Farrow and Ball Paint and Old Made Pop-Up Shop In Relics Of Witney

This month, Farrow and Ball are encouraging all of us to think more creatively about decorating and adding colour to our homes through their Find It, Paint It, Love It campaign. Farrow and Ball say that we tend to focus on the walls, often leaving the trim and furniture as an afterthought. 

When it comes to interiors, it pays to get creative with paint. By custom-painting furniture pieces, or introducing colour to your interior trim (such as skirting boards, banisters, door frames or dado rails) you can inject personality and interest to your decor.

At Relics of Witney, we've long been fans of helping our customers pick out paint colours to bring out the best in their homes. We think this means allowing homes to reflect their owners passions and personalities: what you truly love, not just having a magazine-beautiful space to tiptoe about in.

Two people who have this gift in spades of injecting personality into any space are Lee and Kate, owners of Old Made. 

We're very excited at Relics to be hosting them at what we believe is Witney's first ever pop-up shop. 

They sell an exquisitely curated collection of artsy, fifties-inspired pieces. Yet, let us be clear: this is no run-of-the-mill vintage shop.

Old Made has a unique take on interiors that is hugely influenced by Lee and Kate's combined background in graphic design and textiles, with a definite nod to Modern Rustic and light touch of Industrial style.

Think 'Last Tango In Paris' and eclectic apartment living, think jazz record covers by Reid Miles and Picasso's atelier, and you'll be half way there to understanding just what it is that makes Old Made so special.

Old Made love to work with local design/makers, such as these lovely cushions by Mabel and Bird who are based in chipping Norton.

Lee and Kate adore illustration, fabrics, maps and colour. They cite Farrow and Ball Cinder Rose and Blue Ground as some their favourite paints, as well as the monochrome hues of Lamp Black by Little Greene and White by Earthborn Claypaints.

So why did they choose Relics to launch Old Made? Quite simply because they love our vision too. We asked what their favourite Relics' buys are: 'We recommend Relics cup handles for adding a quirky twist to unloved pieces of furniture. The Bakelite light switches for a slightly retro take.  And it has to be Black Bison wax for perfect sprucing!'

Lee and Kate's blend of experience, as well as their obvious talent, combines to create a look that is different from anything we've seen before.

Find Old Made on their website, Twitter and Pinterest, and, for one more week at Witney's first pop-up shop in Relics! Then, in the near future, they'll be over at Love Your Plane in Oxford.

We wish them all the very best.

Make sure you come and visit. 

{You can find Old Made in Relics of Witney until Saturday 28th June.}

  

Relics of Witney Limited

Tel: 01993 704611

Fax: 01993 380029

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The Best Grey Paints

We're often asked our recommendations for the best grey paint colours. Our answer is always the same: where will you be using the paint? Is this a grey paint for use in a warm, sunny bedroom, or a cool, urban kitchen? Or do you want a grey front door? Or shed?

Grey sample pot

Grey paint, you see, is rarely simply a blend of black and white. In fact, any paint worth its salt will contain a gamut of subtle colour additions that make each grey absolutely unique; it's the complexity of these added hues that create the paint's undertones.

Grey living room

For paint advice that's absolutely suited to your needs, get in contact with the Relics team; we'd love to help you find that perfect grey paint. However, for the purposes of this post, we'll first recommend our current favourite grey front door paints, and then our favourite grey wall colours.

The Best Grey Front Door Paints

Farrow and Ball Railings is the colour to choose if you want a classic black door with a contemporary twist. Railings is a soft, dark grey with a hint of deepest blue in full sun.

Front door in Farrow and Ball Railings

Front door in Farrow and Ball Railings

Farrow and Ball Down Pipe is a mid-dark grey with a hint of teal in warmer light. As the images below show so effectively, Down Pipe is a colour that springs to life as a front door paint whether placed against brick, stone or painted exteriors.

