House Tour: Small Country Cottage

Although it's lovely to look at enormous homes, from time to time, it's good for the soul to see how size is absolutely not an issue when it comes to making your home beautiful; letting you feel inspired, rather than intimidated. 

After this house tour of a tiny extended two bedroom stone cottage, you'll see exactly what I mean....

Now, won't you come in and make yourself at home?!

This house was a wreck when the owners moved in. They've lovingly renovated every nook and cranny.

Oh, the kitchen....G:O:R:G:E:O:U:S!

When it came to choosing paint colours, they say this:

‘We really wanted to create a home that flowed perfectly from one room to the next,’ explains Charlotte. ‘I didn’t want a different feel in each room and wanted the type of colours that you would find in old faded floral fabrics: soft creams and greens and dusky greys.’ They settled on a limited palette of powdery, matt paint from Farrow & Ball, which they have used throughout the entire cottage. ‘We have mixed and matched with various shades to keep the look cohesive,’ says Charlotte, ‘and I also chose similar tones so that none ‘jarred’ against each other; that is also the advantage of using paint from one company, as invariably all of their colours sit well together.’

I love the way that the kitchen and bathroom tie in so well together. 

Very yummy and very Modern Country.

See what I mean about the size not being an issue.

{And wasn't it good for your soul?}

Images via Period Living

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Case Study: Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back takes us back to that familiar territory of paint uncertainty. This paint can change, in a twinkling of an eye, from this...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Living Room

To this...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back In The Bedroom

Farrow and Ball describe Mouse's Back as 'a quiet neutral dark stone or drab colour', which, as their descriptions go, gets full marks for helpfulness. But let's look at what it doesn't tell you...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back IN The Bedroom

First off, Mouse's Back is a strong colour so what might look like a gentle background colour in large rooms...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back In Large Living Room

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back In Large Living Room

or on skirting boards or wood trim....

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Skirting Board Trim

(Here, with bunk beds in Farrow and Ball Old White...)

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Skirting Board Trim

...will look very much bolder in small spaces....

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Bathroom Panelling

This is because the colour, with all those internal corners in close proximity, has the chance to build and reflect back on itself, which means that the shade intensifies.

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Looking Intense On Walls and Ceiling

Quite the opposite is true when painting furniture, as the edges reflects light outwards, rather than inwards and the colour appears to recede...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Painted Furniture

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Painted Furniture

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back makes a fantastic choice for painted units in a Modern Country kitchen. Take a look at these babes:

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Painted Kitchen

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Painted Kitchen

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Painted Kitchen

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Painted Kitchen

Under soft cool light: gentle daylight or halogen lights, Mouse's Back is a soft greige paint...a mid-tone grey-brown blend. 

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back On Fitted Cupboards

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Paint

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Is A Mid-Tone Grey Brown Shade

But...give it more warmth (think hot sun or incandescent lighting) and the green undertones of Farrow and Ball's Mouse's Back come out to dance...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Looking Greener

What was once a divinely muted paint colour becomes rather more bold...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Looking Brown

either by turning firmly brown...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Looking Brown

or by giving in to its olive undertones.

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Looking Olive

Are you looking for a new perfect front door colour?

Front Door In Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back 

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back makes a fantastic exterior colour...could this be the new paint for your front door?

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Exterior

Its depth becomes a real strength as it can hold its own against strong outside light...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Exterior

Let's contrast Mouse's Back against some of the other Farrow and Ball paints...here, walls in Mouse's Back, units in Bone and Lime White make a gorgeous Modern Country kitchen combination...

Kitchen walls in Farrow and Ball's Mouse's Back, units in Bone and Lime White 

The gentle green tones of Mouse's Back (floor) and Farrow and Ball Old White (floor) blend perfectly together. Walls are in Wimbourne White....

Floors in Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back and Old White

This feminine country kitchen has used Mouse's Back with Farrow and Ball Setting Plaster, a warm brown-based pink...

Kitchen in Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back and Setting Plaster

One of my current favourite living rooms, painted in Farrow and Ball Light Gray with woodwork in Mouse's Back is here. These two colours are a match made in heaven!

