Sitting Room Paint

Zelda247

I be spent a fortune on testers. The room is medium sized and North Facing so does not get a lot of light. I have a dark olive leather sitting room suite and the floor is wooden. I quite fancy painting the chimney breast Moda Foxglove other than that I am stuck. The colour can't be too dark or light as there is an open fire. Any thoughts would be great.

Wesser

Edgecomb grey by Benjamin Moore is great. I also find that finding the right paint is very difficult.

Zelda247

Gray would not work, it needs to be a warm colour I think.

Wesser

It's a warm grey.

Zelda247

Wesser wrote: »

It's a warm grey.

Thanks but just don't thin grey and olive green would work

dok_golf

Download one of the paint apps on your phone and try out different colours

NetChat101

Matchstick by Farrow & Ball, warm neutral without being yellow-ish. You can get it mixed in another brand of paint that wouldn't be as pricey as F&B.

Zelda247

Found some nice colours in Dulux Easycare, it's expensive though. Any thoughts on a cheaper brand?

dok_golf

Pay for the quality. And pay for a good painter. The combo of the two will show for itself in the end product

Zelda247

Thanks, will go with Dulux then.

antiskeptic

Zelda247 wrote: »

I be spent a fortune on testers. The room is medium sized and North Facing so does not get a lot of light. I have a dark olive leather sitting room suite and the floor is wooden. I quite fancy painting the chimney breast Moda Foxglove other than that I am stuck. The colour can't be too dark or light as there is an open fire. Any thoughts would be great.

The trouble here is that the feature breast idea requires contrasting walls. Darkish chimney breast means light walls. And light paint doesnt work in north rooms very well - the colour looks cold and washed out.

I do this somewhat professionally and found farrow and balls advice on the matter works. A deeper warm paint has the 'body' to carry poor light in a way that light tone can't. And since 'colour' merely means the wavelength of light being reflected from a surface, the quality of the light cast onto it is vital. If you're relying on a ceiling mounted centre light with and LED bulb in it then you've no chance. Try a number of lamps with incandescent (traditional) bulbs: warm light cast onto warm paint = warmth and vibrant color.

A stock colour I use in living rooms is f&b light grey. Its very warm, green grey which, when paired with off white wood (f&b new white) and wooden floors gives a very flexible baseline for further dressing. Get some red/rust/ orange in there (cusions, curtains, art) and your on a classic basil and tomato theme.

I,ve written elsewhere in this sub forum on f&b paint. Yeah pricey, yeah 'a trendy name'. But per sq m covered it cost a fraction of flooring and furniture so cutting cost a false economy. And no, the cheaper f&b copies arent the same.

Consider going darker and warmer, forgetting the feature wall idea in any case.

Given its a living room and likely to be used most in evening time, prioritising for artificial light is the way to go. And living with leaving a few lamps on in daytime if its used then - theres nothing to be done when the natural light is bad and you want some life in the place.

Zelda247

I've decided to go with Moda Almendra on walls and Foxglove on chimney breast.