Off white paints for old cottage / farmhouse properties. Share pics?

[Black Timber]

Hi all

We're trying to choose an off-white paint for some of the rooms in our house that need decorating. We want something light, so not too many shades off white. We've tried a tester of Farrow and Ball Wimborne White and found it too yellow. Also F&B Strong White, but found it too dark. I can picture the type of thing I'm after in my mind; the sort of white you often seen in old houses, sometimes in churches, etc. And I'll have a trawl through google images later to see what examples I can come up with.

In the meantime, if what I'm saying/asking resonates with anyone reading, it would be great to hear what you have used, and if you have pics to share then all the better!

Many thanks

 

[a twig]

Probably thinking of an off white limewash - Ty Mawr do a good one I used a few times

Tŷ-Mawr Limewash

Limewash is the traditional paint used to finish lime work both internally and externally. Tŷ-Mawr's high-quality limewash is the ideal paint to use on lime plaster/render or masonry/brick pointed with lime mortar as it is the most vapour permeable paint. This is an extremely cost-effective...

www.lime.org.uk

 

[ThornhillMike]

Without wanting to take this thread too far off topic, what are people's thoughts on painted versus (decorative) papered walls? Let the period / style dictate or go with personal preference / taste?

 

[Black Timber]

Probably thinking of an off white limewash - Ty Mawr do a good one I used a few times

Tŷ-Mawr Limewash

Limewash is the traditional paint used to finish lime work both internally and externally. Tŷ-Mawr's high-quality limewash is the ideal paint to use on lime plaster/render or masonry/brick pointed with lime mortar as it is the most vapour permeable paint. This is an extremely cost-effective...

www.lime.org.uk

Thank you. That does make sense and we do have an internal wall to limewash, as well as some external walls. But we do have some normal plaster/plasterboard walls to paint too (which are the ones I'm asking about) and not sure limewash would be appropriate to use on those?

Without wanting to take this thread too far off topic, what are people's thoughts on painted versus (decorative) papered walls? Let the period / style dictate or go with personal preference / taste?

Hi. To be honest, I'm not sure how any answers to that would be possible without taking the thread off topic. Perhaps a new thread would be a better idea?

Many thanks

 

[ThornhillMike]

Thank you. That does make sense and we do have an internal wall to limewash, as well as some external walls. But we do have some normal plaster/plasterboard walls to paint too (which are the ones I'm asking about) and not sure limewash would be appropriate to use on those?



Hi. To be honest, I'm not sure how any answers to that would be possible without taking the thread off topic. Perhaps a new thread would be a better idea?

Many thanks

Noted; forgive a newbie...

 

[Black Timber]

It's no problem at all, more a case of you hopefully getting some helpful responses when forum folk know what you're asking from the thread title... Good luck

 

[a twig]

Thank you. That does make sense and we do have an internal wall to limewash, as well as some external walls. But we do have some normal plaster/plasterboard walls to paint too (which are the ones I'm asking about) and not sure limewash would be appropriate to use on those?

Ty Mawr do a limewash with Casein added that can be used more like a traditional paint

Ty-Mawr Limewash - With Casein - Limewash - Lime - Our Products

<p>Limewash is the traditional paint used to finish lime work both internally and externally. Ty-Mawr's high-quality limewash is the ideal paint to use on lime plaster/render or masonry/brick pointed with lime mortar as it is the most

www.lime.org.uk

 

[Drayton]

Without wanting to take this thread too far off topic, what are people's thoughts on painted versus (decorative) papered walls? Let the period / style dictate or go with personal preference / taste?

My vote is for going with personal taste.

I've worked on the principle that my house, also 1840, has probably had every decorative style going from c 1820 onwards (unless it was bang up-to-the-minute in 1840, which I doubt) so there's plenty of scope as it is not a museum.

Chances are if you bought the house because you like its style whatever you choose is likely to be sympathetic. But as long as you don't do anything irreversible it really doesn't matter. I'm hoping Lacan07 will have at least one room with 'off white walls, barely offensive wallpaper, and rubbish, chintzy art on the walls'. Above all else it needs to be 'home'.

 

[Drayton]

Hi all

We're trying to choose an off-white paint for some of the rooms in our house that need decorating. We want something light, so not too many shades off white. We've tried a tester of Farrow and Ball Wimborne White and found it too yellow. Also F&B Strong White, but found it too dark. I can picture the type of thing I'm after in my mind; the sort of white you often seen in old houses, sometimes in churches, etc. And I'll have a trawl through google images later to see what examples I can come up with.

In the meantime, if what I'm saying/asking resonates with anyone reading, it would be great to hear what you have used, and if you have pics to share then all the better!

Many thanks

The colour of limewash?

