Colour advice for hallway with oak

3 years ago

Hi, can anyone offer advice on a colour to go with our oak staircase & doors please? It’s currently painted in F & B strong white but it needs repainting. I’d like a slightly stronger neutral to add some warmth but I’m worried that any extra colour will clash with the oak. Obviously some artwork / mirrors would help to give it some life but I haven’t found anything suitable in the 4/5 years since the hall was done which is why the walls are blank! Flooring needs to stay the same. Thanks!

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Comments (11)

Marylee H
3 years ago
Marylee H
3 years ago
Hi.

It’s actually possible to measure paint colours to discover helpful details about them.

We can then use these objectively measured colour details to compare & contrast colours.

Every paint colour available belongs to one of the 10 Hue Families on this wheel.

(even black/white/greys etc)

Only as you mentioned Farrow & Ball, there are a couple more suggestions below.

Family = to which Hue Family it belongs

Hue = where in that Hue Family it sits.

Value = how light or dark it appears.

Chroma = How near to neutral or colourful it is.

LRV = how much light it reflects.

So if you are looking for a stronger neutral, you might mean you are looking for one with more strength of colour ( = more Chroma) to it. Possibly even darker than what you already have? (= lower value).

Pointing is lighter in Value but has almost twice the Chroma of Strong White. It is a more colourful colour. It may feel as if it has more ‘body’. If you find Strong White sometimes shifts a little blue-ish in your space, then Pointing may do the same, although the extra Chroma might possibly help here. (Low chroma colours from this neighbourhood can sometimes shift a little blueish in imbalanced light.)

If you think you are after something darker than Strong White then you need a colour with a lower Value.
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Thanks for both your comments. Those ideas are really nice Rachel. We have original parquet flooring in the hallway, so we will be keeping that and getting it sanded (which should make it lighter once the dark varnish is removed). The carpet will be going (I’m sure it was nice in its day!). We were originally planning on stripping back the stairs to have the wooden steps and a neutral/light carpet runner. However, there are so many layers of paint on the steps (some of which we believe is lead) so we won’t be able to strip back to the wood and are just going to repaint the stairs white and have the carpet runner like you mention. I have attached some more pictures of the hallway. The main dilemma, as you say @colourhappy, is choosing a combination of colours which feels welcoming – not too dark and not brilliant white! The areas we will need paint for are: Lower hallway panelling Walls above panelling in lower hallway Stairs and upper hallway wall Picture rail in upper hall Wall above picture rail in upper hall Woodwork (doors etc) There are lots of different areas so struggling to find the right combination!
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Marylee H
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago

Lower in Value = darker than Strong White. Also has an increase in Chroma (colourfulness)
Marylee H
3 years ago

A little darker than Strong White but more than twice the Chroma. Pairs beautifully with Oak.
tamp75
Original Author
3 years ago
Hi Marylee, thank you for your detailed responses. I did t realise it was so scientific but what you’ve said makes sense. I actually have a sample pot of Pointing from another room so I will look into that but I’ve a feeling it may be too cream coloured (I don’t really like cream & grey together.) I’ve never used BM paints but Winds Breath does look like a lovely neutral. Thank you.
Daisy England
3 years ago
Greens and oak go well together. I have a Farrow &Ball look-a-like paint from Johnstones called Mizzle on my Oak stairs. Alternatively Cromarty is another good choice.
Marylee H
3 years ago
Hi again - it doesn’t have to include science.

But it may help to narrow down your selection more efficiently.

The more specific you are about what you like about a colour, (maybe lightness?) or what you don‘t like (too creamy.) the more designers will be able to give suggestions to help you along the way a little.

Happy to discuss.

🌈
Sonia
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Hi tamp, what about Skimming Stone? It is quite taupe but it is warm so maybe worth a look? The first pic is a grey floor and the units are Skimming Stone. The second shows it with wood.
tamp75
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you for further advice! @Daisy England - thank you for the suggestions. I love Mizzle but I think it might be a bit too much green in this space as it’s double height. Matches our weather this morning!
@Sonia - I did think about skimming stone but thought it too strong a colour but it looks lighter on the walls with the wood floor. I’ll look into that, thank you.
This morning I’ve tried Pointing & it’s less creamy than I remembered. Looks like it could possibly work if I’m not brave enough to go any darker?
Juliet Docherty
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I have grey tiles in my hall and lots of oak. I think it is the grey you need to think about, some neutrals will make the grey look quite blue and clash a bit. Slaked Lime from Little Greene is a range of neutrals that is very versatile, I would try the Slaked Lime Mid. Also (as Sonia says) Skimming Stone is worth looking at.
Marylee H
3 years ago

Colour advice for hallway with oak

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Colour advice for hallway with oak

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