Farrow and Ball Brassica in bedroom

[RoryRoryTellUsAStory]

Does anyone have this please? I am considering it for our main bedroom but am not sure whether it will be too dark. We currently have Dulux Stonewashed Blue, so quite dark. The room is fairly large, dual aspect, with beige carpet, ivory-coloured curtains and floral duvet cover that has an ivory background with some purple in. I don’t want to have it as just a feature wall, as I don’t think that it would suit the room.

Definitely recommend getting the Farrow and Ball decorating books - they give a good overview on how to choose colours depending on the way the light faces in the room and how to decide whether to use a colour for walls, woodwork or accent.

Both books also give colour combos with the best complimentary F&B shades.

E.g for Brassica, the book recommends using either a light white such as Great White, a warm white such as Joa's White or a neutral such as Skimming Stone. If you wanted a dark accent, then Paean Black.

All depends on where you want to place the colour and how the light works with it depending on the time of day.

Thanks - I do actually have one of the F&B books but I’ve not found it to be much help in this case, although I like looking at the pictures 😀 Due to the room being dual aspect (south and west facing windows), it’s generally pretty light, and I would use it on all four walls and keep the existing woodwork and curtain/duvet colours. We stayed in a holiday cottage that used it with white woodwork and cream accessories, so I know that works, but that was in a very bright sitting room, so I wondered if anyone had used it in a bedroom.

I would also be looking to have the colour mixed with Crown paint, as I’ve found that for dark colours, the F&B estate emulsion marks too easily but the modern emulsion is too shiny.

We have it in the lounge. Where the light is low it can look quite dark and slightly dull. I think it could work better in a bright room. Over the fire place and on the doors we used purbeck stone which worked well with it and a warmer white on the woodwork . When I put the first coat on it looked like Cadbury’s purple but with the second coat and as it dried it became a lighter rich tone. I think it’s a lovely colour. Have you tried one of their sample pots, painting a sample can be a good way of looking at the colour in different areas of the room.

Thanks, I have a tester that I’m going to try out. I am normally fairly confident choosing colours but have never really liked the current colour and don’t want to make another mistake!

I think it a bright room it could show very purple. It depends on if you're ok with it?

If you search #farrowandballbrassica on Instagram there is a picture of quite a light bedroom with this on the walls that looks lovely.

I used to have it on a feature wall in a well light room and I always thought it worked well.

I think that I see the photo that you mean, thanks.

This is the holiday cottage that we stayed in a few years ago, where I think that the living room was Brassica, but it looks different in different pictures:

www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/Northern-Highlands-Cairngorms-National-Park-Boat-of-Garten/Tombae-918163.html#duration=7&start=2020-01-18&calendar=2020-01&changeover=6

(I would just copy the pictures and post here but not sure if that’s allowed)

Lovely cottage. I’m no expert but I don’t think those walls are brassica, it’s very similar but there doesn’t seem to be as much of a grey undertone, although it can be hard to tell as photos taken in different lights.

Not in a bedroom but we have the lovely Brassica in our kitchen with white and pale grey units and grey/white marble worktop. I think it's a great colour with the right lighting. Saying that, after 5 years I'm considering a change and have been inspired by another thread to go for Mysterious Teal.

I haven’t got brassica but have another F&B paint and have found it a massive pain in the arse. It chips very easily and seems to pick up the oils from your skin so if you brush your hand against a section it leaves a mark.

I spoke to a decorator friend and he said he would never use it and advised the dulux colour match stuff instead as it’s much hardier. Something to think about - maybe take the colour in and get them to match it for you?

I have brassica in a north facing bedroom room. Has white furniture and white framed windows and ceiling with pale oak floor . Looks amazing.
Have white bed linen and a brassica coloured knitted throw over the end of the bed . Beds black metal and there's a black wood burned in the room.

The colour does vary a lot between those photos. I have some that I took of my children with it in the background where it looks a bit more greyish.

I would be looking to use a Crown colour match, as we’ve used that for other F&B colours and have been pleased with it. The previous owner of our house had used F&B estate emulsion in lots of rooms, which my children quickly covered with fingerprints, so we’ve almost replaced all of it but found the F&B modern emulsion too shiny in darker colours.

666onmyhead, your room sounds lovely.

Fussychica - I saw that thread too, that colour looks amazing. We have a navy hall/landing, painted in Little Greene Hicks Blue, so I think it would be too much in my house, otherwise I would consider it too!

@RoryRoryTellUsAStory my bedroom is painted in Brassica and I love the colour (although it's about to painted another colour). I have a large bay window, lots of natural light and white furniture which stops the room looking too dark. Happy to take a photo tomorrow it it helps.

We have one wall painted in it it in the living room and one in the bedroom. I really like it but it's too dark for all the walls. It's a really nice colour. The rooms are facing North and it's not too as a feature wall.

another vote for Brassica here

TattiePants - a picture would be great, thanks.

I am still undecided and wondering if I should just go for a different blue. I also really like Little Greene paint and would prefer to use one of their colours if possible to avoid having to having to have a dark colour mixed but can’t see anything that I particularly like for this room. I have had like F&B colours mixed before but never darker ones so am slightly wary. Luckily we have some time to decide as we have other rooms to do first!

@RoryRoryTellUsAStory sorry for the delay posting pictures. The room looks quite dark in the second picture but it’s because it’s really bright outside.

I love Brassica but if you want lighter, try Calluna. It's the same violet/grey base, but lighter. We did the hall so it reflects different colours in different spots and ranges from pale lilac to a browny purple.

We have brassica in our room. South facing with large bay window. It looks fabulous- cosy but not overpowering. I love it.

Photos for you.

Thanks for posting photos TattiePants and AuntImmortelle, both of your rooms are lovely. I really want to go ahead and paint mine now!

PearTreeParty, I did consider Calluna too but the room is fairly large and has always been painted in a strongish colour, even when we bought the house, so I’m not sure if it would be too light. I’m thinking that it might look good in my downstairs cloakroom though!