 

[whup]

Difficult to visualise but in the Farrow and Ball range All White is probably the brightest, like lime wash with sunlight hitting it and with no hint of yellow, also Wevet (white) is a good contrast on the woodwork.

 

[fernicarry]

I have used Bedec Old White which is a very pale grey in reality. You don't notice until you see it up against something that's more of a pure white.

Not being too happy with how MSP behaves on exterior woodwork I decided to try Demidekk Ultimate and got a pot made up in RAL Signal White. I knew it wasn't a perfect match but was the closest of the standard RAL colours. However against the Old White it looks too bright and luminous.

I prefer Old White but if I'd never seen it then I might be perfectly happy with Signal White. Its very subjective and of course paints fade and change over time. Oil based paints tend to yellow if they are in sunlight.

 

[Zebra]

I have used Bedec Old White which is a very pale grey in reality. You don't notice until you see it up against something that's more of a pure white.

Not being too happy with how MSP behaves on exterior woodwork I decided to try Demidekk Ultimate and got a pot made up in RAL Signal White. I knew it wasn't a perfect match but was the closest of the standard RAL colours. However against the Old White it looks too bright and luminous.

I prefer Old White but if I'd never seen it then I might be perfectly happy with Signal White. Its very subjective and of course paints fade and change over time. Oil based paints tend to yellow if they are in sunlight.

Fernicarry how did you find the Demidekk? The colour you had made up (a good match for MSP Old White?). Is its performance superior to MSP, do you think? Too soon to tell, I suppose..
I have now stripped the paint from two of my four windows, previously painted in linseed oil paint, which had become flaky and prone to mould and greying.
One window I have redone in Bedec MSP Old White. The next window, I wonder whether to try the Demidekk......
South facing, very sheltered, in the sunny south-east...

 

[fernicarry]

Fernicarry how did you find the Demidekk? The colour you had made up (a good match for MSP Old White?). Is its performance superior to MSP, do you think? Too soon to tell, I suppose..

Too soon, I only started using it a few weeks ago and I don't think its even rained since!

I'm encouraged though, the Demidekk is much gloopier and seems to form a much thicker layer than the MSP. Getting the parting beads back in has been a bit of a fight in some cases because of the added thickness.

It stays sort of rubbery for quite a long time which I hope means its more flexible. I found last night that one of the windows was stuck shut and pulled a chunk of paint off when I got it open. That would be about 2 weeks after painting it and it has been opened since so bit annoyed about that. Maybe a function of the heat?

You can't rub down between coats very much because of the rubberiness. This was mentioned on another forum.

It seems to bridge minor defects in the wood and joins between sections better. Behaves more like oil paint I'd say.

Painting in this hot weather is horrible as its consistency means that brush strokes are very obvious, but its external and no one will ever look that closely. The woodwork will never be drier than it is now so just have to crack on.

The colour match wasn't very close in the end. The MSP is matt and the Demidekk is quite a lot more satin than I was expecting. I've gone back over it quickly with Old White to get the finish back to where I started as I'm only redoing the sills and bottom rails. I'm hoping that even if the MSP on top deteriorates the Demidekk underneath will be fine. The place I bought from (Paint Shed) can tint Demidekk to any manufacturer's colour, I just didn't realise that at the time.

Also realised after purchase that there is Demidekk Infinity as well as Ultimate. Infinity is stated as being for doors and windows so perhaps its easier to work with? Their literature isn't terribly clear on the difference.

 

[Black Timber]

I have used Bedec Old White which is a very pale grey in reality. You don't notice until you see it up against something that's more of a pure white.

Apologies - I forgot to come back to this to thank you for that suggestion. I've not used it yet, but Bedec were kind enough to send out a sample colour card thing of the Old White and I do indeed like it. The only trouble is it is not scrubable, which it needs to be for the rooms I'm going to be painting. But I will have future rooms to paint where that's less of a concern, so it will be a contender for those.

Many thanks

 

[Tilly71]

Have you tried F&B all white? It’s a very chalky flat finish so not stark clinical white like other manufacturers.

 

[Matt Green]

I have Little Greene's absolute matt loft white on the kitchen walls and on the ceilings of my rooms. The absolute matt finish is a joy to use.

Buy 'Loft White' Bright White Paint Online | Little Greene

Almost pure white – always use in place of brilliant white which aggravates the eye. Use this white paint shade indoors or outdoors to add a fresh look to your walls, woodwork or furniture. .

www.littlegreene.com

 

[Black Timber]

Thanks for the additional recommendations, which I will bear in mind.

I'll also try to remember to come back to this thread to add any paints I may end up using which have not yet been mentioned.

Ta

 

[mattyb]

Without wanting to take this thread too far off topic, what are people's thoughts on painted versus (decorative) papered walls? Let the period / style dictate or go with personal preference / taste?

Absolutely go with personal taste. It's your house.