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Original poster

Favourite Farrow & Ball colour?

210 replies

saltyseadog · 05/09/2010 20:12

We're just about to start re-decorating and being faced with the massivvvve choice on the F&B colour card I'm wondering what other people have plumped for (and for which room)?

Any colours that have proved disappointing once on the wall?

OP posts:
noddyholder · 05/09/2011 16:42

I have brinjal in the living room and its lovely

teta · 05/09/2011 19:51

I have strong white on my kitchen walls and light blue on my kitchen cabinets and they go well together.Pointing is my default neutral so will probably work as well.

Thirstysomething · 06/09/2011 14:31

Thanks Teta, I have the F&B colour sheets in front of me (the big fan of colours - can never choose from the tiny little palettes) and I love strong white (used in our last house) but think it is too cool for this north facing room. Even pointing (which is what I had bought already) looks too blue white, which is weird.

At the moment the colours I am looking at are Slipper Satin, Shaded White, New White and House White. I have just moved rooms to write this and the last two look so creamy, but they don't in the north facing bedroom. Light Blue, Shaded White (picture rail) then Slipper Satin (above picture rail and ceiling) probably the most tasteful, but somehow either New White or House White just really warms the room up.
ohhhhhh in a way I wish there were just two or three whites to choose between - F&B gives you too much choice!!
Ruby Wax said it was the strain of choosing between 30 different shades of white that first sent her to the Priory...
What sort of colour IS Brinjal by the way?? I can't find it in the fan!

Thirstysomething · 06/09/2011 14:38

just found it -- wow that is bold! hmm, maybe for the dark corridor...! thanks

Karbea · 06/09/2011 21:48

I had slipper satin in my hall in my old house, it was lovely.

hotchoc · 10/09/2011 13:01

I love Lichen, used it in a kitchen and it was brilliant. We had a cold north facing living room and white tie warmed it up and was super. Pale hound looks like vanilla ice cream (in a good way). I've just done mizzle in my bathroom and I love it.

Thirstysomething · 24/10/2011 09:20

chickened out of House White or New White as too strong for such a big area against Light Blue.

Now thinking White Tie or Pointing above picture rail - but what colour for woodwork? Same in eggshell or is that just boring?!

aylsham · 24/10/2011 10:10

I have my hall, landing and stairs, bannisters etc in a white (easy for touching up) but all the doors in downpipe which I love. I have farrows cream in the posher living room with the cornice in Hay, and in the past have used caulke green, string, carriage green (for the outside of a freestanding slipper bath) Mostly use pointing for paintwork and are just having all the outside of the house (old stone farmhouse in Cornwall) painted in Pointing too. Love them all.

aylsham · 24/10/2011 10:12

oh and have used Lulworth blue in another bathroom and all my kitchen units are in bone. Only two I didn't like and painted over were Dorset Cream (much too dark for a cream) and Old White, very grey in a dark room. Going to try my study in Print Room Yellow.

greyvix · 26/10/2011 20:07

I have just joined mumsnet, having been inspired by all the Farrow and Ball threads. It's very addictive.
So here's the thing: I have just painted the walls of the lounge/ kitchen in my daughters' flat Pointing. It is a very small flat and it is all painted a similar colour.
I am now stuck for woodwork. It is Georgian so has wood panels under the windows i.e. quite a lot of woodwork. The advice from Farrow and Ball is inconsistent and but the most reliable source said Pointing (which will look different in eggshell); Clunch (love the colour but will it be too heavy?) or Wimborne White. Any advice gratefully received from people who know Farrow and Ball better than me.
The girls are both 20 somethings, so I want to avoid too much of a period looks, while respecting the origins of the building.

flatbread · 26/10/2011 21:28

Stuckonarock,

What about strong white on the walls? It is a really good colour. We have painted our floorboards with it and looks lovely. If we had more time, we probably would have bleached them Scandinavian style, but the painted effect is nice too. We used Dulux morning glory reflective paint on the walls and while it really brightens the rooms, when we repaint, we will use cornforth white. Our interior woodwork is mizzle and it is a grey/green. We have painted all the rooms with the same colurs (except kitchen and bathroom) and we feel the place flows more together without distinct spaces iyswim.

annieparsnips · 07/01/2012 23:15

I've just painted the dining end of my kitchen/diner Radicchio, it looks so warm and cosy and looked fab at Christmas.

