Advice on colours for dark narrow hall with dado rail and edwardian terracota tiles

[Stressedmum7777]

Hi, hoping for some advice on paint colours, currently have dulux gentle faun below dado rail and possibly timeless above - slightly yellow colour which I don't like. (Have timeless elsewhere and works so may be a different colour). Not sure what colour carpet as had terracota one which worked for years, then changed to grey which I hate as so cold in our hallway. Ideas for walls and carpet. thinking elephants breath, or nutmeg white/ just walnut below dado and rocksalt above, then white for wood work and above picture rail. Don't want to go for v expensive paints. Thanks for help and advice.
Photos attached but in the evening so dark and also in need of tidying/cleaning :) runner on floor in the winter to try and keep house slightly warmer!

I'd suggest All White for woodwork and School House White or Shaded/Shadow White for below dado. Wimborne White also works well for some, but always looks a bit cream in our house. These are all F&B but you can colour match if you prefer. They're warm whites which is great for period homes.

Hi, thanks, I've wimborne white to outside of house, I'm keen to have a darker colour (not necessarily much darker) below the dado rail. Great to have suggestions as I had thought about white throughout but not brilliant white so will check out your recommendations.

Jellyxat, just checked and like the school house white and shadow/shaded white. I think I had pointing in my house and was abit cream although I know lots of people really like it. I used to have woodwork champagne white which is abit like all white. do you think shaded white below dado and school house white above would work?
really appreciate ideas, thanks

Personally I'd go for Shadow or shaded white above and below the rail, with white woodwork

Yes that combo sounds great. The key is to have the darker colour below, so that the hallway 'opens out'. Or so the theory goes! We have a darkish narrow hallway too, and have All White woodwork and SHW above and below dado. Because of the way the light falls, it looks like it might be darker below dado anyway.

Good luck!

I like the idea of white with a darker colour and pulling it together with a dark coordinating bannister and carpet and some nice artwork on the walls to break it up. I'd probably go for navy or a khaki green.

I've just googled navy and white stairs and I'm off planning redoing my stairs and landing this spring! Lol

Not Elephants Breath, it’s really light absorbing (had it in a hallway before)

I agree with some kind of off white, nothing too yellowy or it will look nicotine stained and nothing too cold as it won’t go with the floor. Look at the red undertone whites on F&B.

You could also try Slate I and Slate II from Paint & Paper library, they are the same colour in slightly different depths.

I would suggest picking out a few details in black which will make your off white look brighter (but without it being cold like brilliant white) and will add drama and emphasis your lovely floor. Maybe paint the bottom newel post in black and the back of the front door? And some black framed pictures or a mirror.

We have used eggshell paint below the dado, it is more durable/wipeable than emulsion and it also reflects the light. However it does show lumps and bumps so only works if you are keeping the anaglypta or replastering.

I'd remove the dado rail, it will make everything look more spacious.

Mustard below and white above dado.

F&B do a sheen emulsion now. Very low sheen but it’s durable. I don’t really like split colours like a cake. I would use one light colour. I actually think Elephants Breath with white wood looks stunning. I think the whites make the space lighter and it’s easier to match a carpet. Or get tiles for a more lasting look in the hall.

If you do the whole thing one colour, including the woodwork, you will lose all the edges

You do the woodwork a different colour. I’m just not a fan of different colour walls.

Saw this the other day and I think it's gorgeous. Would work below the dado rail with a suitable white above it.

www.littlegreene.com/jewel-beetle

Farrow & Ball Lichen, Card Room Green or Breakfast room green below the dado and James white above.

I would recommend using an egg shell below the dado as it is easier to clean off the scuffs etc and possibly even above given the traffic a hall gets. It also has the advantage of bouncing the light a bit.

Hi, thank you for all the lovely ideas and sorry had problems logging on. Decided to go with olive tree under the dado rail and looking for a white. Advised by dulux to pick the white in the same row (heritage range) called linnet white above dado rail but it looks just white - and I am having white gloss on dado and skirting as I find easier to clean and only want one colour gloss throughout house. Any thoughts on roman or piano white with olive tree. Many thanks everyone