Is this hall colour too dark??

[Whatsnewwithyou]

I finally got around to painting my hall and I feel like I've chosen a colour for below the dado rail that is much too dark. It would be a pain to redo it but better now than once I've tidied everything up.

So what do you think? Should I have gone lighter? I am terrible with colour and could really use some advice please! Maybe I can put one coat of lighter paint in a similar colour over the top?

If I can leave it as is (hopefully!) then any advice on decoration like pictures etc for the walls would be great please. Thank you!

It's not the darkness of it, it's the Brownness that's not great.

I like it the colour now.

I think the lighting is fine, the door is very dark. —You must be sorry you asked now—

Yes, it looks much better in that light. Softer.

Can you retake the stairs shot without all the dust sheets? I have a feeling it might look better than the initial images.

I must have a thing for browny hues as I'm battling my 9 year old over room colour. I like Dulux Crispy crumble, he likes Egyptian cotton. I'll go with his choice.

It looks much better in this pic but I’m still voting for a dark blue!

not keen- seems to clash with the colour of the floorboards

It's not that the colour is too dark, it's just that it's so "muh".

Wilko do a great range of flat matt paints, that are hard wearing but still have that F&B vibe to them. How about a duck egg shade?

www.wilko.com/wilko-flat-matt-emulsion-paint-vintage-duck-egg-25l/p/0412490

Too brown.

Here is my super dark hall.

Thank you Lissette1940! My house would be worth a mint if it were in London instead of up North 😁.

Your hall is gorgeous, Chester.

I've figured out the problem with mine...it's not the walls, it's the stair carpet. It clashed. Oh well, I've decided it's just going to have to be good enough! And it's way better than it was before (I've added some before photos...a little depressing how many people said to paint it duck egg! But really it wasn't good...) Plus I did it all myself for the price of a couple of tins of paint (I didn't even splash out on real dropcloths!).

The last picture looks really nice! You are right about the carpet and the walls, it could be better as it does clash a little, but it is fine like it is and it is hassle to change it. If I turned up at your house and saw it I wouldn’t think it wasn’t nice : )

I think it looks really nice.

I don't think it's too dark or dated but I'd paint the woodwork to match to bring it up to date a bit more.

ChesterGreySideboard Whatsnewwithyou

Serious hall envy here. I'm in northern Scotland and my house was built in the (19)80s so it has a tiny vestibule and stairs straight up. It's meant to be heat conserving which it is but there's no room to swing a cat!

YOUR CEILINGS! Omg.

It looks much better in the new photos; it's fine with the stair carpet too. Think it was the lighting/drop cloths everywhere. Important thing is if you're happy with it!

It's stunning.

Thank you everyone, I'm just so glad it's done. Painting those ceilings with an extension pole with a paint brush taped to it for the detailed bits was murder on my back. I think I've earned some wine!

Wow, I can't believe you did those ceilings yourself! It looks incredible. Also - I actually think there is a real fashion for dark greys and greens at the moment but they are likely to date quite badly. And I say that as someone who has just decorated part of my house in some of those colours...

Paler but similar shade if you’d like to see it

Op, that's genuinely very nice. It looks great. Agree it's the carpet that is the wrong tone, but it's not major.

I think the colour looks much nicer in the downstairs photo. The lighting isn’t good in the original photo. What about something big bling and or reflective and take another photo with the upstairs light on and maybe another piece of colourful art work/mirrors to add some color and some light.
Our hall is a lovely light bright green shade. It maybe trendy but personally I would hate a navy hall and much prefer your colour OP. What colour is the colour above?

Daddylonglegs I still need to do upstairs but will take a break of a few weeks first to recover. And good idea about mirrors, maybe I need to add more of them. I definitely need to get more big art - but will need to save up as it's expensive!

Bluntness100, burritofan and RainbowWaffles I'm so glad I won you round! Thanks again all and especially because no one has said they prefer the before.

And can I just mention - total price £106 (for paint and extension pole!).

I think it's wonderful :)

Wow, that ceiling is stunning!

I speak as someone who has just painted their front room dark blue, but I really think blue is overdone now. Literally everyone has the same colour on their walls . So yours is classic and warm and a breath of non-blue fresh air!

Personally I like the walls - neutral and practical, perfect for a family hall - but I'm in the minority as I HATE the green ceiling. You'd get loads more light reflected with a white ceiling!
Also what on earth ARE those cloths - puppy pads??