The Best Front Door Paint Colours

If you're anything like us, here at Relics of Witney, you won't be able to resist eyeing up beautiful front doors. Your head will be turned this way and that as you walk down a new street, being inspired, and squirrelling away ideas for the future.

 

Try Dulux Party Surprise 1

 

We all know that changing the colour of your front door is one of the simplest ways to make a dramatic change to the front of your house. 

 

Try Little Greene French Grey Dark

 

Choosing the right colour can instantly boost your kerb appeal, and, consequently, your house value. However, it's one thing to be bowled away by a particular shade you've spied but quite another to be able to confidently pin down a specific paint colour for your own front door.

 

Little Greene Carys

 

Here's where we'd love to help you. Coming into Relics of Witney is a little like hiring your own designer, only it's free! Between us all, the Relics team has decades of experience helping our customers choose their perfect paints.

 

Try Little Greene Dark Lead Colour

 By giving us relevant information about your home, the way it faces, as an example, and the period it was built, we can help you put together a look that will perfectly suit the way you live.

 

Try Farrow and Ball London Stone

 If, for instance, you live in a stone property, whose door is mostly in the shade, then we would steer you towards colours like Dulux Weathershield Green Stone from their Heritage range, which seems to radiate light, even from within the most gloomy of settings.

 

 

Or, if you feel that you would like your period home to have a slightly more contemporary feel, then we might suggest a harmonious shade to tie in with the brick or stone work, such as Dulux Weathershield Chalky Downs.

 

 

We've said it before but it's worth saying again (and again!) that Dulux Weathershield has absolutely fantastic staying power against all the varieties of weather. For your house exterior it's always worth choosing the very best exterior products to avoid needing to rectify peeling paint again in a couple of years. Using sub-standard paint is a complete false economy.

 

Farrow and Ball Pelt

 

Front door paint gets some of the highest traffic of your home, and is certainly the area that is most noticed. Take the time to get it right. The perfect front door paint should protect your door from the elements, withstand the elements and create a warm welcome for your guests.

 

Try Dulux Weathershield Fuschia Lily

 

 

 

Images via Pinterest, Voysey and Jones, Telegraph, Pinterest, Pinterest, unknown, Leopoldina Hayes, Farrow and Ball, unknown

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How To Choose Kitchen Paint Colours

When choosing paint colours for our kitchens, many of us simply don't have the option of painting our cabinets, nor do many of have beautiful wooden cabinets to paint!

If you're not prepared to put in a LOT of maintenance, painting melamine isn't the best way to go. It may look fabulous at first but with all the scrubbing and hard-knocks that kitchen doors inevitably take (let's be realistic!), they'll be peeling and flaky in no time at all.

Far better, if you've inherited a kitchen that must stay but needs an injection of character, is to give your space a kiss of character on the walls themselves.

With our extensive range of wipeable paint finishes, perfect for removing accumulating kitchen grime, Relics of Witney can offer you long-lasting peace of mind for a kitchen that will still look lovely in years to come.

So, where to start when choosing wall colours for your kitchen?

Here are a few, key pointers but for tailored advice to suit your needs, do contact the team at Relics. For more tips, take a look at Farrow and Ball's new booklet, available for our customers in store!

First of all, look at the design elements of your kitchen that can't be changed. Are they cool or warm? Choosing paint accordingly will make sure that your final choices will enhance, rather than distract from, your existing kitchen.

The brighter the room, the bolder you can be with your colour choice. If you've always yearned for deep and moody walls, kitchens, with plenty of white cabinets to blow away any traces of gloominess, are a good room to dip your toe into the dark side. Try Farrow and Ball Off Black.

On the other hand, if you have very low levels of natural light, perhaps because of an extension, don't be afraid to stick with neutrals. We have some really fabulous shades to choose from. Take a look at this kitchen with walls in Farrow and Ball Hardwick White...

Or this kitchen with walls painted in Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back, with woodwork in Pointing...

Consider tying in two or more paint colours to add depth and interest, such as in the kitchen below, which uses Farrow and Ball Pavilion Gray, Strong White and Cornforth White.

Finally, the right paint colour can and should counter any visual unbalance in your current kitchen. For example, orangey-warm wood can be toned right down by contrasting with muted colours, such as Farrow and Ball Blue Gray....

And our final piece of advice? Choose a colour that you LOVE! Paint fashions will come and go but kitchens are a room where you'll be spending a great deal of time. Let us help you get it right!

Our newsletter this month will help you think about tying in your door and window furniture. Have you signed up for yours yet?

Images via: Unknown, Weird combinations, apartment therapy, period living, sooz gordon, unknown, fresh home, g, Country Homes and Interiors, Farrow and Ball, Modern Country Style, homes-kid, Housetohome

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The Best Farrow and Ball Paint Colours For Kitchen Units

Probably one of the cheapest and most effective ways of transforming your kitchen is with judicious use of paint. But please let us emphasise the word judicious. Simply daubing your units with any old colour can be disastrous, giving you a poor finish and a room that ends up feeling dark and gloomy, rather than appearing spacious and stylish.

Yes, it's essential to take time over the colour. With years of experience, and many, many happy customers, the team at Relics of Witney can easily help to take the angst out of picking the right colours for your kitchen. Contact us or visit the shop in person, for a completely personal service.

For now, however, let us lead you through some stages of initial inspiration to get you well on the way to a transformed kitchen.

Firstly, find out the orientation of your kitchen. Farrow and Ball have produced a great booklet called 'All About Colour', available in Relics of Witney, which explains how the light that different rooms receives can greatly affect the appearance of paint.

For example, South-facing rooms are full of warm light for most of the day and, on sunny days, everything will look more yellow. Farrow and Ball suggest that it's worth emphasising that feeling of light and space with pale blue tones, such as Pavilion Blue or Borrowed Light, or use red-based neutrals, such as Joa's White, for a warmer feel.

