After my post, Renovating My Beach House, I received the most reader mail in the history of Willow Decor (if you missed it click here). The transformation was striking and the room came alive. Though painting the walls created a dramatic change, the richness of the room and the true success of the transformation was due in part to the Farrow and Ball Paints. I received many emails from readers who felt, as I do, that the F&B paints are amazing and worth the additional cost (about 2x as much as the popular "store brand"). To be clear I have no affiliation with Farrow & Ball, I am just an extremely satisfied customer. The way the finished walls reflect the light , they produce a result that I feel is worth the additional cost. A reader named Naomi in London agreed with me. She wrote that her home was also transformed and enhanced by Farrow and Ball Paints and it was recently feature in Period Living Magazine. Was I interested in seeing some photos? Well of course I said yes!! So let's take a tour of Naomi's Edwardian Townhouse - It really is amazing!!!
Naomi told me that shades of off white feature heavily through out the townhouse. "Playing with tricks of light was key to creating the optical illusion of more space" Above her kitchen cabinets and shelving are painted in Pointing with New White on the ceiling and walls.
"We painted the original built-in dresser and built the kitchen around it, with MDF shelving, which once given the F &B treatment, looks like its original to the House!"
Just beautiful!! Also notice her lovely collection of antique crockery.
In other rooms she used the warmer Farrow and Ball Cream with White Tie (one of her personal favorites). Above is the dining room where she used the F&B paints to transform an old pine oval table bought for only £20! She shows us how rooms and furniture can be transformed beautifully (and inexpensively) with paint!
Peeking out to the amazing gardens!!
Of course the home has outstanding period details like this beautiful fireplace in the living room .
Here is the before of the entry staircase. She knew I would particularly love this transformation!
And of course I do!! Naomi writes:" The entrance hall had a good wool carpet, which, although neutral, didn't lend any character to the house, and also got pretty beaten up by workmen during the renovations, so I used a piece of antique Hungarian grainsacking (which I know you love) sourced on e-bay. We laid over cutaway pieces of the existing underlay, and found brass stair rods on the Internet for a very cheap price. My Dad helped me lay it and stripped back the stair treads. The banister rail had it's old varnish removed and a stain finish to match the floorboards and stair treads. We painted the balustrades in White Tie, to open up the area, and the walls in F&B Cream, below the rail, and White Tie above it. I love the way the caramel colour of the grainsacking stripes picks out the honeyed colour of the banister rail. I painted and distressed an old Chinese bookcase (very chipped and battered) and a long, wide mirror for the right hand wall, to open up the space again. The glass pendant light on old-fashioned fabric covered cable was from Jim Lawrence."
A peek into her real London conservatory!! You know I adore conservatories and this one is perfect for enjoying a cup of tea!
Her spectacular outdoor gardens. She writes: "I am a huge Farrow and Ball fan and my husband quips if he stands still long enough I will paint him, such is my obsession with painting and distressing old pieces, walls..." I wish Naomi and I lived closer - I am sure we would have a lot of fun together!! To read the original article about her home in Period Living Magazine click here. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home and ideas with us, Naomi!!
