Every morning, the sun climbs over Sint Anna Bay and paints the Handelskade in impossible colour. Mint green holds hands with coral, butter yellow with sky blue, and the stepped gables cast neat triangular shadows across the harbour.
A Convenient Decree
The official account begins with Governor Albert Kikkert, who in 1817 declared that whitewashed walls under the Caribbean sun aggravated his migraines. Harbour buildings were to be painted a colour — any colour — other than white.
“The pastel palette was never mere decoration; each shade became a ledger entry for trade, weather, and civic pride.”