Please help me with colour scheme for my house

8 years ago

Hello houzzers! So I have decided to go with farrow and ball paint which is not exactly cheap but I really want my new house to look nice. My problem is I know what I want each room to look like but I can't am failing to imagine the bigger picture. So help me please, when you plan your home colour schemes do they have to be similar colours throughout and is there an easy way of knowing what goes with what? Here's my plan and which paint I want to put in each
Dining room - purbeck stone
Landings and stairs- cornforth white
Lounge- Manor House grey
Study- oval room blue
Kitchen (not painting) but it's some shade of grey similar to f&b skylight
Bedroom 1 not painting- it's a light grey and chocolate damask wall paper
Bedroom 2 (the boys room) not painting it's blue a very dark blue, a lighter blue and white
Bedroom 3- purbeck stone
Bedroom 4- lulworth blue
All ceilings and skirting boards to be painted f&b all white.

Please help me, I don't want to buy the paint and realise it looks horrible when combined!
Thank you

Featured Answer

PRO

Style Within Limited

8 years ago

Hello - if I may offer some general advice to start with, which I hope
will help, also picking up on some of Louise's points. If we were
starting from scratch, we would design the complete scheme room
by room, taking into account everything going into each space;
flooring, window dressing, furniture, furnishings, lighting and so on. We get
samples of everything and put them together (a sort of mood board) -
only then will you really get a true sense of whether your combinations
work, room by room. Regarding wall paint in particular, we buy
matchpots and paint large boards 600x840mm which you get pretty cheaply
from an artist shop - you can paint over them and on their reverse side to save money when
you move to the next room. The advantage of painting large boards
(rather than painting the wall) is that you can move them around to see
how the colour varies with different light and shadow (and take them to
different rooms too). We paint them 2 at a time for 2 main reasons;
you can put them in different parts of the room at the same time, and
you can also put them together in a corner because the light from one
will reflect onto the other often creating a slighter deeper shade than
one board on its own. For instance, we've used Cornforth White in a
number of schemes, and it looks great, but it is so much darker than you
might imagine from the sample when its applied over all walls.

We
also paint skirtings (and architraves and window frames and radiators)
the same colour as the walls in some instances, depending on the look,
with ceilings occasionally white, but also 3 parts white mixed with one
part wall colour to tone with the rest of the room.

We would not
be too hung up on all rooms having similar colours - you generally can't
see from one to the other anyway; this has some bearing where
floorings meet in hallways and landings, but its not a major issue. We
like your idea of each room having its own personality, so we think
you've done the right thing in providing a list of looks that you want to achieve in principle;
it's now a case of checking that everything you fit into each room,
also works, together with your lighting scheme. You may find this blog on working with accent colours useful as it is these that can really bring a room to life. Hope this helps

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Comments (20)

louisep2012
8 years ago
I would start with getting tester pots, unless you already have? And don't be too rigid with your ideas...some colour, F&B are notorious for how there colours change in different lights/directions etc and what you imagine you want may be way off once up on the wall.
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Hi. I would try and go for a cohesive look throughout the house so it flows. Maybe choose a few colours for the walls that work together which could be different shades of grey for example (no pun intended!) or another neutral colour. Have a look at farrow and ball for inspiration as they make suggestions for colour matches. Paint all your ceilings and woodwork throughout in the same colour. Then pick accent colours for each room. Again these could be colours that work together. Have a look at a colour wheel to see what colours work together. As your living area is open plan you definitely need the colours to work together. If you chose a grey for example you could have an accent wall in a darker shade. I hope that helps. I didn't follow this for my old house but did for my new one and it does make a big difference.
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Mrs M
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you both.
Nick, very helpful tips and away to check that blog :)
Mrs M
Original Author
8 years ago
Louise, I've had a few bad bits about f&b and have been considering little Greene as well. Thing is most houses I see on house are done with f&b leading me to think (wrongly perhaps!) that is the most nice (whatever that means in paint! ;)
minnie101
8 years ago
Little Greene is a really good quality paint in my opinion. I think the issue with LG is unless you're an expert their site does not say what colours work best depending on the room orientation nor the undertone of the paint ( not that F&B do for all but it's easy to find). I think it's a tad dearer than F&B but coverage better. A couple of your colours are fairly dark so it really depends on what natural light you have in each room. Greys will be cold in a room with little light although there are some pale, warm ones that will work, You could also buy some A3 thick paper, give each piece of paper 2-3 coats and hang in different parts of the room (also next to hall and landing). It may also be worth speaking to a F&B consultant, you can check out their rates on their website, it isn't overly dear from memory. I do agree with what Louise said
louisep2012
8 years ago
I've just used little Greene in my lounge. It's the first time I've used this brand and am very happy with the colour, hardly any smell and the coverage very good. It's the consistency of double cream rather than milk like some paints. Also they do variations in some of their popular colours which means you could get the different tones to create a very harmonious look.
Mrs M
Original Author
8 years ago
I suppose I got to go and buy some tester pots and paint me some paper :). Since I was deciding between F&B and Little Green. I will probably be swayed towards little Greene. It's only £3 more per 5l. This whole decision making business is giving me a headache! Maybe I should get an interior designer (not that I can afford one! Lol)
Minni, what does the F&B consultant help me with?
louisep2012
8 years ago
I've recently moved into my new house and I really want to decorate it from top to bottom straight away to get rid of the magnolia! But I've chilled out a bit the last month or so... It's silly to get 'too' worked up, instead I'm just pacing myself. It might take me until after Christmas to get it how I like but it will get there. I would love to have just one room finished but it won't happen overnight....and that's ok... :)
minnie101
8 years ago
There are some cheap interior designers around if you wanted one and I've seen one on here who can work via email who charges silly amounts per room/house. (Just in case you were serious!) The F&B consultant will be able to tell you which colours go well together and which ones are suitable for each room depending on orientation (I think they're free if you're spending over x). I do think all of yours will work on paper (depending on light in each room), the only one I'm not convinced on is the kitchen with the hall (but I'm not a pro so likely to be wrong, maybe I need to see it together!) Just bear in mind though you could have a south facing room with a tree in front of the window or a tiny window. As Louise said originally, colours will change so much depending on light. I have cornforth in a south facing room full of light and I must admit I find it a little cold at times although I love the colour. I also have elephants breath and people say it has both a green and violet undertone depending on the light/time of day but I can't see it! Just going back to initial comments, you need to test them in your house. Perhaps it's an idea to start up an exchange of testers on here, would save people a fortune! you can also get paint colour matched btw which will save money
Mrs M
Original Author
8 years ago
Louise I get you, that's exactly how i would have liked it. I'm moving in on the 30th and the decorators could go in to paint the week before! That way the paint goes in before the furniture.

