Calling F&B experts - choose a colour scheme for my north facing living room and hall

[katotonic]

F&B experts - I need your help.

I am about to have my living room and hallway / landing decorated and haven't chosen my colour schemes yet! I have spent the last few months looking at every colour scheme imaginable, wallpaper / not wallpaper thoughts and I am now at the point where I can't decide at all. So over to you lot... what should I choose?

Living room: North facing, no fireplace, natural oak flooring. I have roman blinds in a gold / champagne silk type which need to stay, and I am tentatively thinking about getting a squishy brown / tan leather sofa in the sales, but apart from that its a blank canvas.

Hall / landing: natural oak floor in hallway and not much natural light. There is a dado rail so I need to get a colour for below and above - as well as ceiling! The stairs and landing will have a carpet - I am thinking shale dove www.ulstercarpets.com/productDetail.asp?i=jnmnfmk0

I really like F&B but can't work out which colours will work best together and with the nasty northern light! I want to create a warm, chilled out feeling and Im not afraid to use colour

Await your ideas ....

[bananafanana]

Watching with interest...

F&B fan here with north facing lounge and hallway. Also clueless on colour scheme...

[Pannacotta]

I have just decorated a North facing dressing room in F&B Elephants Breath and it looks gorgeous, perfect in the limited light and very soft. But I dont think it would work with the gold fabric of your blind and it isnt hat I would call cosy.
I have used String before in a North faicng room and that worked very well and would look good with the gold fabric.
There is some advice here which might help
www.farrow-ball.com/how-light-affects-colour/content/fcp-content

[7to25]

I like wallpaper in a hall/stairs/landing because it is really a good way to add interest as there is little opportunity for furniture or curtains.
What do you think about this?
is it a period property? the carpet you have chosen for the hall is lovely and very practical but quite "dead" and really just a neutral backdrop.
what have you looked at and rejected?
IMO warm neutrals are the way to go in the hall.

[MooncupGoddess]

I have a similar dilemma, and am contemplating Cooking Apple Green for the sitting rooms, then a warm neutral for the hallway. My sitting room is so dark that there is no point trying to make it look lighter, so I'll try to make it cosy instead.

[katotonic]

wrt the carpet, it is quite neutral, but as the stairs and landing are quite dark (no natural light upstairs if bedroom doors are closed) then I thought something like this would work best (not too pale as to show up all marks, but neutral enough not to drain what little light there is).

I was toying with cats paw below the dado and string above with white tie woodwork. But I worry that, with the carpet would end up insipid rather than warm and welcoming.

I couldn't find any wallpaper I liked enough and thought I wouldnt get bored off quickly, so reverted to painted walls as a preference.

Its not so much that I have rejected any colour schemes, more that I have got myself in a right tizz trying lots of different combinations and now losing sight of what would work and what wouldn't. The golden blinds are a bit of a bind I think, as some colours really dont work with them (god knows why I bought them, thinking they would be neutral but they cost £500 so they are staying!).

Cooking Apple Green looks lovely, but not sure that would work with the pale gold blinds (grwww). I can see it working in a dark room. My living room does get light, its just that pale, cold northern light. Just got to work out what works with it!

[katotonic]

forgot to say - not a period property - average sized 1930s semi

[7to25]

Off white and slipper satin for hall?
cat's paw seems a bit institutional with the carpet, but bear in mind that I am looking at the carpet online.
I think that these Colours will go with your oak flooring.
for the sitting room, maybe green ground orPapyrus from Fired Earth
Think that this will go with the leather sofa and the faded gold blinds.

[bemybebe]

I have String in my north room and it give exactly the right amount of warmth without looking "colourful", which i personally hate.
In the hall I use Off White as the most versatile colour, it goes around entrance hall up the stairs, landings and on to the second floor. Gorgeous.

I love repainting the walls every so often, but I have never considered changing those two schemes...

[venusspecimen]

hello you north faced living rooms and hallway people you. ;-) the living room with the pale gold already in there and natural oak flooring would suit sudbury yellow and white tie for the door frames/skirtings etc. the hallway i had same dilemma and opted for 'chord' on the walls and white tie on frames/banister etc. i love it. its like cats paw but personally i think cats paw is too dark in north facing rooms etc. i did mine two yrs ago in these and have no regrets, hope helps. really lifts the spaces and rooms and stylishly so. x

[kayessbee]

Why not get in an F&B colour consultant? Can't remember how much it costs but it might be worth it and you'll have trained eyes looking at it! Am thinking of applying to them for a job later next year, so would be interested to hear what you thought of the service if you do use them.