Colour Schemes for London Victorian Terraces: Room-by-Room Colour Principles

THE ENTRANCE HALL IN A LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE SETS THE TONE FOR THE ENTIRE HOUSE. IT IS TYPICALLY NARROW (1.0-1.2M CLEAR WIDTH), HAS HIGH CEILINGS, AND RECEIVES LIMITED NATURAL LIGHT FROM THE FANLIGHT ABOVE THE FRONT DOOR AND ANY BORROWED LIGHT FROM ADJACENT ROOMS.

RECOMMENDED APPROACH — ENTRANCE HALLS: OPTION 1 (LIGHT AND AIRY — PERIOD FEATURES LED): USE FARROW+BALL POINTING (NO. 2003) ON WALLS, STRONG WHITE (NO. 2001) ON CEILING, AND ELEPHANT\'S BREATH (NO. 229) ON WOODWORK (SKIRTING, DADO RAIL, ARCHITRAVE, DOORS). THE ENCAUSTIC OR GEOMETRIC VICTORIAN TILE FLOOR (BERT+MAY GEOMETRIC MONO, ORIGINAL STYLE DOVER, FIRED EARTH) PROVIDES PATTERN AND PERIOD CHARACTER. THE ENCAUSTIC TILE WILL READ AS THE DESIGN STATEMENT — THE WALL COLOUR SHOULD BE NEUTRAL AND SUPPORTING, NOT COMPETING.

OPTION 2 (DRAMATIC HALL — VERY POPULAR IN LONDON 2020-2026): FARROW+BALL RAILINGS (NO. 31 — NEAR-BLACK NAVY CHARCOAL) FROM FLOOR TO CEILING AND ON ALL WOODWORK. THIS APPROACH WORKS PARTICULARLY WELL IN NARROW HALLS WHERE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM SAYS TO USE LIGHT COLOURS (NARROW ROOMS FEEL MORE IMPORTANT AND JEWEL-BOX-LIKE WHEN DARK, NOT LARGER WHEN LIGHT). THE KEY IS A VERY GOOD QUALITY TILE FLOOR AND GOOD LIGHTING.

OPTION 3 (WARM DEEP TONE): LITTLE GREENE OBSIDIAN GREEN (A DEEP OLIVE-GREEN) OR FARROW+BALL HAGUE BLUE (NO. 30 — DEEP PETROL BLUE-GREEN) FOR A STATEMENT HALL THAT FEELS WELCOMING AND COSY. PAIR WITH WARM BRASS HARDWARE AND PENDANT LIGHTING.

DADO RAILS AND PICTURE RAILS: VICTORIAN HALLS TYPICALLY HAD A DADO RAIL AT 900MM HEIGHT (TO PROTECT WALL FROM CHAIR BACKS IN GRANDER HOUSES; IN TERRACES IT WAS ALSO DECORATIVE). WHERE ORIGINAL DADO RAIL SURVIVES OR IS REINSTATED: - THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT (USUALLY DARKER) COLOUR BELOW THE DADO AND THE MAIN COLOUR ABOVE — OR THE SAME COLOUR ACROSS (SIMPLER, MODERN-FEELING). - PAINTING BELOW THE DADO IN FARROW+BALL HARDWICK WHITE (NO. 5 — A VERY SLIGHTLY WARM OFF-WHITE) ABOVE AND ELEPHANT\'S BREATH (NO. 229) BELOW GIVES A CLASSIC, LIGHT FEEL.

THESE ROOMS HAVE THE MOST VARIED LIGHT CONDITIONS IN A LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE — FRONT ROOMS FACE NORTH OR SOUTH DEPENDING ON HOUSE ORIENTATION; REAR ROOMS RECEIVE MORNING OR AFTERNOON LIGHT; KITCHEN-DINING EXTENSIONS (WHERE REAR WALLS ARE PREDOMINANTLY GLASS) RECEIVE ABUNDANT LIGHT.

FRONT RECEPTION ROOM (LIVING ROOM — TYPICALLY NORTH OR WEST-FACING IN A LONDON TERRACE): NORTH-FACING ROOMS APPEAR COOLER — AVOID COOL GREY TONES (THEY WILL LOOK COLD AND DEPRESSING). INSTEAD USE WARMER TONES: - FARROW+BALL SETTING PLASTER (NO. 231): SOFT WARM PINK-CREAM. UNEXPECTEDLY FLATTERING IN NORTH-FACING ROOMS — READS AS ALMOST NEUTRAL IN BRIGHT LIGHT AND WARM AND COSY IN EVENING LIGHT. VERY POPULAR 2021-2026 IN LONDON LIVING ROOMS. - FARROW+BALL PELT (NO. 254): DEEP AUBERGINE-PURPLE. MAKES A NORTH-FACING ROOM FEEL RICHLY JEWEL-BOX RATHER THAN COLD. GOOD FOR A FORMAL SITTING ROOM. - FARROW+BALL DEAD SALMON (NO. 28): THE CLASSIC LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE LIVING ROOM COLOUR. WARM PINKISH TERRACOTTA. READS WELL WITH STRIPPED PINE FLOORS AND ORIGINAL FIREPLACES.

