‘I stopped using white paint on my woodwork and will never look back’

White paint is common in homes, as it’s often seen as a colour that can help to brighten up a room. With many UK homes having small rooms and windows, white paint allows light from the window to reflect off its surface and create the illusion of more space.

The most common places to find white paint in most homes are the ceilings, coving, and any woodwork in the room, such as skirting boards, doorframes, and sometimes even doors. You may also find white walls, especially if you are in rented accommodation, as white is seen as a neutral colour and therefore more appealing to a variety of renters.

However, white paint does have its drawbacks. It can be incredibly difficult to keep clean, and if the shade is particularly bright, it can turn a warm and inviting room into one that looks cold and lacks personality.

One couple who recently worked on renovating their entire home have declared a ban on white paint for their redecorating project, and has now said they’ll never be going back to the shade again.

George and Andreea share regular updates on their renovation journey on Instagram, and a recent clip showed off the progress they’ve made in their bedroom.

When they moved into their home, the bedroom had dull cream-coloured walls and bright white skirting boards, but the pair have now transformed it into a cosy and warm room, with the walls now a gorgeous autumnal red shade.

For a “softer transition” between the walls and the woodwork, the couple has opted for a shade called “drop cloth”. The Farrow & Ball website describes it as a “gentle mid-grey beige” that is “neither too yellow nor too grey”.

Against the deep colour of the walls, the woodwork paint still looks like a white shade, but it’s not as harsh as an actual white paint would be – and it won’t be as much of a nightmare to keep clean.

In the text accompanying the video, Andreea wrote, “POV: You finally convinced your husband to stop using brilliant white on all the woodwork.”

They explained in the comments that they had used Valspar’s Tuscan Rooftop shade for the walls, and the skirting is “colour matched” to Farrow & Ball’s Drop Cloth, meaning it isn’t actually that brand but the colour is very similar.

Commenters on their post agreed that the colour looked much better than bright white. Many even said they’d been inspired to redecorate and ditch the white paint in their own homes as a result of the couple’s video.

One person said: “So much better! Brilliant white was never a good choice.”

Another added: “Wow, this is such a fantastic combination!”

A third wrote: “I love that it still looks white in contrast to the wall colour, but looks so much more relaxing and easy on the eyes.”