Harris Paints Brightens Up Traditional Bajan Home

As Barbados readies itself to greet another year of nationhood, the home with traditional Barbadian architecture signaling the rich legacy of the island’s builders flashes a new look along the busy Wildey Road.

Harris Paints, a local brand, has again ensured that this ‘heritage house’ is in immaculate condition and beckons passers-by, a sign of what Christmas could be like for their homes with the Harris touch.

For more than two decades, the company has been sprucing up that heritage house and this year a ten-member team – two carpenters, two professional painters and six Harris Paints employees worked for two and a half weeks to give the home this year’s sparkle.

A few repairs including those to the window hood and picket fence were done with materials donated from Carter's General Store. Then it was time to add the paint. The family requested vibrant colours with minimal fading and so in collaboration with the Harris team, the main house was painted in a teal called, Pleasant Stream with white applied to the trimmings and ‘Subtle Shadow’ to the groundsill. The front door got a red called ‘Party Time.’

Top of the line Harris Ulttima Plus products were used that feature their new Quantum i12 Technology that gives better colours that last longer and take less coats. Ulttima Plus Satin Emulsion was used for a subtle luster and cleanability for the house, gates and front door and Ulttima Plus Porch and Patio was used for extra hard-wearing areas such as the roof, groundsill and steps.

Harris Paints’ Vice President of Operations and Head of Barbados Business Unit, John Marshall, said the company sponsored the project with “great pleasure.”
“It’s a project that resonates strongly with our staff and is somewhat of a landmark in the area,” Marshall said. “We very much appreciate the partnership that has lasted a generation with the Taylor Family, and we also have to say a big thank you to Mr. Calvin “Cat” Ifill who has been the principal painter and who has helped us to maintain the property over the years. Projects, such as these, are special opportunities that allow us to showcase our purpose, to inspire, uplift and to provide colour to communities.”

He explained that in the late 1990s, when Harris Paints was seeking a unique and memorable way to connect with customers, sprucing up the house emerged as the winning project, for several reasons. It was prominently located and very visible on the Wildey Road which was close to the neighbouring Harris Paints’ factory and heartland.

The home also showcased traditional Barbadian architecture, which the company saw as another important aspect for the 100% Bajan brand and on reaching out to the family, an all-round good fit was found.