Paint advice needed - Just Walnut

[TheRedWoman]

Hello

Is anyone good with paint colours? We are extending our home (kitchen/diner/family room in one) and at the painting stage…I chose Dulux Just Walnut for the kitchen area and I don’t like it. I was expecting a neutral soft grey but all I can see is lilac. DH is doing most of the work and is gutted I am not happy.

We have so much more work to do that I have agreed he will re-paint in a few moths time if I am still unhappy.

This brings me onto my question – what colour should I paint the rest of the space? I intended to do it all in ‘Just Walnut’ but don’t want to make the same mistake again. Has anyone used Dulux White Mist or Perfectly Taupe? Both colours are meant to work with / compliment the Just Walnut but I am terrified they are going to look awful.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received. I’m starting to go crazy over all this.

I had a sample of Perfectly Taupe and it also looked purple-y to me.
Egyptian Cotton is grey but fairly pale; don't know if you're after a richer, more intense colour?

Thanks Margot, that's my concern when I look at the perfectly taupe swatches online.

Funnily enough I have bought Egyptian Cotton for the snug. It's unpainted at the moment but I will open the can and see what it looks like in the extension.

Mellow mocha looked lilac/grey in our living room. Caramel Latte is a pale creamy brown. Got away with one coat over the lilac.

What about Perfect Oyster?

Egyptian cotton. I've just painted my hallway with it and it's lovely. Paler than both your colours and changes with the light.

Thanks all, I will buy some testers later and try out your suggestions.

I've used just walnut and it's not lilac on my walls I think it comes out different colours in different light. I bought a tester and put a bit on each wall then left it a few days to see what the colour looked like at different times of the day, maybe you could try that when you find a colour you fancy

I have Just Walnut in my living room and bedroom and like Zeusette said, it does look different depending on the light. I have it contrasted with teal and blues downstairs and with Muddy Puddle upstairs and it goes with all those colours as it is so versatile!

I have Just Walnut and it looks pretty much white, defo not lilac. But I have a similar, but darker, shade in my hall, and I get what you mean re the lilac. I love Egyptian Cotton and didn't choose it, only because it was so close to my hall colour, but without the lilac!

I went through literally 20 testers and they look so different on the wall, and in different lights. It really is worth trying them out.

I had the same issue with Egyptian Cotton! I think these complex greys can look lilac depending on the other colours in the room. With the old orangey flooring and the reddish brown doors, it looked very lilac. Now we've had the grey slate floor put down and painted the doors ivory and the back door a grey blue, it's calmed down and looks a soft grey.

Are you changing any other features after painting? Roughly speaking, things at the red to yellow end of the spectrum will pull out the blue/violet tones. True greys, white and blues will tone it down.

We are having karndean flooring in smoked oak, which is a really warm colour. I think this might make the paint worse. We have the option of changing the flooring still, so may consider a cooler tone. We need to buy a sofa, was thinking of going for a grey for practical reasons with young children about. There's quite a bit of stainless steel in the kitchen, hoping this cools the wall down.
Electrician still to fit lights in kitchen, again might help to improve it. Work top being fitted this week too.

DH can't see the lilac, thinks I am barmy.
TBH I am so desperate to move home after 9 weeks with my parents that I just have to accept it as it is for the short term. We still have at least another 2 weeks to go.

Thanks for all your contributions, I will let you know what I think of the end result.

Were you happy with Just Walnut in the end ?