Dottie8 · 31/03/2013 17:15

How do I see pics posted? Only just joined.

soonbesailing · 31/03/2013 18:11

Thirstysomething - one colour which is really lovely with light blue 22 (and also works the same way with blue grey 91) is shaded White 201, they just works so well together. (I was recommended this by Joa Studholme F&Bs top colour consultant)

Shaded White is quite dark though, but personally I think bright whites don't work in north facing rooms and tend to go darker.

soonbesailing · 31/03/2013 18:13

Sorry just realised zombie thread Blush

Madamecastafiore · 31/03/2013 18:17

Mousesback is our fave. Is quite dark minky brown but looks fab in our hall and landings with white floors and wood work. Have paired it with red, cushion covers and pictures with red in.

Bedroom is light blue, is actually a light green. Have it in bedroom, is very restful.

Kids toy room is lulworth blue. Paired with the bright red from the hallway to sort of bring rooms together and a dark grey sofa.

Rest of house is fired earth.

greyvix · 31/03/2013 20:12

This is the thread that first got me into mumsnet, so I am pleased it's been resurrected. I am deciding between skimming stone and lime white for our bathroom. It is currently lime white, which I still love, but skimming stone is a bit more subtle and would be a change.
Other favourite colours are light blue and borrowed light (for a bedroom).

AnnetteH123 · 16/08/2013 23:38

I've recently moved into a Georgian flat and loved the FB colours, on the advice of my PD have had them scanned at dulux centre and saved a fortune. Have gone for:

Bedroom: Pale Hound equivalent which is a stunning Limey warm yellow
Kitchen: in Tunsgate green equivalent .... pale whitish green that looks good against cream shaker style units and oak worktops

I've still to do the the lounge, bathroom and hall and am thinking of the following:
Lounge and Hall Dimity equivalent with All white paintwork
Bathroom Strong white a lovely white/Gray with All white for cornice and paintwork

I had the FB consultant out to advise on colours and one option given was to paint walls, radiator and woodwork in the same colour. I must admit I prefer a contrast. What are the views of those who have painted their radiator and woodwork same colour as walls?

Many thanks all tips welcome

Mumof3wifeof1 · 18/08/2013 19:04

On the website it gives you good colour schemes, what colours to put together eg woodwork, walls and furniture

Mumof3wifeof1 · 18/08/2013 19:06

Dead Dogs Breath is lovely

mummaemma · 27/08/2013 08:37

Love this thread. Can we keep it going. I've only used cornforth white on cupboards. Looks gorgeous soft grey. Deciding on front door colour now

INeedSomeHelp · 27/08/2013 14:28

I am so sad, I have just read right through this thread looking up all the colours on the Farrow & Ball site as I went!
I am hoping to move house in the next few months but it will probably be to a modern property. Do you think the F&B colours work in a modern setting or are they more suited to a period property?

mummaemma · 27/08/2013 18:40

I would say they are suited to both

QBean · 25/03/2014 19:49

Hi All, I am stuck staring at all my F&B color samples and just can't decide what to go for for our hall. We live in a late Victorian house with very high ceilings and quite a generously sized entranceway(well, for London!). We are very slowly renovating this wreck, and this year it's the halls turn. On the ground floor the only light comes from the north facing windows in the door, then as the hall winds up it gets lighter and lighter until the top floor where there is bright bright south facing velux. Hence, the difficulty- what looks beautiful on the ground floor looks very strong up top! When we moved in I painted over the black (below dado) and red (above) walls with slipper satin on top and London stone on bottom. A huge improvement but nevertheless bleak. Rooms off of it are lime white and slipper satin and upstairs skimming stone and shaded white.
My husband and I both love samples of string downstairs and in daylight but it turns quite green under the electric lights at night.
If you have been kind enough to read all this, thank you! Any advice much appreciated!!
I am relatively new to mumsnet and hope it's ok to 'reanimate' a thread!

luckylesley · 22/05/2014 15:55

I'm new to this as well so note sure how many others will reply to your message but I LOVE Light Blue. If it didn't make me seem so boring I'd cover the whole house it in. I started with it in our bedroom which is eastward facing and has a huge window and then put in in a westward facing bathroom. In the bedroom it looks like a haven of tranquillity and the bathroom has much more depth (or it did when I was in the other morning when it had no sun) and it just looked so lovely. It works so well in both darker areas and lighter areas and is such a classy colour. I picked it when I heard that one of the directors of F&B had used it in every house she'd lived in and it was her favourite colour. That seemed a good recommendation and I can see why. It might have the word "blue" in the name but it isn't a cold colour in any way.