A lifelong love of paint and colour.
I’m a colour fanatic. It started when I was very young and I would tell people that when I grew up, I’d like to name paint colours for a living (I’d still love that job). It developed when I bought my first flat, affectionately nicknamed ‘the colouring book’, this flat was decorated and re-decorated so regularly that I’m confident the local DIY shop thought I was renovating a mansion and not a teeny town centre flat. Although I’ve moved on from the clashing colours and bold choices of that flat (I feel only slightly ashamed to admit that I did once paint the bathroom ceiling a VERY bright pink) there is still a huge part of me that lives for decorating with colour.
The go-to favourites
If in doubt, it’ll look good in Down Pipe. This is true in all houses, in all lights and all spaces. Even the most decrepit piece of furniture is pepped up with a couple of coats of this gold dust. It’s been used frequently in every house we’ve lived and I’ve loved it every time. In fact, only this morning I was unable to find the pot of Manor House Grey that I’d intended using for the kitchen window boards and instead I stumbled upon some left over Down Pipe, they look the business.
Charleston Grey. We’ve used this colour in our current bedroom, our previous dining room, and the hallway before that. It’s calm, tranquil but with just enough sass that it gets top marks for the current darks trend. Paired with woodwork in Skimming Stone or Strong White and wowee, it’s a winner.
Hague Blue. Another of our go-to colours, this gem looks wonderful with all metallics and in our current home it’s paired with Slipper Satin skirtings and crisp Wimborne White walls. It looks especially luxurious with white marble, which is so of the moment. In 2016, we selected Hague Blue for the demonstration kitchen unit at last year’s Stock Gaylard Oak Fair, we had many compliments on the choice.
The new love
Yellow Cake. Oh boy is this bright and I love it. If the choice were entirely mine I would have painted the large wall which leads up the stairs this shade, sadly I have to run the final choices past Nick and with this in mind I opted for Yellow Cake as the splash back colour in our kitchen (with the cabinets in Railings). It’s just the kick we needed, a touch of almost neon in our classic country kitchen. Full blog post to follow for the kitchen.
The one that got away
There is one colour that I have loved for a long time but have never quite found just the right spot for it. It’s bright, fresh, brave and lovely. It’s Arsenic. The disappointment of not having currently used this colour is slightly offset because I do have a plan to use it. I have a little side project in the form of an old horse trailer. My one-woman mission to renovate the trailer and turn it into a portable gin bar is a slow burner but it’s happening. Colour wise? The outside will be glossy and chic in Pitch Black, the inside bright and beautiful in Arsenic – perfection.
So my love of colour continues, our business gives me the wonderful task of seeing many lovely homes and spending my working day discussing colour choices with customers. For now I’m living a colour obsessives dream, maybe one day I’ll get to be a professional namer of paint colours after all.
A Carpenter’s Wife Blog
Nick and I share a passion for creativity and design. We have renovated several houses together and as I was regularly drafted in to help with his carpentry work. It was a natural step to go into business together. For many years this was an informal arrangement with me learning on my feet, including CAD, web design, tax and admin. I was itching to get involved practically so it wasn’t long before I joined Nick on-site.
We’re very lucky to enjoy our time working together. My blog is a reflection on what we are doing, what we have learnt and where we are going. It’s nice to keep a written record of our journey together and life in Dorset with three young children.
