contest judges.

The predominantly yellow home now features four additional colors to accent its many architectural details, according to Perlia.