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

When antiques dealer and designer Will Green set about redecorating the entrance hall of his historic home, he wanted a colour scheme that would complement its 18th- and 19th-century character.

With worn timbers, aged surfaces and furniture collected over time, the house already had a distinctive personality. Rather than introducing something entirely new, Will turned to Edward Bulmer for advice on choosing colours that would sit comfortably alongside its original features.

Choosing Paris Grey for a historic entrance hall

After walking through the house together, Will and Edward settled on Paris Grey for the entrance hall.

Despite its name, Paris Grey has a gentle green character and a warmth that makes it particularly versatile alongside natural materials.

In Will’s west-facing entrance hall, Paris Grey provides a beautiful backdrop for lighter oak and pine furniture, complementing the patina of the surrounding architecture. The way a colour responds to daylight is an important consideration when decorating, as we explore in our guide to how natural light affects paint colour.

Will explains the thinking behind the scheme:

“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

Combining colour and practical paint finishes

One of the most interesting details of Will’s entrance hall is his use of different paint finishes in the same colour.

By applying Water-Based Gloss to the lower three-quarters of the walls and Natural Emulsion above, he created a subtle distinction between the surfaces while maintaining a cohesive colour scheme.

It’s a practical approach for a busy entrance hall, where walls need to withstand everyday knocks and marks, but it also introduces an attractive variation in texture and sheen.

Alongside Paris Grey, the richer tones of Mummy complement the natural timbers and architectural details, bringing another earthy note to the scheme.

Decorating with the character of the building

For Edward, working with Will was an opportunity to celebrate their shared appreciation of historic interiors and the materials that give them character.

“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

Created using carefully selected earth and mineral pigments, our colours draw on the long tradition of architectural decoration, making them particularly well suited to interiors where original materials and historic details are an important part of the design.

The result is an entrance hall that feels entirely at home within its surroundings, balancing the practical demands of everyday life with the character of the building.

Discover more about the project in Will Green’s original journal article, or explore Paris Grey and Mummy in our natural paint collection.