Farrow and Ball Light Gray and Mouse's Back

Farrow and Ball Light Gray And Mouse's Back

Here's a great image from Old Mother Hubbard comparing greige paint samples....from the left, Restoration Hardware Stone, Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back, Restoration Hardware, Slate, Farrow and Ball Hardwick White, Farrow and Ball Charleston Gray.

L-R: Restoration Hardware Stone, Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back, Restoration Hardware, Slate, Farrow and Ball Hardwick White, Farrow and Ball Charleston Gray

This is a colour that can easily handle different looks. Lofty Met gallery? Tick:

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back In Met Gallery

Country unility room? Tick.

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back Utility room

Masculine bedroom? Tick:

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back In Masculine Bedroom

Used with care, Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back has the potential to be cool, sophisticated and classy. I think I'm a little in love...

Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back With Orange Accents

If you're looking for some paint lust, you'll definitely find yourself getting giddy over these other Colour Studies:

Farrow and Ball New White
Farrow and Ball Old White
Farrow and Ball White Tie
Farrow and Ball Blue Gray
Farrow and Ball Middleton Pink

Farrow and Ball Down Pipe

Farrow and Ball Elephant's Breath

Farrow and Ball Pigeon

Farrow and Ball Hardwick White
Farrow and Ball Green Blue

Dulux Heritage Stone Green

Farrow and Ball Lamp Room Gray

Farrow and Ball French Gray (interiors)

Farrow and Ball French Gray (exteriors)

Earthborn Gregory's Den

Farrow and Ball Light Blue

Farrow and Ball Powder Blue

Farrow and Ball Hay

Tempted?

Unknown, Hotel Edward, Joseph MNYC, Farrow and Ball, House Beautiful, Farrow and Ball, Farrow and Ball, Lord Muck, Laura Cowlbeck, Anna, Peeling Paint, House To Home, House To Home, Houzz, LMJINUK, Anne Turner, Remodelista, Design Sponge, The Washington Post, tony pearson young, Little Biba, Hotel Edward, House To Home, tales from a cottage garden, Houzz, TAG, Farrow and Ball, Beverley Green, Lacuered Life, Lacquered Life, Old Mother Hubbard, Met Gallery, Pinterest, Jeff Andrews, Apartment Therapy

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Stunning Kitchen Revamp In Farrow And Ball Mouse's Back.

Hey there, sugarplum,

The Victorian kitchen featured last week on Modern Country Style had units in Farrow and Ball Green Blue and an over-the-Aga mantle in Mouse's Back. 

And this little beauty has the whole kitchen with units painted in Farrow and Ball Mouse' Back. And, as a handy bonus, is utterly-butterly gorgeous! (That's Farrow and Ball Pigeon on the dining room walls...)

It's only one of the most fantastic before-and-afters-on-the-cheap in the whole world ever.

Yes, siree.

This is the kitchen of Anne Turner who was Assistant Decorating Editor for the magazine Cottage Living. It was featured in its last ever issue.

Anne has taken her kitchen that's best described as bleurgh......and made it scrumptious...but without a complete overhaul.

Her budget at the time was needed elsewhere.

{I don't mean to get off-track but was she wearing her slippers in that photo?}

{Aaahaaa, I see some of the budget went towards some new snazzy footwear....}

Let's look behind the scenes at this virtual decorating miracle. :-)
The freshly brightened kitchen walls are painted in Farrow and Ball Lime White, a soft white with a slight greenish leaning. Farrow and Ball Stony Ground graces the doors and windows.

They've had the existing cupboards moved up towards the ceiling and added moulding around the top and painted the lower units with heavenly Moue's Back from Farrow and Ball paints, a soft greige with muted olive undertones.

Then, with the extra space created, shelves have been fitted under the units. Aren't they darling?

Anne Turner has changed the tiles, the worktop, appliances, sink, hardware, doors, taps, flooring and lights.

The result is like having a splediferous new kitchen without the huge cost of new units.

And don't you love the paint colours?

 All by Farrow And Yummy Ball.

{Which I do believe to be their official name.}

Well, are you smiling yet?
No?

This afternoon I will be having the pleasure of ironing my way through the laundry equivalent of Mount Everest.

Oh, the joy.

 Bet you're smiling now....you ol' meanie.

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