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DIY decorating with farrow and ball

Painting & Prepping for the New Kitchen

August 17, 2017 - No Comments - 4 min read
Walls plastered, floors tiled, electrics complete, new gas line in place – more than 12 months from the start of our kitchen renovation and we’re finally at the painting stage, so close to a finished kitchen!! Getting to the painting stage is always the most exciting part of a renovation, you can almost see the end – and the way paint can literally transform a room is amazeballs!

So I never usually pick paint colours until we’re at the actual painting stage – but I do generally have a rough idea for the kind of colour I’m looking for. I knew I wanted to use a F&B colour called ‘Downpipe’ in the dining room – a kind of deep grey, which I’d already purchased and used behind the log burner (you can see here) and intended on doing a whole feature wall in that colour. Since our kitchen and dining room are very much open plan, I wanted to pick something that complimented the colour Downpipe – but much lighter and brighter to keep the space feeling bright and clean.

Galley Kitchen Renovations
I love Farrow and Ball paint – it’s water based, a bit more breathable on old lime plastered walls than modern paints. The quality of the paint is also so very different to plastic kind of paints, but it is however a very expensive paint, so a decision you really was to only make once and get right the first time. I’d picked out three testers (at £5 each, these were a blooming expense on their own!) but they were all a bit too similar to the tones of the floor. So after another three samples (yep, that’s £30 worth of sample paint *GRITTED TEETH*) I picked out the colour Strong White, a beautiful off-white with a hint of grey. You can see the samples in the picture below – from left to right: Slipper Satin, Shadow White, Dimity (I think?!), Strong White & Wimborne White, which you can barely see at the end there.

farrow and ball tester colours

For me, it was an obvious choice – the others were a little too green-toned or beige-toned for my liking. So with Strong White picked, I first had to mist-coast the fresh plaster. I use a 50/50% mix of plain white trade emulsion and water, and went on with two coats before finishing with a higher 80/20 mix of paint to water. This is how it looked after white paint – very clinical, but so much brighter and a huge difference!

White Walls with Limestone Floor
Choosing a Farrow and Ball Paint
Kitchen Renovating
Once the white mist-coat I was dry I could then go on with ‘Strong White’ by Farrow and Ball. It’s a gorgeous off-white with a hint of grey – but you only really notice the grey when it’s paired against a bright white. If you were to sample it alone, it would just look white. We have a white ceiling and white woodwork, so I knew this was the perfect colour! And oh-boy did I make the right pick. I think I may actually even prefer this to Cornforth White which we used in the smallest bedroom. It’s just a gorgeous gorgeous chic colour and is exactly what I wanted!
Farrow and Ball Strong White in the Kitchen
Farrow and Ball Strong White Paint
F&B Strong White
Farrow and Ball Strong White Against Bright White
Kitchen Walls in F&B Strong White
Kitchen Renovation: Painting!
I love it so much, I already wish I could re-paint the bathroom in it. I think it really makes beautiful limestone floor stand out on its own and I don’t think there could have been a more perfect colour for this room. You’ll n notice I haven’t bothered to paint where the kitchen cabinets will be – this is purely because this paint is so expensive, the more I can save the better! We’re also using this colour in the dining room, which I think will bring the two rooms together perfectly – but you’ll see more on that soon.

So finally, with the painting done, we could finally add our new feature lights, which you saw a hint of in this post.

hanging edison bulbs in kitchen
These were from eBay (found with this seller here), but they actually came with glass shades which I’m yet to decided whether or not I want to use. I’ve paired them with 3 different types of Edison bulbs, which I think makes them a little more interesting. I was worried 6 feature lights would be a bit OTT, but now that it’s painted – the whole room has really come together and I’m loving it! (Spy new appliances in the next pic!)
Kitchen renovations after paint
DIY Kitchen Renovation
Victorian House Renovation Progress
So there we have it – our long ass journey is coming to an end and the next post will feature our lovely new kitchen. We made it! I mean the journey of course – not the actual kitchen. We didn’t make that 😉 Coming soooooon!

Costs

(rounded to the nearest pound)

New Tools Purchased:
Roller £3

Materials Used:
White Trade Paint £10
F&B ‘Strong White’ Paint £74

Total: £87

Kezzabeth

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Hi - I'm Kezzabeth! Self-taught DIYer, Renovator and Blogger on a mission to turn our house into a home. Seven years ago I was clueless and skill-less, but since then I've learnt how to build, tile, plumb and more. This is my little place on the web where I share everything I've learnt so you can learn too. Read More

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Disclaimer

DIY Content: We’re not builders or experts in the trade industry, so please take any information on this blog as a rough guide and just our own experiences. This blog relates to our home only and you should always consult a professional in you’re in any doubt of work. Please also be aware Building Regulations change often, so always do your own research as well.
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