Hi both, thank you for replying. Minnie - I love that pale grey, don't suppose you know what it is?? I have some grey undercoat which is dark so I could always try that on a test patch to get an idea although I think paler would work best in this hall. It's south facing so gets sun in the morning but is fairly dark in the avo. Yes I plan on hanging some pictures to balance out the large expanse of wall up the stairs as it looks too bare now. Re the dado - I was only going to run it up the stairs really and not around the rest of the hall, although this might be a no no. It was mainly to break it up and give people something to hold/touch when walking down the stairs

And here is a photo - probably worth mentioning that our front door is a very dark brown colour and the internal doors are currently pine but will probably end up being painted white. The brown on the bannisters is also going to painted white.

Hi woodster1987, Traditional paint brands have paints for walls & ceilings as well as wood & metal. Paints for walls & ceilings are available in matt finish and sheen finish. Matt finish, depending on brand and range, could be non-wipeable, wipeable and washable. Those reflect little light, upto 8%. Sheen finishes (Soft Sheen, Silk, Eggshell) are best for kitchens and bathrooms as well as stairwells and hallways and light reflection upto 30%. Those are durable and washable finishes. Paints for wood & metal are "made for purpose", and come in Satin, Eggshell and Gloss durable finishes with a higher sheen. The least shiny is Satin, the most Gloss and High Gloss. Last decade those were mostly oil based, but today most are water based and low odour. There are some paint brands that provide matt finish for walls and wood, but those shouldn't really be used in kitchens and bathrooms and high traffic areas. Please note, whatever finish you choose, no matter what paint brand you use, the old woodwork must be sanded to add "key" - and undercoated before applying finish coats. Are you London based? If yes you could call PAINTFORME® for free consultation. Hopefully you find this helpfull. Kind Regards, Paintforme

What do you mean by slanted it? My sister in law has an archway from her lounge through to the dining room. She has a dado in her lounge and that’s where it ends. Nothing in the archway and none in the dining room. Hope that helps.