And so it begins ...
Sun, 5 Jun 2011 31 Comments A couple of weeks ago I was in Sydney (thanks Electrolux) and while I was there I made a mad dash to Murobond paints to choose paint colours. Amazing showroom. Amazing staff. Rowena walked me through their range and Geoff helped ease my technical concerns. Those of you who have been reading this page know I have had damp problems. The house is built into a hill, ill conceived renovations in the past have created water traps and the heaviest rainfall in many, many, many years provided a major surprise when we ripped off the wallpaper. Geoff and I have come up with a solution and part of it involves Murobond's breathable Murowash. The other part is dark colours. I will most likely never eliminate the risk of water seeping into my brick house completely and I'm loathe to see discoloured stains spreading along my paint work. I'm hoping that it will be less noticeable with darker colours on the wall. I'm also drawn to darker colours because although I love white to death and it will make an appearance in my office/studio, I have been dreaming of dark, cocooning dens, cave-like cosiness and just something a little different from what I have had before.
After scooping up close to twenty colour chips I placed an order online for 7 sample pots and a couple of brush outs. (No paint allowed on the plane for my trip back.) I chose 3 browns, 3 dark blues and a bright green for a contrast idea I have.
Society Inc. Dark and stormy Mr Jason Grant's Faraway Society Inc Indigo
Murobond brown Block brown Dark chocolate
The box arrived a few days after I ordered and so the fun began. The colours in real life of course looked nothing like the colours on the monitor when I ordered so I'm glad I had the paint chips from my visit to the showroom. And the colours in my pictures here are not quite right either but you get the idea.
The block brown has an almost olive green undertone, the dark chocolate has some burgundy. The indigo is gorgeous but almost black, the picture here doesn't do the dark and stormy justice and faraway is actually a lot darker than I thought. Here's what they look like in the room.
Now you see my problem. I have orangey terracotta tiles throughout my living and dining rooms. I do not have the money to take them up for now so large area rugs will be my solution. I have several kilims that will work well with whatever scheme I go for. The colours are in the same order as above. Trims will be in exactly the same colour as the walls. There are cedar doors and some architraves that have survived 150 years without painting so they will stay as is. This is in the dining room which is small and very dark to begin with. At this stage I am still deciding if the ceilings will be white, a richer off white or the same colour as the walls. I need to see the room being painted to make the final decision. Initially I thought dark brown for this room and the blue for the living room but now I think blue for this room and brown for the living room. I have fallen in love with Ilse Crawford's children's den as seen in the New York Times.
My dining room will have a mix of vintage and tribal, mismatched woods, a glass table, chrome and kilims. Eventually I'd love a Taraxacum light by Achille Castiglioni but that too will have to wait for now.
That's what I'm up to so far. I need to move my swatches around the rooms and consider the light at various times of the day. I'm thinking that the chocolate is a little too purple and the block brown a little too green. The murobond brown may be the way to go. I love the indigo but I think it will read as black most of the time and I can't make up my mind yet between faraway and dark and stormy. Trouble is the pictures you see here are not true to the colours (the sample pots come closest ... but not quite) so perhaps you can all come round to my house, file by the swatches and tell me which one you like. I'll do the coffee and the cake. Deal?
Almost forgot to show you this display piece in the dining room. It's a Red Cross cupboard from WWII and will house my glass collection. I was thinking of washing the inside a colour that would make the glass stand out a little more. I ordered a pot of Ripple, a citrony green but I think I could also go a cinnabar red colour. Just a wash on the wood inside and keep the lovely old wood patina outside. (See my really upmarket paper shade?! LOL.) What a long post! I think I have done enough for today.
Reader Comments (31)
The more I look at the swatches the more I think you are right Patrycja.
PP now you are making me feel guilty, depriving you of sleep to hunt down the elusive ghost book paper :P
Et voila Madame!
It is made by Young and Battaglia in the UK. Their website doesn't appear to work, but here's a picture anyway: http://www.bouf.com/buy/product/38540/white-bookshelf-wallpaper.
PP
PP that wallpaper is INCREDIBLE!! Jo - you gotta get some!!!!!!
Well SOMEONE has to get some!
Tough choice. How smart of you to do such big sample panels! Murobond Brown amd Faraway.... hands down winner's IMHO.
With your verbal description of the colors along with the open paint pots and panels, the colors on my monitor appear to be true.
The 2 other blues appear too dark - they become non-colors
The Desire to Inspire blog is always an inspiration,and this renovation is an amazing journey. Thank you for letting us travel your path vicariously and Good Luck!!!
Hello!
I am using Murobond acrylic gloss on my newly installed 10-light doors. It is beautiful paint! It goes on like a dream, no smell! At all! So it's great for me, and for the pets in the house. I love it. My local Bristol stocks it and suggested it to me. I've always used Bristol paints - they are lovely, great colours and nice to paint with. But the Murobond is something else.
Glad to come back and read this post again. WOuld love to see the Sydney store!
Look forward to seeing what colours you end up using.