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Advice for decorating and painting house

15 replies

JayK81 · 20/08/2017 06:42

Hello all, I'd like some advice about painting our house. We live in a 3 bedroom Victorian terraced house and are decorating it after nearly a decade. My wife has asked the decorator to paint the ground floor hallway, up the stairs and the first floor landing and passageway in a Dulux paint called Blossom White. The decorator has started the job and now to me it looks like a very light pink.

My wife and teenage daughter really like it and my two younger sons say they like it as well. My wife says it isn't too pink and she says that the pinkishness is only noticeable when you look at the top of the walls towards the ceiling. We've had a sort of very light cream colour up till now in these areas.

I would like to change the paint to magnolia or buttermilk or soft peach or soft coral which to me seems easier on the eyes and would look more classy.

The decorator said it's not too late to change it yet as he has only done part of the downstairs and part of upstairs. I think if it was just in one room then it would be alright. But the ground floor hallway and upstairs landing and passage is too much for me.

If my wife and kids really do like this blossom white and I can't persuade them to change their minds then I might have to live with it for a few years.

Your comments and advice would be really appreciated.

OP posts:
BubblesBuddy · 20/08/2017 07:27

Magnolia (classy?) is just so boring! Soft peach - just no! Buttermilk is a yellow hue which I don't see as classy at all for a hall. Most houses built by the large housing developers are magnolia top to bottom so you seem to have little idea of individuality for your individual house.

I suggest you stick with the Blossom White and look at co-ordinating colours for accessories. Dulux has fairly good room inspiration and sage, light green, greys, and pebble colours all go with Blossom White. I think it is modern, clean and fresh. It looks very good with dark wood floors and white woodwork.

Personally I think Elephants Breath by Farrow and Ball is a real classy colour! Their room inspiration may give you a better idea of how to colour coordinate with pink/white.

Allthebestnamesareused · 20/08/2017 18:36

Magnolia? Peach? Buttermilk? It's not 1990!

Personally I am not a pink fan either but would go with Timeless - a soft white or a pale grey like GooseDown. However I'd still go for her choice over yours!

wowfudge · 20/08/2017 21:01

Almond white or Natural Hessian perhaps? Blossom White is pale pink.

SwedishEdith · 20/08/2017 22:00

Pale pink is very current. Magnolia is not. I'd keep with it if everyone else likes it.

Briette · 20/08/2017 22:15

Magnolia always makes me think of short term rental properties where it's designed to be an inoffensive as possible. Really dislike it for a long term home, and yellow hues in general look dingy to me. I chose brilliant white for my last decoration (I'm boring) but a pink tint sounds quite fun.

SpearmintTea · 21/08/2017 09:24

Magnolia? Peach? Buttermilk? It's not 1990!

I remember using those colours in the 70s!

Trust your wife and kids.

NamedyChangedy · 21/08/2017 13:53

You lost me when you suggested magnolia, as it's a shade that I absolutely despise - I'm personally not a fan of pale yellows in any context. So twee and wishy washy! I'd say go with your family's taste on this one.

bassetmum · 21/08/2017 13:56

I'm periodically going around my victorian terrace getting rid of cream/magnolia. Its so boring!!!

Dina1234 · 21/08/2017 14:03

Magnolias and creams etc are now very out of fashion and will devalue your house. Pink is reasonably fashionable (depending on the shade) but the safest colour ATM is grey. Duck egg is probably the colour that ages least. Sage is anotherobe but one must always be careful with green.

VickieCherry · 21/08/2017 14:33

The house we bought last year is entirely shades of cream/yellow (even the ceilings and woodwork, as it's been so long since it was decorated). I'm slowly painting everything white, grey or blue. I don't personally like pink, but it can look nice in the right house.

Magnolia is incredibly unfashionable at the moment. Bright and hay yellows are coming back into fashion, but are quite hard to live with!

wowfudge · 21/08/2017 16:15

For crying out loud @Dina1234 magnolia or cream paint will not devalue your house. What rubbish.

thecatsthecats · 21/08/2017 17:00

Magnolia would put me off a bit! I didn't realise quite how disgustingly beige my chimney breasts were either til I moved into mine.

Mind you, I'm prejudiced. My first rented flat with my boyfriend had a beautiful soft blue and lilac scheme that matched all the furniture and our decor over the years that we accumulated. Then he painted it a rank shade of magnolia to sell. Stupid thing was, he sold it including the lovely matching sofas, so the magnolia is probably gone now.

WhoseGonnaDriveUHomePorkPie · 22/08/2017 20:44

Magnolia is s bit dull but no way will it devalue your house - it's still pretty neutral. Blossom white is a bit sickly- since when did pink become fashionable on walls I've not seen it in interiors magazines! If you can't decide couldn't you just go with plain white and accessorise it up a bit?

PigletJohn · 22/08/2017 21:01

these unfashionable colours are still used in great volume, but have been given fashionable ridiculous names to hide the truth.

Everybody knows there are only 16 colours really. Beige, grey, cream, etc.

IHeartDodo · 23/08/2017 13:27

grey is very fashionable at the moment...
IMO magnolia makes it look like a rental property.

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