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What's going to be the new equivalent of "entirely grey house"?

211 replies

SquashMinus · 09/01/2022 12:33

Mooching on Instagram for paint colour inspiration and noticed the trend for grey walls, grey carpet, grey sofa, grey curtains etc etc definitely seems to be dropping off, but can't see a clear contender rising to replace it yet. Anyone more in touch with interior design have any suggestions for what the next big trend will be??

OP posts:
Aria999 · 11/01/2022 03:41

I hated the grey on grey look but I am the person who goes into a new house and has it all painted white (but with wooden furniture) so what do I know...

Except DS room which has two walls pale pink, two walls lilac, copper window frames and a very bold rug in approximately those colors. Designed (using that term very loosely) by me in accordance with his specifications. He is 6. Surprisingly it actually looks ok 😂

SeeMyLanyardAndWeepBitch · 11/01/2022 06:06

All look the same to me. Cream/white/magnolia. Landlord colours.

Must be something wrong with your eyesight then. If you are a man I wonder if you are colourblind? It does seem that men in general don't see subtleties in colour variations that women do, and would struggle to idenfity for example whether a green was leaning a touch towards yellow, blue or brown while still being a definite green.

To me this doesn't look anything like most paint manufacturers' whites off whites ranges.

www.crownpaints.co.uk/products/standard-emulsion/matt/magnolia/173

People sneeringly use 'Magnolia' as a catch-all term for any pale, vaguely creamy or beigey neutral that isn't an obvious grey, to describe (as you have done) developer/landlord colours.

In my experience developers and landlords stick with pale and fairly neutral for good reason, but go with whatever is the most popular version of that at the time. It might be a very light grey, or griege for example and I think that Dulux Egyptian linen and colours like it have replaced actual Magnolia as the ubiquitous neutral for quite some time now.

Deeper colours are more expensive to produce, they go in and out of fashion too quickly and are harder to paint over later. And people can be repelled by them as much as they can love them, whereas you may not love a pale neutral but you are unlikely to have a strong visceral reaction against it.

Despite the fact that the pale grey trend is already over, I've seen loads of brand new houses by small developers doing the 'entire house in palest grey' thing recently, because it's light and versatile and it's what they think people still want at the moment. So in that respect pale grey is the new magnolia.

It doesn't mean it is magnolia though, in the same way that any of the Farrow and Ball 'whites' are not magnolia either. Some of them have a very subtle, barely discernable green base, or blue, or grey or pink or yellow but you can't necessarily see what, because the profiles are very, vry complex while looking like some version of a period 'white' or 'cream'. Magnolia has lots of yellow and red in it with a bit of black and you know that straight away from looking at it, in the same way you know from looking at even a very pale grey, that it's still grey and not white.

I think maybe when the post war housing boom started in earnest in the 50s and 60s magnolia was the popular colour of the time, much like the decade of pale grey we've just seen, so that's what builders chose.

Even though the various incarnations of 'magnolia' have changed since then depending on interior fashions at the time, people still seem to think that magnolia is a not a shade in its own right, but a term that covers an entire genre of paints - ie light neutrals that aren't obviously grey!

Someone upthread said the Nan described Dulux Egyptian cotton as 'posh magnolia.' If you put the two side by side you'd see they are very different indeed. There is no noticable pink/peach in Egyptian cotton.

SeeMyLanyardAndWeepBitch · 11/01/2022 06:13

I used to love Dulux Timeless! Are we saying that would be acceptable again? I think I've still got a pot somewhere!

Timeless is another example of a hugely popular, versatile and ubiquitous colour that would come under the 'call it what you want, it's just magnolia' umbrella.

Go and find some paint sample chips (not on the internet, they are wildly inaccurate) and put Timeless against Magnolia. They are totally, totally different colours.

Lampzade · 11/01/2022 06:22

@Sonex

I couldn't give a crap what's in in terms of walls, I paint everything in white. Always have, always will. Then you can just change the stuff in the house for a new look.
Absolutely Every room in my house is painted white. I add colour with soft furnishings and art work
SeeMyLanyardAndWeepBitch · 11/01/2022 06:32

Other colour crazes come and go but white is the ultimate classic, timeless, perfect colour that works in every style of house, every aspect of light, and goes with every other colour of furnishings and accessories.

Not necessarily 'Brilliant White' but a version of practically white. (which magnolia isn't.) You can't beat it.

TwittleBee · 11/01/2022 06:59

We keep changing our minds about our living room as we just have no idea what to do. It's 60s house so we were tempted to go with a 60s/70s inspired scheme (subtly) using oranges. But I'm so undecided what to actually put on the walls. I keep seeing the neutrals and earthy colours and love them but DH isn't too keen and wants to go bold with a deep blue or green

DappledThings · 11/01/2022 07:03

SeeMyLanyardAndWeepBitch No I'm not a man. I do have disagreements with DH about whether an item of clothing is blue or green or grey. We definitely see things a bit differently. But I digress.

It's not that I see literally no.difference between Magnolia, or Timeless or brilliant white, I just see no useful difference. They are all just a bit white, a bit cream, a bit grey, a lot nothing and a lot landlord.

The only bit of my house that is a colour like that is the hall/stairs/landing and I hate it. It's so boring but it's hard to be bold in an area like that. I see the point of neutral and I can see why some like it but one day I will de-neutralise the hall and painting it Magnolia or Egyptian Cotton would not achieve that!