Conversely, North-facing rooms can seem cooler and harsher with the lack of light. Farrow and Ball suggest that you focus on yellow-based colours, such as New White and Ringwold Ground to help bounce light around the room. 

Or, instead, try working with that natural lack of light and create an intimate, cosy room with dramatic choice of colour, such as Brinjal, a deep aubergine, or Down Pipe. a dark grey with a hint of teal.

The light in West- and East-facing rooms changes throughout the day as the sun swings over the sky. It's worth taking the time to think of when you'll use the room most to tailor your colour choice to the light you'll most often experience. If you want to use the room at a time when the light is very strong, you might like to pick a shade a little darker than you'd naturally be drawn to, as sunlight has a tendency to bleach out colour.

Secondly, work out the kind of artificial lighting you'll be using. Very warm lighting, such as incandescent bulbs, will cast a yellow glow, whilst LED lighting gives a bluish cast, meaning that your chosen paint may not appear as you'd first imagined it. 

Lastly, decide where you want your colour choices. The effect can be very different when painted on walls, compared to painted kitchen units. To demonstrate what we mean, here are two kitchens which both feature Farrow and Ball Elephant's Breath. The first has Elephant's Breath on the walls, and the second on the units.

We hope that's given you lots to think over. For help picking out paint colours that will work perfectly in your room, we'd love to hear from you.

Images via HousetoHome, Langham Painted Kitchens, housetohome, roomenvy, Farrow and Ball, Hamhigh, Farrow and Ball, Derbyshire life, Kate's Creative Space,  unknown, unknown

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How To Paint Your Kitchen Floor...

There are few better ways to boost the character of your kitchen than a treated wooden floor. Can you imagine this Moroccan style kitchen with standard lino?

From looking at images like these, you may be initially tempted to lean towards painting your kitchen floor....

 ...but may we steer you towards using our Osmo Wood Waxes? You see, paint will inevitably crack, flake, peel or blister with the extensive wear and tear that comes as part and parcel of life in the kitchen...

... but you will never have those difficulties using Osmo Wood Waxes. They work in a completely different way: feeding, protecting and enhancing your wood.

Not only that but Osmo Wood Waxes are an excellent choice for using in the kitchen as they are extremely durable. There is simply no point to using products in the kitchen that can't be scrubbed. Repeatedly.

That newly decorated painted floor may be beautiful but it can quickly begin chip. Osmo Wood Waxes can be wiped and are both stain-resistant and water-repellent.

They dry to a satin-matt finish, combining all the advantages of oils and waxes in one easy-to-use product. And, importantly for Relics of Witney customers with young families, are incredibly safe for humans, plants and animals.

There are so many variables for you to give your kitchen a large injection of personality. Let's take a look at just a few ideas....

This effect can be achieved by taping off your floor into carefully measured squares, and alternating Osmo Wood Wax in Ebony and Oak. We love the way the beauty of the wood grain is still allowed to shine through.

 These are oak boards whitewashed with Osmo Wood Wax in White Transparent to give an aged limed effect.

This large stencilled effect would be best applied by careful freehand. It's so easy to forget what a beautiful feature a wood floor can be. By treating it with the love and care it deserves, we hope we've reminded you of the amazing array of possibilities a timber floor can give.

Images via My Paradissi, Design Sponge, My Free Textures, Unknown, True Woman, Osmo, Osmo, Unknown, surry Flooring Services, Sarah Gillbane Interiors

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How To Update Your Kitchen The Easy Way

Let's begin our new kitchen series by easing in gently. When you have neither the time nor the budget to make significant changes, how do you add character to your kitchen? Supposing you're renting, for example, and not allowed to change the wall colour, or the units; where do you go from there?

There is one vital component that can make all the difference: our range of kitchen accessories. At Relics of Witney, we hand-pick only the very best accessories so that you, by selecting those that match your style, can transform your kitchen quickly and easily...which is possibly one of the reasons why we're recommended by Country Living UK on their Pinterest page.

If you've not yet experienced the joy of using our version of the Sheila's Maid then may we urge you to do so without delay?

At only £45, these vintage-style clothes airers with jute cord and cast iron brackets, will create a warm, farmhouse feel at minimal cost.

Very often, rental contracts state that you are in fact allowed to make adjustments so long as they are easily reversible. 

Many tenants don't realise that this can include switching over the handles on your kitchen units.

It's surprising what an impact this small step can have. And, don't forget, when you move on, you can take your handles with you, meaning that your money is not wasted. 

With that in mind, we have a whole spectrum of handles for every taste and every budget.

Don't forget the smaller details too. Again, these purchases are pieces that you can take with you. Here are some of our favourites... Our oak string holder is a perfect example of how to make a statement of quality in the little ways.

Our large selection of greyed rattan baskets are ever-popular with our customers, and it's easy to see why. 

Sturdy, durable and stylish, these beauties will make selecting your ingredients a joy! Contact us for more details.

Whilst we love the idea of an old-fashioned roller towel hanging over the AGA rail....

...we're also aware that not many of us have AGAs. We've found a fantastic way to get the look using our oak towel roller. We can also supply especially made towels in blue, red and cream.

We want this series about adding character to your kitchen, to show how even the tiniest details can make a huge difference, even down to this cast iron egg holder...

...but with so many of us wanting to invest more significantly in the heart of the home, next month, we'll be revealing our tried and tested methods for painting your kitchen cabinets.

Images via Country Livng, Relics of Witney, Kitchen Sourcebook, Relics of Witney, andrew carstairs, houzz, ark builders, Relics of Witney,  Relics of Witney,, unknown, East2Eden, The Linen Works, Creamore Mill

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