Farrow & Ball help please!!!

[Frenchchic]

I have Bone in living room (has come out very green but lovely), Overtly Olive (Dulux) in hallway, Blackened in bathroom and Vert de Terre on front door. Am now looking for grey for north west facing bedroom. Am stuck between Elephants Breath, Pavilion Gray and Lamp Room Gray. Has anyone used these colours? I really love Belgian style interiors and don't mind if the room looks cool rather than cosy. Please help ladies as am going crazy with the indecision!

[Frenchchic]

Also meant to say that room gets lots of natural light if that helps x

[SimLondon]

This might not help, but i usually get about 20/30 testing pots of all makes inc f&b and paint squares side by side in the room - the right one always stands out.

[bsc]

Do not use homebase's moonlight grey whatever you do- it looks rubbish!

[Herhonesty]

have a look at little greene paint co, they have a whole new grey range!

[whats4teamum]

Will watch this thread with interest as I have exactly the same dilemma. Little Greene have a whole swatch of greys.

[Frenchchic]

Thanks so much for your replies. I wasn't sure if Lamp Room Gray comes out a little greenish and Elephants Breath I can't figure out at all as so many people have said different things. That's why I came on here to ask the experts!!! X

[Jalexis]

Also worth looking at F&B Blackened. I loved it, but too grey for little room so we are using strong white instead which is more grey/cream.

Have fun!

[Frenchchic]

I already have Blackened in my downstairs toilet and I love it but it didn't really come out grey for me - more a greyish lavender. Wanted something a little less "pretty" for the bedroom if that doesn't sound strange! Manor House Gray also looks good, has anyone tried it?

Am also looking for a frameless mirror with a crackly, speckled looking patina - like looking into a pool with raindrops falling. Have seen some amazing ones but the probably cost a bomb. May have to DIY. Has anyone tried this by any chance? x

[smudgedgraffiti]

We have Elephant's Breath in the bedroom. Is a soft mid grey with slight mauve-ish undertones in certain lights... Slightly different to the bluish greys. It's a lovely colour.

Also I cannot recommend Old White enough - we have it in our west facing living room. It's a slightly more intense olive-toned grey. I have heard it described as a wet concrete colour and that kind of fits it somewhat. It is less "pretty" and is absolutely gorgeous, everyone comments on how great it looks. Wood furniture and floors look gorgeous against it, and it's lovely in daylight and in the evening by lamplight.

I did sample Manor House Grey and it was a bit too intense and dark for me!

[spotty26]

Pavilion Grey is gorgeous, less beigey thank Elephant's Breath but still has a blueish tint to me. Cornforth White is a nice cool contemporary light grey but subtle.

[Frenchchic]

You are all so helpful! Elephants Breath sounds intriguing and I like the sound of the mauve undertones. It just looks like beige on the colour card. That's a definite possibility and also like the sound of Pavilion. I can't do anything with a greenish tone as nearly all my rooms have greens. Bone looks like mid olive in my living room.

Have quite a lot of painted woodwork in the bedroom. Can you recommend neutrals that work with Elephants Breath and Pavilion Gray anyone? x

[poppycarew]

I have Strong White with Elephant's breath in a room with a lot of woodwork & I think it looks great .

[theendgame]

Also, have a look at Fired Earth Malm - it's not too dark and not too cool (and will be featuring in our sitting room when that's ever finished

[smudgedgraffiti]

There isn't much beige in Elephant's Breath - it's more a slight brown to the grey, with mauve undertones...impossible to describe! But it looks a lot lovelier on the walls than on the colour card.

We just used a dulux white on the woodwork (not pure brilliant white, just white) and looks great with the EB.

[noddyholder]

I have the whole house elephants breath and it is different in every room depending on the light. The south facing rooms it is quite pinky beige really lovely The front rooms all face north and it is grey/lilac and quite mauve at night with candles!

[Eastwickwitch]

I have a hall in F&B light blue. It's a lovely grey/blue/ sometimes green colour.

[Frenchchic]

Would you say that Elephants Breath is a mid-tone colour as don't want anything too pale?

[motherofmuddles]

Hi
Im about to use Elephant's Breath with Skimming Stone on the woodwork. I wasn't quite sure so I ended up going to F&B store and they were really really helpful
Ive painted the tester on the walls and its definitely mid-tone
I'd also say its beige/mauve
Hope that helps

[Frenchchic]

Oh that sounds lovely. My bedroom faces north west so although lots of natural light, it's quite a cold light. Liked Pavilion Gray but worried it would be too pale in that light. Also tried Light Blue, which I loved in previous house, but did not look good at all. Very dark and gloomy which is odd as is such a lovely colour. I'd love to know how your room turns out. What colour accessories are you using? I was planning to use lots of glass, raw wood etc but have been stumped at the first hurdle by being unable to find a frameless tarnished mirror!

Old White also sounds lovely and am thinking of changing my front door to that as neighbours have painted theirs a really violent shade of glossy harsh purple and my Vert de Terre is not looking good next to it. Bugger!

[DaisyBD]

Strong White seems to work with all the shades of F&B grey that I've used - Cornforth White, Purbeck Stone, Pavilion Grey, Manor House Grey, Downpipe, Railings... We had Manor House Grey in a bedroom and it was absolutely gorgeous. We currently have Cornforth White in a large downstairs room and it looks almost ethereal, very pale and calm. My sister has just painted a bedroom in the same colour and it looks totally different, much darker but equally lovely. I do love how F&B paints look different in different rooms and in different light. I'd paint the whole house Cornforth White if I had my way. (Although I am currently considering Yellowcake for the utility room.)

[SpottedDickandCustard]

Have a look at this:

//www.madaboutthehouse.com/choosing-the-right-shade-of-grey-paint

[noddyholder]

I like the grey with the violet skirtings. I am fed up with grey tbh as I use it a lot at work and I am living in one of my developments atm and I am surrounded! Am desperate for colour!

[motherofmuddles]

My room is north west. The decorator starts on the 25th
That said I'm not sure what to put on the ceiling!

[Frenchchic]

DaisyBD - that is a lot of grey! Did u have it all in the same house?

Spotted - thanks for the great link! I saw on there that if you have a north facing room (as I have) it is best to use a yellow based grey rather than blue and happily, Elephants Breath was one of the colours mentioned.

Noddy - your descriptions of Elephants Breath sound lovely. It's interesting that it looks more pink toned in South facing rooms.

Has anyone tried Doves Tale? Looks like a deeper shade of Elephants Breath on colour card.

Muddles - am so excited to hear how your room turns out.
I'm planning on having an industrial cage ceiling light with a smokey vintage Edison bulb from a John Lewis. They look gorgeous and would imagine they cast a real cosy glow!