Inside Will Green’s historic home: decorating with Paris Grey and Mummy

When Antique Dealer and Designer Will Green invited us to help shape the palette for his entrance hall, the intention was never to overwrite the character of the house, but to work in quiet conversation with it. The home, layered with 18th- and 19th-century details, already carried a strong sense of narrative: worn timbers, softened surfaces and the gentle patina that only time can create. Come with us as we step inside Will Green’s historic home.

Will has an instinctive understanding of these details. Like many collectors and restorers, he sees beauty not in perfection, but in atmosphere, proportion and permanence. Rather than stripping away the character of a space, his approach is to preserve and extend it, allowing old materials and inherited textures to speak for themselves.

Together, Will and Edward explored colours that would sit naturally within the architecture and changing light of the house. They settled on Paris Grey for the walls, a warm, understated neutral that shifts beautifully throughout the day. Though grey by name, the colour carries soft green undertones that give it depth, softness and remarkable versatility, particularly in west-facing spaces.

To anchor the scheme, they paired it with Mummy, a rich and grounding shade that brings warmth and quiet drama to woodwork and architectural details. The two colours work harmoniously together, complementing lighter oak and pine timbers, aged surfaces and the restrained elegance of the entrance hall.

Throughout the project, the focus remained on creating a palette that felt timeless rather than trend-led, colours that belonged to the house rather than dominating it. This philosophy sits at the heart of our approach to natural paint.

Read Will’s journal piece HERE.

“When it came to decorating our own entrance hall at home, I wanted something that was sympathetic to its 18th and 19th-century history, so we spoke to colourist Edward Bulmer to discuss the ideal shade for the space.

We had a walk around the house for some context and settled on Paris Grey, which felt right for the west-facing room. Grey may be in the name, but it feels incredibly warm and slightly green in the space. It works wonderfully with lighter coloured timbers, like 19th-century oak and pine, which suit the type of furniture that belongs in our fairly humble entrance hall.

We used their durable, water-based gloss three-quarters of the way up the wall for the hardiness needed to withstand little hands, muddy boots and wet dogs, which has added further depth to the warm neutral tones of Paris Grey – finishing the rest of the walls in their chalky emulsion.”

Will Green, Antiques Dealer

At Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, we make colours using natural earth pigments and plant-based binders, creating paints with a depth and softness that synthetic formulations often lack. Like the interiors Will creates, our paints are designed to age gracefully, breathing with the building and responding subtly to light, texture and surrounding materials.

The result is an entrance hall that feels calm, grounded and entirely at ease with its history, a thoughtful example of how natural paint and carefully considered colour can transform a space without losing what makes it special.

Shop our natural colour library.

“Will is one of those rare people who, together with his wife Hayley, has the ability to see the narrative embedded in what he is looking at – whether it’s a Georgian lowboy or an old lath and plaster wall. He treasures patina, accepts time-honoured wear, and seeks for his touch to be a continuation of what makes a piece or an interior special.

It was a delight, and therefore a fairly easy task, to guide him through a palette that would complement colours he and Hayley had already mixed themselves.

This was because we too use natural pigments and we understand the mix that brings you colours that are grounded in history but with a timeless (and modern) feel.”

Edward Bulmer