Need Your Help with Farrow and Ball Paint Color Sequence

11 years ago

Hi Everyone (and especially you Farrow and Ball experts!),

I don't even know if I've titled that question appropriately, but here's what I need your help on:

Context: I'm using Farrow and Ball to paint 2 of the 3 parlors of my turn-of-century NYC rowhouse. The first parlor has a lot of woodwork detail, including picture mouldings, woodwork trim,and wainscoting that rises about 1/4 of the way up the wall. Then there's the wall, followed by a cove, crown and ceiling. The middle parlor is a much smaller room. More of a passageway really -- with a very large, detailed mantel, higher wainscoting (maybe 1/2 the way up the walls) and again, lots of woodwork detailing and picture moulding. There is a cove but no crown in this room. The height from floor to ceiling in both rooms is 11'.

Plan: The colors I am working with, for sure, are F&B Pointing ; Elephant's Breath and; Mahogany . Pointing will go on the wainscoting, trim and ceiling in both rooms (plus crown in the front parlor); Elephant's Breath on the walls in the main parlor; and Mahogany will be used for the walls in the middle parlor.

Big question: The coves in each room will be the same color but one that is different than the walls in each room. So, which way to go with the cove color? Darker or lighter? Right now, I'm trying to decide between going darker with Charleston Grey or lighter with Skimming Stone .

I'm most concerned about how the cove will look in the front parlor. At this point, I'm leaning towards going darker on the cove in that room. That's because I'm guessing that the darker cove will bring a dramatic accent to an otherwise very neutral (almost boring) color scheme. It will also bring more attention to the crown. However, I also worry that maybe I should paint the cove with Skimming Stone, -- a color in the same family as Elephant's Breath but much lighter. The rationale for this is that it may help to visually open up the room as the sight line rises. OTOH, Skimming Stone in the cove in the middle parlor seems like it may act as a confusing break between Mahagony on the walls and Pointing on the ceiling. In that room, where the main wall color is so intense and dominant, Charleston Grey in the cove feels like a much more harmonious choice.

Confession: The main reason why this is even a problem for me is money! Having already strained my budget on this project, I'm trying to avoid buying yet another gallon of super expensive F&B paint where one gallon of one color is sufficient to paint the coves of both rooms.

Sum-up: The color schemes in the front and middle parlors will be the reverse of each other, with the light wall color dominant in the front parlor and the dark wall color dominant in the middle parlor. So, imagine that, in the front room the cove is either Charleston Grey or Skimming Stone sandwiched between Elephant's Breath and Pointing and in the middle parlor the cove choice is the same sandwiched between Pointing and Mahogany. Have I confused you as much as myself? If not, WWYD and why?

Thanks! (And,does it help to tell you I'm in a hurry?) :-)

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Comments (5)

mtnrdredux_gw
11 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hi!!! Good to "see" you.

My first inclination is to go lighter in the cove, since by its nature a cove will be a little bit darker anyway.

I love love all of your colors. I have a Charleston grey on a chandelier (metal drum shade).

I know ive told this story before, but it bears repeating if cost is an issue. Are you positive that in your setting and on your walls, you will be unhappy with anything other than FnB?

In my old house, I had Ringgold FnB in my MBR. When I was putting it on the market, i decided to continue that color into the adjoining MBR and dressing room. The dressing room had been converted by a PO from a bedroom, and so other than its position in the house, the size of the room and number of windows was identical to the MBR iself. This made it a good test case.

Since it was just for resale, when I took down the wallpaper in the dressing room i did not buy FNB, I just matched the color and used cheaper paint (dont even know what kind the guy used).

Call me savage, unsophisticated, call me daff. I did not really see a big difference between my MBR in true FnB Ringgold and my dressing room in faux FnB Ringgold.

Will you? You have the $7 FnB sample pots already. Have your paint store mix a quart of Charleston Grey from BM. Put them side by side on the wall and you decide if the FnB premium is worth it.

Don't just listen to all the ideas as to why FnB is supposed to be better. See if it really holds true for you.
PS I want pictures!
marthavila
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hey Mtn, so good to see you over here! :-) Well, you are absolutely right on not needing F&B for everything. (To be honest, it's not truly needed for anything and I'm just doing a bit of indulgence here). In fact, I have already decided to get the match for Pointing in BM Aura for use on the ceiling and crown. Problem with the one BM vendor I would go to for a match will only do it by the gallon. So not that much of a cost savings. And, since my order (which includes Skimming Stone) is already in with F&B, and paid for , I was just hoping to see if any of you thought I should make a switch to Charleston Grey before I claim it. :-)
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marthavila
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Ok, you did it Mtn. Thank you! In large part due to your very provocative, positively encouraging post (as well as a phone call I had with Rococogurl a few days ago-- yet another GWer I should also thank), I have come to a decision that I really like: I'll be using both Skimming Stone and Charleston Grey as the cove colors in the two parlors and I will save money in the process!

How did that happen? Well, upon my paint contractor's recommendation, I called a different, very reputable BM vendor and asked for their quote on matching F&B colors. Not only did they tell me they could do both Charleston Grey and Skimming Stone in BM Aura, but they could do it in quarts. I then called F&B, cancelled a gallon of Skimming Stone on my order and adjusted the invoice. This one little change is going to make a huge difference, both aesthetically and financially. I can now paint the front parlor in Pointing, Elephant's Breath, Skimming Stone and Pointing; the middle parlor will be Pointing, Mahogany, Charleston Grey and Pointing. The lighter color in the front parlor cove will open up the room; the darker color in middle parlor cove will be more harmonious with the rest of the scheme. I couldn't be happier with this overall palette and I saved money in the process! In fact, at this point, I've got a sigh of relief that is the size and force of elephant's breath. LOL
francoise47
11 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hi Marthavila,
I look forward to seeing how it all comes together for you.
I love your color choices!
Please post pictures when it is done.

Our new kitchen is Elephant's Breath and Wimborne White.

{{gwi:1631483}}

This summer I plan to paint the dining room walls and plaster crown moldings
(because it has been 10 years and it needs it),
but want to "flow" with the kitchen colors.
Skimming Stone and Pointing are possibilities.
I'll be very interested to see your rooms.

Best wishes!
mtnrdredux_gw
11 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Martha, I am so glad! The rooms sound beautiful.

Need Your Help with Farrow and Ball Paint Color Sequence

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