Front door in Farrow and Ball Down Pipe

Front door in Farrow and Ball Down Pipe

Front door in Farrow and Ball Down Pipe

Farrow and Ball Plummet, which is a paler version of Down Pipe, and fast gaining more and more popularity, has a coolly sophisticated charm of its own:

Farrow and Ball Plummett conservatory

Little Greene Scree is a true mid-grey. Bold and moody, it's a grey paint that looks great teamed with red brick houses:

Front Door Painted in Little Greene's 'Scree'

Front Door Painted in Little Greene's 'Scree'

Here's a good illustration of how Little Greene Scree sits on the grey paint spectrum. Eggs painted in Little Greene Loft White, Shallows, Inox, Pink Slip, Urbane Grey, Teal, Scree and Lamp Black.

Eggs painted in Little Greene Loft White, Shallows, Inox, Pink Slip, Urbane Grey, Teal, Scree and Lamp Black.

Dulux Weathershield products are outstanding in quality, and have some beautifully subtle grey shades. Dulux Goosewing is a soft putty grey with gentle green undertones.

House front exterior in Dulux Goosewing paint

The Best Grey Paints For Interiors

For those of you who want a grey paint that appears truly grey, choose Manor House Gray from Farrow and Ball. 

Farrow & Ball's Manor House Gray

Farrow & Ball's Manor House Gray

Choose Farrow and Ball Lamp Room Gray for a grey that manages to appear quite warm, despite having a cool blue undertone.

Farrow and Ball Lamp Room Gray. 

Farrow and Ball Lamp Room Gray. 

For a gentler take on grey paint, try Farrow and Ball Cornforth White: neutral and soft, this is a grey that let's a rooms' bones speak for themselves. 

Farrow and Ball Cornforth White



Little Greene French Grey is an excellent choice for a grey painted kitchen that will stand the test of time. It's possible to juxtapose it with a whole host of other colours and French Grey will still look beautiful. Bold brights, soft neutrals, gleaming whites and darker greys all work with this classic stony grey.

Little Greene French Grey

Little Greene French Grey

Little Greene French Grey and Dark Lead

Dulux Dusted Moss is an excellent choice of grey paint if you want a limited palette to run throughout your house for harmonious continuity. It comes in four shades from a dark green-grey to the palest off-white.

Dulux Dusted Moss

And, for those of you who love a bit of colour, next month we'll be looking at our favourite emerald hues...

Images via: Wilko, Housetohome, voysey and jones, Lifebylotte, kate bishop, klaus and heidi, pistonheads, emma turner, just fab design, Little Greene, antony georgiou, Little Greene, Dulux, apartment therapy, nice kitchens, Claire Carlos, New kitchens, bryan turner, higham, Maple & Gray, harvey jones, Abigail Ahern

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How To Use Osmo Country Colours On Exterior Wood

We've talked in previous posts how much we love Osmo products....

...and shown how you can use Osmo in your home to create a range of beautiful finishes.

Let's turn our attention now using Osmo products outside. Spring is the perfect time for prepping your garden to create a place that you find yourself wanting to spend time in throughout the (hopefully) long summer ahead.

Osmo Country Colour is an opaque satin-matt finish for interior and exterior woodwork. Osmo's products are based on natural vegetable oils, which makes them a fully eco-conscious choice. In fact, they comply with EURO Norm EN 71, which means that they would even be suitable for manufacturing children’s toys.

Osmo Country Colours are deeply pigmented, which will cover the colour and grain of the wood you are treating but still allow some texture to show through, maintaining the integrity of the wood and ensuring a rustic finish. 

They come in 18 colours, which can be blended together, or you can pick your own from any RAL or NCS colour tones to create your own custom mix.

Osmo products are thoroughly economical. They cover in only two coats, which act as a base coat and topcoat, with no need for primer. Osmo Country Colours are ideal to renew previously stained, weathered and discoloured wood surfaces, or to give fresh new timber a fantastic start with protection and beauty for many years

Microporous finishes allow wood to breathe, which reduces the risk of both swelling and shrinkage, which are common problems for wood that is intended for exterior use. The natural oils contained in the product penetrate deeply into the wood, rather than sitting on the surface, which keeps it elastic and healthy, preventing it from getting dry and brittle. Moisture can evaporate. Osmo Country Colours are extremely water-repellent, as well as UV-resistant and are designed to thoroughly resist mould, algae and fungal attacks.

