Choosing Farrow and Ball paint colors

10 years ago

Building a house. I have been thinking about paint colors and now they need my choices and I am stillstumped!
I know I will use Farrow and ball on the walls. ( I think I will get a cheaper brand for the white trim inside because there is a lot of trim)

I used farrow and ball in my previous house. I ended up using ringwold ground. I mostly liked it. In some lights it was great, but sometimes it looked too brown like the color of a bandaid.
when I sold the house I repainted the kitchen in dimity and liked that.
I am thinking I will choose dimity for my new kitchen. My husband finds it rather too pink but doesn't mind if I like it.
I would consider dimity for the bedroom walls.
other than that, I want something nice and neutral a sort of off white but not too yellow for the other rooms.
I guessI want mostly the same colors, not sure. I got sample pots and painted poster boards but am still not sure. NEw white was ok but maybe too yellow.
white tie was ok but maybe too white.
I also sort oflike a light gray like blackened but not in the main rooms- maybe in a bathroom.
Anyway I am overwhelmed. I guess I may need to order more samplepots and paint them directly on the walls, but I have gotten myself into a time bind!
what do you think are some nice relaxing neutral mellow farrow and ball colors for my beautiful new house?

Also- ANY pictures of cream/offwhite/ (not really yellow cream) farrow and ball paints would be great!

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Comments (4)

KateB22
Original Author
10 years ago
I just painted out some more Farrow and ball sample pots onto posterboard. I added to what I had done already:
strong white
slipper satin and
blackened.
I love all of those too- they are still drying as I type.
I used blackened once in the past too.

so my current colors I might like are:
dimity
ringwold ground
slipper satin
strong white
white tie
blackened
and one more I like (which I strangely didn't label nor can I find the sample pot or recall what I ordered but) I think it is new white

Does anyone have photos of any of these colors on a wall that they could post?

Also, for an elegant house, how does it look to have different shades (all mellow light neutrals) in different rooms?

Also, if I use the blackened- it is a light gray- what would be some good rooms to use it. I want to add some gray in some places but not too overwhelming.
I ted to like a modest not overt look with paints. Nice and subtle and calm. I need it to look calm!
thanks
kitchendetective
10 years ago
A recommendation about those sample boards: Try using some drywall, preferably with some of the texture on it that matches your walls, instead of poster board. F&B looks different on drywall than it looks on poster board. Try not to use your actual walls because once you do paint, it may be difficult to hide where the sample attempts were.
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Hi. Thank you so much for your pictures - they have actually been very helpful to me. I intend to post some soon, as well, but meanwhile, I want to share some feedback about a few Farrow & Ball colors that I recently tried: Picture Gallery Red - love, love, love this red! I have it on a small accent wall in a room with mostly cream, blue, and bronze/gold/tan colors. I never thought I'd have a red wall in my house but this is a very easy red to look at - somewhat earthy, seems to have brown undertones. I think it would play nicely with a lot of other colors. I would like to find more walls to paint this color. Farrow's Cream - I like the pictures I've seen of it, and I think it is a nice creamy, yellowy neutral. However, there is a slight olive/green cast to it and this didn't work well in my house. Also, I find that it changes considerably in the light, looking like a pastel yellow (not what I had in mind for my living room) at some points during the day and more of a creamy white at other times. I think this one would work well in a room that has greens and browns. Light Blue - this is a very complex, somewhat muddy color. Next to true blue, it looks green. I was going to use it on my walls but it just didn't work - I can't explain why. So, I used it for my fireplace mantel. Not bad at all! Then I got creative and painted an old piece of unfinished pine furniture after first covering the piece with latex primer in white. Absolutely horrible! It was an aqua, robin's egg blue, kind of sugary sweet, like something for a baby's nursery or cake icing. Not quite the look I was going for in my living room. The rest, I'm going to put in my garage, where the test sample on the wall there appeared more true to the color card. Yep, $100 paint for my garage walls. Skylight - This is the most disappointing because I thought I had found the perfect grey-blue. I used it in my staircase, hallway, and I intended to paint the back of my front door (what you see in the foyer) this color, as well. Yuck! It is a robin's egg, aqua blue, more green than grey and more 'spa' like than the more neutral, natural color I had expected. It actually looks different from the color card. And I'm thinking this is a very expensive mistake, even though I had tried a sample can. During the day, the color is much softer, but at night (under full spectrum light bulbs), it is such as bright green aqua I can't stand it! All of the above were Estate Emulsion. I have to say, BM Aura paint goes on much more easily and with less coats. I find that the FB doesn't work well with a brush to do the cutting in at ceiling and corners - you need a small roller. Also, coverage takes 3 coats and there is still a lot of touch ups. I am wondering if the mistakes I made with the Skylight and Light Blue were painting over Benjamin Moore latex primer in white. I didn't use the FB primer, though I know the recommended primer is white. Any ideas??...
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KateB22
Original Author
10 years ago
interesting. Farrow and ball is so beautiful and the colors really do change depending on light and texture and so forth.
trinkette1
10 years ago
Sorry, KateB22, I did not see this earlier (ACK! weeks ago). If you are still deciding, it might help to think about the colors as they relate to their respective color "families." Here are some thoughts:

- Dimity is a warmer, more red-based color and is generally very flattering to skin tones which makes it a great choice for bath and bedrooms. It would be gorgeous in a dining room or living room as well - in a West-facing room, I can see it glowing pink in the evening. It works well with brown- and red-based colors; red-based Pointing would work beautifully with this one. An interesting choice for ceilings.

- Slipper Satin is neutral, versatile and being more grey, it works works especially well with grey-, blue- and green-based colors, like Lime White and Old White. Neutral Clunch is a great choice to go with this beautiful color, although, Pointing for accents or trim work would be a lovely compliment as well as Dimity. Slipper Satin works in just about any style home, modern and traditional. Great choice for contemporary colors/furnishings/accessories. It'd be a gobsmacker in your kitchen - cabinets, walls, trim - take your pick!

- New White and White Tie are both yellow-based and look marvelous in traditional and cottage settings. They work extremely well together. Again, Pointing works with both. Each color looks great with stained wood and traditional furnishings and antiques.

- Blackened is cooler and great for peaceful, Swedish style and modern-style spaces. I could see this with Dimity and Slipper Satin, however, I don't know if it would work seamlessly with the yellow-based colors. It's sublime with painted furniture; but I'd be careful using it in a room with more orangy looking wood, like pine and maple for example. This color has potential to make the wood appear MORE orangy (same with the purplish colors like Elephant's Breath).

Ringwold Ground - You probably know much more about this warm off-white color than I do! Another one that could be paired with Pointing. Also, this would look lovely with yellow-based White Tie. Good with Cooking Apple Green and Green Ground.

Strong White - I don't know this one as well as the others, however, it's supposed to be an excellent, bright, clean neutral white. Used with other colors it may appear extremely cool. It does appear greenish-bluish to me and quite cold; however, I've never seen it on a wall.

Based on your list and stated preferences, other colors that you might want to consider include: Clunch, Skimming Stone, Cornforth White, Joa's White and Pointing. Also, the classic, neutral, more green-based Off White, Lime White (just a tad greener than Clunch) and Old White with beautiful French Gray would work well together throughout your home, especially if you have traditional furnishings.

Good luck, and let us know what colors you choose!

Choosing Farrow and Ball paint colors

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KateB22
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kitchendetective

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trinkette1

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Choosing Farrow and Ball paint colors

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KateB22Original Author

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trinkette1

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KateB22
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