REAR RECEPTION ROOM / THROUGH-ROOM: REAR ROOMS MAY RECEIVE EAST OR WEST LIGHT — GENERALLY MORE FLEXIBLE WITH COLOUR: - FARROW+BALL ELEPHANT\'S BREATH (NO. 229): THE ALL-ROUND FAVOURITE MID-TONE WARM GREY. WORKS IN VIRTUALLY ANY ORIENTATION. THE MOST VERSATILE SINGLE COLOUR FOR A LONDON TERRACE LIVING SPACE. - FARROW+BALL MIZZLE (NO. 266): WARM GREEN-GREY. INCREASINGLY POPULAR AS LONDON HOMEOWNERS MOVE TOWARD SOFTER GREENS (CONTRAST TO THE DARK GREEN TREND). - LITTLE GREENE MORTLAKE YELLOW (MID) OR PALE: WARM OCHRE YELLOW. BRIGHTENS A REAR ROOM EVEN WITH LIMITED NATURAL LIGHT.

KITCHEN-DINING EXTENSION (TYPICALLY SOUTH OR EAST-FACING): ABUNDANT NATURAL LIGHT GIVES MORE FREEDOM: - LITTLE GREENE OBSIDIAN GREEN: THE DEFINING LONDON KITCHEN-DINING COLOUR 2022-2026. A DEEP, WARM OLIVE-GREEN. WORKS BEAUTIFULLY WITH OAK CABINETRY, NATURAL STONE COUNTERTOPS, BRASS HARDWARE. - FARROW+BALL PIGEON (NO. 25): SOFT GREY-GREEN. QUIETER THAN OBSIDIAN GREEN; STILL DISTINCTLY PERIOD-COMPATIBLE. - FARROW+BALL LAMP ROOM GRAY (NO. 88): A TRUSTED WARM GREY-BLUE. PARTICULARLY GOOD AS A BACKGROUND TO SHAKER KITCHENS IN CREAM OR OFF-WHITE.

BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS IN A LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE OFTEN HAVE SMALLER WINDOWS RELATIVE TO THE ROOM THAN GROUND FLOOR RECEPTION ROOMS — LIGHT MANAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT.

MAIN BEDROOM (TYPICALLY FRONT-FACING — NORTH OR SOUTH): - FARROW+BALL MOLE\'S BREATH (NO. 276): THE MOST POPULAR WARM GREY FOR LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE BEDROOMS 2020-2026. DEEP ENOUGH TO FEEL ENVELOPING WITHOUT BEING OVERWHELMING. PAIR WITH WHITE LINEN BEDDING AND NATURAL OAK FURNITURE. - FARROW+BALL PEIGNOIR (NO. 286): SOFT BLUSH-WHITE. BARELY-THERE PINK TONE. CREATES A SOFTLY ROMANTIC FEEL IN A BEDROOM WITHOUT READING AS OVERTLY PINK. - LITTLE GREENE SALIX: A SOFT SAGE-GREEN. CALMING; WORKS WELL IN BEDROOMS WITH EAST-FACING LIGHT (MORNING SUN WILL MAKE IT GLOW WARMLY).

CHILDREN\'S BEDROOMS: - FARROW+BALL COOKING APPLE GREEN (NO. 32): VIBRANT APPLE GREEN; ENERGETIC BUT NOT NURSERY-BRIGHT. - FARROW+BALL CHARLOTTE\'S LOCKS (NO. 268): WARM VIBRANT ORANGE. SURPRISINGLY GOOD AS A FEATURE WALL RATHER THAN ALL-ROUND. - USE THE SAME CEILING COLOUR (STRONG WHITE) AND SKIRTING COLOUR AS THE REST OF THE HOUSE FOR A COHERENT FEELING EVEN IN CHILDREN\'S ROOMS.

BATHROOMS: LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE BATHROOMS VARY FROM LARGE CONVERTED BEDROOMS (IN LATER VICTORIAN HOUSES) TO SMALL ADDED EXTENSIONS. BOTH TYPES BENEFIT FROM: - FARROW+BALL BORROWED LIGHT (NO. 235): THE SINGLE MOST POPULAR BATHROOM COLOUR IN LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACES. A VERY PALE GREY-BLUE. WORKS WITH WHITE SANITARY WARE AND CHROME OR BRASS FIXTURES. - FARROW+BALL BLUE GROUND (NO. 210): MEDIUM BLUE-GREY. STRONGER THAN BORROWED LIGHT; GOOD IN LARGER BATHROOMS OR WHERE A BOLDER STATEMENT IS WANTED. - ALL-WHITE BATHROOMS: FARROW+BALL ALL WHITE (NO. 2005) ON WALLS AND WOODWORK; METRO TILES IN WHITE WITH GREY GROUT. CLASSIC; NEVER DATES; CLEAN AND BRIGHT.

FLOW PRINCIPLE — THE WHOLE-HOUSE COLOUR JOURNEY: A SUCCESSFUL WHOLE-HOUSE SCHEME FOR A LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACE USES: - ONE CONSISTENT CEILING COLOUR THROUGHOUT: FARROW+BALL STRONG WHITE OR ALL WHITE - ONE CONSISTENT WOODWORK COLOUR THROUGHOUT: FARROW+BALL POINTING IN ESTATE EGGSHELL, OR LITTLE GREENE INTELLIGENT EGGSHELL IN MATCHING TONE - THEN INDIVIDUAL WALL COLOURS IN EACH ROOM — RELATED IN WARMTH OR COOLNESS BUT NOT IDENTICAL - THE HALL COLOUR IS THE PIVOTAL HUE — IT SHOULD RELATE TO BOTH THE FRONT ROOM AND THE STAIR COLOURS IT CONNECTS