I was rudely awakened by my 4 year old shouting this morning from a bad dream in which I had painted over the bright yellow in my kitchen with Magnolia and was regretting it.

user1471542288 · 11/01/2022 08:29

I love my Karndean herringbone flooring!

AngelsWithSilverWings · 11/01/2022 09:20

I've been through so many different recursing trends over the years.

I got my first house in the chuck out your chintz era and due to lack of funds just painted over all of the flowery wall paper on the house.

Next came the trend very bold colours everywhere - lots of terracotta , royal blue and a colour called tropical spice that lasted one weekend before we realised our dreadful mistake.

Our next house move meant painting everything in dulux white with a hint of something - we had apricot white and apple white.

Our current house has taken us 14 years to gradually refurbish so is a mish mash of whatever style was in fashion when we had the money to do the work.

Our most recent room ( dining room/sitting room) is in the ubiquitous grey but with walnut furniture to warm it up a bit. It used to be dark purple and before that was bright red ( which is why we painted it in purple as it was the only colour that hid the red!) I love how calm and relaxing it is now.

Our main living room is beige and yellow with a Laura Ashley wallpapered feature wall - that's next on the list to be done again - not because I don't like it but because it's been 7 years and is looking shabby). No idea what we will do with it yet but I've just discovered Shirley and Martin Kemp's insta page for their Victorian house renovation and I'm liking her colour choices so am watching with interest.

I

JustJam4Tea · 11/01/2022 09:26

I've never liked all grey because I found it cold.

I remember my mum painting the skirting boards and doors orange at some point in the 80s which was incredibly on trend - and having a blue kitchen...

I'm drawn to a flamboyant wall paper...and will probably go for whole room rather than just a feature wall in the dining room.

We've got a whole house to decorate after building work - so inevitably some of it will end up as some kind of 'magnolia' blank canvas. Not magnolia but a warmish cream. And we'll do something more fancy when we've topped up our energy levels and bank balance.

To answer the question, I think chintz is next up...

Shmithecat2 · 11/01/2022 09:31

@Bluntness100

That’s what I’ve had for a couple years, animal/bird wallpapers with gold /bronze etc and a lot of green, if it comes into fashion I will need to change..
Yeah, it's already been in fashion I'm afraid. A friend of mine is a painter and decorator and has been putting that kind of stuff up for quite a few years now.
drinkingwineoutofamug · 11/01/2022 10:22

@fillingbilling

Mrs Hinch said her new house theme is 'mushroom' colours. So of course, so will everyone else's house Grin
Just painted over mushroom walls at my daughters flat. She will be gutted it now all an off white colour (rented) but the bathroom is baby pink and an off white grey. Looks nice actually.
Subulter · 11/01/2022 10:26

@ClaudineClare

The "rich brown" photo looks like the end result of a prolonged dirty protest!
It does a bit, but a rather chic one. Grin
drinkingwineoutofamug · 11/01/2022 10:29

@Arren12

I really hope people grab onto the antique shop mismatched trend so we can start to reuse instead of buying mass produced tat.
Already on it! I live in a 1940's house . Hate modern furniture. I get my furniture ( except sofa) from charity shops and antique shops. But why do people ruin it by a) chalk paint b) refurbishment. I have a 1930's writing bureau that has chips and scratches , but that's part of its history. I don't want perfect.
ChiefInspectorParker · 11/01/2022 10:58

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

Crowdfundingforcake · 11/01/2022 11:35

I' m currently on the hunt for a large dresser - facebook marketplace is full of beautiful dressers which have been very badly shabby chic'ed.

anungratefulwretch · 11/01/2022 13:56

Chalk paint is a menace Grin

Having said that I did 'Annie Sloan' our ancient orange pine kitchen table and chairs, and it looks pretty good. I feel a bit sad when I see half-decent brown furniture painted over in neon pink though.

justasking111 · 11/01/2022 13:59

@Crowdfundingforcake

I' m currently on the hunt for a large dresser - facebook marketplace is full of beautiful dressers which have been very badly shabby chic'ed.
Just sand them back and restore, wood is very forgiving
FlySwatter · 11/01/2022 14:08

I love being unfashionable and just going for things I like. Makes me smile coming home. I care not a jot what anybody else might think Smile

setthecontrols · 11/01/2022 14:16

Watch any property programme and house hunters often comment on how 'light and airy' a room is.
I can't ever recall 'ooh lovely and dark in here' ...

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 11/01/2022 14:16

@Crowdfundingforcake

I' m currently on the hunt for a large dresser - facebook marketplace is full of beautiful dressers which have been very badly shabby chic'ed.
Sanding a piece of furniture back to its former glory can be very enjoyable. If you have the time, space and inclination!
Cattenberg · 11/01/2022 14:27

@setthecontrols

Watch any property programme and house hunters often comment on how 'light and airy' a room is. I can't ever recall 'ooh lovely and dark in here' ...
True, that. Interiors magazines keep claiming that a dark colour on the walls and ceilings can give a cosy, cocooning effect and often doesn’t make the room look smaller.

But the room will be darker.

SollaSollew · 11/01/2022 19:57

If we’re taking the next everywhere in your whole house trend/colours that will become ubiquitous I think it’s warm greige/beige. I don’t describe it will but if you’re interested search up #japandi on Instagram it’s those colours.

mjf981 · 11/01/2022 23:47

Magnolia will be back. I give it 10 years. Mark my words Grin

RustyBear · 12/01/2022 00:03

People with black/navy bathrooms & kitchens are really going to regret it if they live in a hard water area!