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5 articles
Painting walls, ceiling, trim and doors in one colour family is the most photographed idea in interiors and one of the hardest to get right in a British house. An honest look at which rooms can take a full drench, which ones it shrinks, and the halfway versions worth trying first.
White walls are supposed to make a small flat feel bigger, but in many British homes they do the opposite: they flatten light, expose every flaw and leave rooms feeling provisional. This is the case for deep colour in compact spaces — chosen by light direction, undertone and sheen, not by mood-board bravado.
That little pot can look completely different once it is on your wall. Here is why British light, flooring and neighbouring colours confuse the issue, and how to test paint properly with boards, primer and a bit of patience.
The ceiling is the surface most of us paint last and think about least, which is a shame in British homes where light is precious and ceiling heights vary so much. Here is how to choose a ceiling colour that lifts a room rather than flattening it.
Hallways are where UK homes go to be beige. We tested sample pots from Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Coat in real Victorian, 1930s and new-build corridors to find the shades that survive our light — and the ones that quietly give up.