Make sure that the surface to be covered is clean, dry and frost-free. Stir Osmo Country Colour well. Apply, with a stiff, good quality brush, evenly, very thinly and thoroughly along the wood grain. Allow 12 hours drying time. Then apply your second coat. 

Many wood preservers tend to become flaky after prolonged exposure to the elements, which brings us to one of Osmo's best features. It will not flake, peel, blister or crack. For maintenance, only one reapplication is needed but the wood will not need sanding.

Osmo recommend Country Colour for timber cladding, balconies, windows and sills, garden houses, garden furniture, pergolas, decking, screens, fences and shutters. 

If you have any questions, we're here to help...

All images via Osmo, except Living etc, Relics of Witney, The Telegraph, Osmo, Osmo, Osmo, Osmo, Osmo, Copthorne House, Osmo, Osmo

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The Best Exterior Green Paints For Your House And Garden

Spring is, well, springing into action before our very eyes. Buds are swelling. Birds are singing. And we know from experience that, at this time of year, customers everywhere are turning to their paint charts, searching for the best green paint to use on the exterior of their houses and in their gardens.

 
Let's take a look at some of the best greens out there for exterior use. The greens we find that are most consistently popular with our customers, for outdoor use, are those that harmonise with their surroundings for a gentle, and, indeed, genteel, feel. 

Our first three picks are some of our best-sellers by Dulux, whose Weathershield exterior paints are fantastically hard-wearing. To get a similar look to this beautiful orangery by Marston and Langinger, try Dulux Moorland.

You may notice that many of the greens we're recommending contain more than a touch of grey. When slightly greyed colours are used on front door in hot climates, they might look dull and drab but in England's, frankly, slightly grey-skied outdoors, greyed hues, if chosen carefully, take on a matchless serenity. 

For the stately effect of this taupe-green conservatory, try Dulux Lizard. 

Dulux Hopsack has a warmer, creamier feel.

For that hard-to-define Cotswold front door green, Farrow and Ball colours work extremely well. Who can resist the lure of French Gray?...but be careful if your site is too sunny, it can look somewhat washed out in the wrong conditions. Get it right, though, and Farrow and Ball French Gray has an unrivalled sophisticated warmth.

If you're looking for a refined mid-green then Farrow and Ball's Green Smoke works beautifully, shifting easily between green, grey and blue, depending on the orientation of the exterior.

For painting outside furniture, it's a good idea to choose slightly brighter colours, which will give a gentler effect once they are in situ, particularly if they are destined for a sunny spot in your garden. Farrow and Ball Cooking Apple Green works well for this.

And lastly, Little Greene does greens very well. Green is not always an easy colour to get right but we particularly love Normandy Grey, which is a subtle but warm grey-green....

And how's this for a rich, dark green? Little Greene's Obsidian Green keeps its depth wherever its painted which makes it an excellent choice for rooms which open out onto your garden.

Little Greene's Invisible Green has been designed with planting in mind to create a cohesive feel to your house and garden. It's the kind of colour that has a charm of its own, even if falls into disrepair.

For a great heritage paint, our last choice is Little Greene's Light Bronze Green, which is based on a popular Victorian colour used to paint doors and railings in the 19th Century.

Have you been feeling overwhelmed by choice? It's a problem we're proud to help our customers overcome every day. Come into Relics of Witney and take advantage of our huge experience, to let us help you find your perfect exterior green paint colour. 

Images via Carolyn Rohme, Marston and Langinger, Marston and Langinger, Georgian Design, AbodeOrangeries, 

Farrow and Ball, Relics of Witney, Sims Hilditch, Litte Greene, Pinterest, This Old House

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