Colours to beat Magnolia and Gardenia...

[sarahw]

Hi,

I'm renovating a flat to a high standard. I'm going to poaint the ceilings matt white and probably the skirting boards, but am unsure about what colour for the walls. It's all been reskimmed and I want a fresh and clean feel. Are there better colours to achieve this than Mangolia and Gardenia or do they still rule the new build look roost?

 

[amandaebr]

Hi Sarah

I've just had a house renovated completely and chose magnolia with white woodwork and it looks great, I'm really pleased, it sold within a couple of months earlier this year. The estate agents said it was the best way to go.

Amanda

 

[diydoughnut]

Personally, if I moved into/bought a new place with Magnolia walls I'd go mental...I hate the stuff...

There are so many other shades of off-white/cream available, it might be worth looking at a few to see if you can get away from it.

I've been looking at "virtual" colours for our house renovation , like yourself we want it at the highest standard we can, and found that using the Crown paints site really useful as, although it won't obviously be exactly the same with the furniture used in the rooms on the site, it does give a good idea of the different shades and how they'd look together.

Definitely do the skirting boards (and dado rails if you have them) in the same colour (and windows for that matter) and I've found an Old English White and Sail white that I'm buying tester pots for to see which I prefer. Also, wouldn't do them in Matt - gloss for skirting boards as it takes a knock better than matt or satin wood finishes

Think the Sail is winning so far and avoiding magnolia like the plague..

Just my opinion, of course, although I know that traditionally magnolia always looks ok on walls. I just hate it having lived with it on woodchip and other surfaces for far too long

 

[Zampa]

I think Gardinia is a far 'fresher; option than Maggy..

Almond white is a nice one too...

But I would go for white ceilings Almond white walls and a tint of Almod white on the woodwork to give a softer cooler look

Natural Calico and antique cream are also nice colours.

 

[Zampa]

Magnolia it is then...

 

[ColJack]

it's the whole "blank canvas" thing you're going for though..
whatever you put on the wall, odds are that the buyer will want to change it to suit their personal taste..

 

[dhutch]

Magnolia it is then...

Im currently in this loop myself.

I live there, during the week, when im mainly at work, and am away all weekends. So on one level I dont care that much, and dont have lot of time to dedicate to picking colours, but on another its nice to live somewhere nice with fresh colours, and I rent out two of the rooms so need to attract and retain suitable lodgers.


Daniel

 

[emilybronte]

If you want cream, then Johnstone's Broad Cream is nice.

Look at the Dulux Heritage colours too.

Avoid magnolia. It's like drowning in mushroom soup.

 

[EddieM]

I'd know the housing market is slow, but I'd like to think after 4 years the renovation is complete.

 

[emilybronte]

I'd know the housing market is slow, but I'd like to think after 4 years the renovation is complete.

Fair point, but someone (dhutch) with the same problem revived this thread, presumably to see if any new suggestions were forthcoming 4 years down the track!

 

[dhutch]

If im honest, did a search, failed to check the date.

 

[dhutch]

If you want cream, then Johnstone's Broad Cream is nice.

Look at the Dulkux Heritage colours too.

Avoid magnolia. It's like drowning in mushroom soup.

Thankyou for the suggestions.

 

[EddieM]

but..... if you are renting out / renovating for sale, what your taste is is completely irrelevant, so many renovators make the fatal mistake of decorating / applying their own taste to a property, big mistake, bland boring, inoffensive is the order of the day in this situation.

Anyhow magnolia used to be pink in the 90's now I'd say it was, just a sand / cream colour.

 

[dhutch]

but..... if you are renting out / renovating for sale, what your taste is is completely irrelevant.... ...bland boring, inoffensive is the order of the day in this situation.

Im also living there, it my only house, im just often away over weekends with my hobbies and seeing freinds.

Anyhow magnolia used to be pink in the 90's now I'd say it was, just a sand / cream colour.

Yes. If you search for Magnolia, you get a pinky cream, as you recall, but if you look on the shelf of BnQ or TP there 'trade magnolia' is a sandy cream, as is, the majority of my house, which is not snowfall, which is a sort of grey magnolia rather than a cream magnolia...

Daniel

 

[emilybronte]

Crown's Snowfall is indeed lovely but it is very much darker than magnolia, gardenia, etc. A subtle muddy tone - looks great with brilliant white, but be careful if the room is quite dark to begin with, and if people will be using it during the day.