Farrow & Ball paint colour - that divine greenish-grey...

[MrsSeanBean]

What is the shade typically used on exterior woodwork on older houses which works so well?

Is it vert de terre? Pigeon? Ball Green? Or even Stone White?

Maybe any are acceptable. But IME they vary greatly once actually applied.

Does anyone know?

Oooooh, I am very about you having an orangery! What is it like?

Ball Green for red brick houses
Castle Gray for yellow stone houses
Elephant's Breath or Bone for grey stone houses
Chappell Green or Berrington Blue for red brick houses in East Anglia

Aha, I wondered when Swedes would show up.

Orangery? Get you.

MidnightExpress - When I go on Mastermind, my specialist subject is going to be Farrow & Ball colour (excluding Hound Lemon ).

I have to confess that my orangery was a hideous dark orangey mahogany when I bought my house - enhanced by acres of exposed red interior brickwork (with contrasting pale cream mortar) with large open serving hatches through from the dining room and kitchen. We also had a built in pull out mirrored bar in the sitting room.

I thought our glass thing was a conservatory but I've been told by the makers that it is an orangery - I can type orangery but I couldn't bring myself to say it. I would feel like a wanker. In fact thinking about it, I'm not sure I can say conservatory either.

I have a fab pic from the holidays of DD2 walking past a Cotswold cottage with exactly that colour - I am hoping that people will think the cottage is mine ! Have just put it on my profile...

It's a lean-to, isn't it?

I think you should definitely have kept the mirrored bar though. It would have been perfect for serving the egg-nog.

Oh, and I can be your assistant on Mastermind if you like - I'll cough in the audience when you get the wrong answer.

PMSL @ lean to

You see that green looks too blue, to me, on your pic bramshott

Amdega do the best exterior paints IMO.

Obviously their conservatories are the db's and come with ahefty price tag.

I've never really rated F&B

Amdega sell their paints too (if you ask)

I hunted everywhere for that elusive green and finally phoned them to ask what it was to be told they could supply it.

Looks a treat with my local creamy stone.

LOL at lean-to.

I also think the linked cottage paintwork looks marginally too blue (more like F&B Green Blue?) but gorgeous children.

Hmm yes, I take your point, although it looks greener on the printed out version. Although 'tis no matter, as I think my mum would baulk at going back there and marching up to the door with "you don't know me but my grandchildren were running around in your drive the other day. Would you mind telling me what colour your windows are painted?"

Thanks for your nice comments re the DDs!

I guess swedes point about different colours for different houses is the main thing so even if someone guessed the right colour on here MrsSean still needs to go and ask the person local to her for the right colour to go with cotswold stone.

Oooh look what I found. It's American unforunately, but perhaps we could do our own in an idle moment. Once MrsSB has completed her survey, of course.

MrsSeanBean - Is your house made of Cotswold stone?

Hi everyone. No Swedes, alas not. But your ready-reckoner of colours to building materials is most useful.

Alas I will not be able to door knock today as a friend called round earlier and has only just left. DS is now having his nap and it is getting gloomy. I don't feel it is right to go knocking on doors and enquire about paint in the dark. It would imply too much premeditation on my part and may scare the owner. If it's mid morning or something, I could have just been passing by and stopped on impulse.

I promise I will ask asap though, hopefully tomorrow. The house in question is a few miles drive so not a case of just nipping down the road.

Sorry to keep everyone waiting.

BTW Bramshott - yes, your pic shows the elusive colour.

Bronze - Cotswold stone is yellow

it is def Castle Gray

But if ds wakes up before it gets completely dark I will go today as I am depsperate to find out now!

Mrs SB - it's not the same house is it?!

No Bramshott

I found string and bone worked well - depended on which room and how light it was really as to how the colour looked but both greenish/grey.

If you're veering towards the grey then my mum is a big fan of old white and that looks pretty good and has a grey-ish (and maybe a touch green-ish?) hue when you see it painted en masse.

Sorry Im sure I read your house was cotswold stone but I am even more losw than normal today

I had a lightbulb moment. One of the properties I had in mind for my survey has a business attached to it.

I googled, got a phone number and managed to speak to the property owner, a most charming and accommodating man. He informed me that the woodwork was painted in F&B French Gray. He also opined that this was the best match for Cotswold stone. I will, when I am out and about, ask about the other property too as it will be interesting to see if they used the same.

And as I said before take and post photos as soon as I am able.