Minnie where's the email designer who charges silly amounts lol. I'm serious! :). That or I might look for the f&b consultant.
Exchanging tester pots will be a brilliant idea because you can end up spending quite a lot in them! I've had people talk of going to have the paint colour matched but I've no idea what that means? (Hiding). Do you just walk into a decorators shop and say colour match this for me please? Loool
jacksplash
8 years ago
I found that trying to match farrow and ball colours doesn't really work out.

I must admit that IMO Farrow and ball is a beautiful paint ..I have also used Little green in my kitchen and I really like it....Testers are quite expensive and I think you would probably be better to go with a interior designer,they will have most likely used most of these colours and know exactly what they look like....it might be worth getting a quote and as there are a lot of professionals using this site you shouldn't have a problem finding someone.

Good luck.
minnie101
8 years ago
Try Dulux or valspar for colour matching, I think you can just take a tester along or painted piece of paper. Johnstone trade are meant to do exact matches. I think Brewers may also do similar. I haven't tried any of these personally but do think about the texture too if you were after an estate emulsion. That particular interior designer I'd seen on here was My Bespoke Room. I do think it's worth seeing a F&B consultant though if you go with F&B. do you have any shops near you?
miguel80
8 years ago
I was a die hard F&B fan - painted numerous houses solely in F&B for the finish etc. HOWEVER due to budget constraints, a current offer at Homebase on Dulux paint (inc. mix) , and the fact i'm painting an entire 3 storey house i experimented with colour matching F&B colours - specifically Cornforth White, Purebeck Stone, Ammonite and Pink Ground. Opting for the Endurance Matt and Flat Matt finishes by Dulux i was pleasantly surprised by the results. The colour match was pretty much spot on - i would caveat that the Dulux colour match won't produce matching finishes for all colours. For example Dulux couldn't match a flat eggshell in the Cornforth White so we bought Estate Eggshell from F&B and it goes perfectly well with the walls in the matched Dulux Endurance Matt. In the master bedroom we choose to use F&B Cornforth White and Pink Ground and estate emulsion and I felt it was a thinner paint than the Dulux! The added benefit of the Dulux colour match is that they can provide a number of different more durable finishes. If you want colour inspiration have a look at Paint & paper Library too.
Mrs M
Original Author
8 years ago
Hmmmmmm interior designer. Now I'm really considering getting one or go for the f&b consultant.
Minnie, we have a Brewers close by and they sell f&b paint, I don't think there is an f&b only shop close by (if there is one).
Miguel, is the difference in price substantial for small houses or in my case painting 5 rooms or so?
miguel80
8 years ago
Well Dulux Matched colour is roughly 30%-45% cheaper depending on the finish, (the washable matt is more expensive) Homebase are doing 3 for 2 at the moment which would make it even more cost effective.
lbfunke
8 years ago
We have used both Little Greene and F&B. We made the decision after looking at many samples from tester pots. I am really glad that we put in the effort -- from looking at the paint store chips, I would never have imagined choosing our final colors, but we regularly receive compliments on the beauty of the room. An interior designer helped us -- Rebecca Hayes, who is listed here on Houzz.
louisep2012
8 years ago
How did you get on with the move in and what did you end up choosing? Would love to hear or see the results?
PRO
Urban Space Projects
7 years ago
farrow and ball are fabulous paints but you can colour match them into other trade paints reducing costs
Margaret Beeching
3 years ago
Valspar (B&Q) and leyland paints will match F&B paint colours.
PRO
Urban Space Projects
3 years ago
hi Margaret, most brands will match colours the only brand that won't are Dulux as their bases are slightly different shades so you won't get exactly the same colour match.

Please help me with colour scheme for my house

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