The bathroom, toilet and laundry are directly adjacent to each other and run off the hallway - the bedrooms are at the other end of the hallway. I've recently repainted the bathroom and toilet a water based gloss white and plan to paint the laundry in the same paint. I've painted the wooden bathroom and toilet window sills soft grey (subtle bluish tinge) in a high gloss enamel paint. Although I like the window sills in the bathroom and toilet painted grey as they match the tiles and suit those rooms, I don't want to use any more of the grey gloss.

I've been preparing the hallway to be painted and am getting stuck wondering what colour to choose for the walls, skirting boards and doors. I had almost thought of using the same gloss white the bathroom is painted in, but I'm not entirely sure I should. I'm also left wondering what colour to paint the skirting boards and doors. I'd like the colours to harmonise and don't want to go into any high contrasting rich colours. Dulux have a stone white paint I like and could use for the walls... any ideas? I'm open to suggestions at this stage.

The hallway is around 7 meters in length (21 feet) and runs off the kitchen/small family area.

Hi, frangipanis!

The first sort of colors that come to my mind to use would be different shades of blue. What color is the floor or carpet in the hallway, please? Also, would it be possible for you to post any images of what you've painted as compared to how the hallway now looks?

My suggestion is to use at least a satin or semi-gloss paint for the doors so that they can be washed.

Thanks!

Hi there, Clough! Nice hearing from you.

Different shades of blue sounds interesting, but I've been out and chose a paint called 'ocean pearl' which is a light and creamy off-white beigy colour that should look good on the walls.

You know, I must be the last person on the planet who doesn't own a digital camera so can't send any pics. I've decided to leave choosing the colour for the doors, skirting boards and door frames until I have the walls painted... hmmm... I don't want to end up with a mish-mash of colours, so will have to keep it subtle. Still open to ideas on this one.

The beige flecked carpet through the hallway really needs to be thoroughly steam cleaned. Kids who used to play bowls down the hall... you know what I mean :)

While you're about Clough, after putting the first coat of gloss enamel on a wooden window frame, I noticed there are cracks in the wood. Is it too late to fill the crack with wood filler and add the second coat?

Hi, frangipanis!

You're not the only only one who doesn't own a digital camera because, I don't either! Almost every image that I've put on the threads of this site because I have scanned them in or when the film was developed, I also purchased a Cd of them.

The cracks must be really small if you've just now noticed them. Instead of wood filler, I would just use a light spackling compound that would be easier to sand then wood filler.

We're a lost breed, you and I Clough. By the time I get around to buying a digital camera everyone else will have laser hologram images beamed onto their dining tables.

I'm very happy with the colour of walls and am feeling a lot freer about choosing from a wider range of colours for the skirting boards. I'll do the doors in the same colour as the walls.

Ta for the advice about the spackling compound (uh?? )... I hope that translates into Australian.

It's just a substance that you fill small crack and dents with before and during painting.

Please click on the following link.

DAP Spackling Compound - Google Search

DAP is one of many companies that makes spackling compound.

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Originally Posted by frangipanis

We're a lost breed, you and I Clough. By the time I get around to buying a digital camera everyone else will have laser hologram images beamed onto their dining tables.

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I also don't have a cell phone! :)

Ooohhhh... you are laid back about letting the world pass you by, Clough lol! Actually, the only reason I have a mobile phone is that my boyfriend gave it to me. It will be a pity if we ever break up :)

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Originally Posted by frangipanis

hi there, Clough! Nice hearing from you.

The beige flecked carpet through the hallway really needs to be thoroughly steam cleaned. Kids who used to play bowls down the hall.... you know what I mean :)

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No, I'm not sure what is meant by playing "bowls". Would you please explain?

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Clough

No, I'm not sure what is meant by playing "bowls". Would you please explain?

Thanks!

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It's a berber carpet (loop) in beige with brown flecks. The hallway carpet runs through to the bedrooms and is the same as the living room, where the carpet is fine. Only the hallway carpet is especially tackyt. Once the inside of the house is painted, I'll have the carpets steam cleaned and will see how the hallway comes up.

Bowls = ten pin bowling (plastic children's set) :)

Hi again, frangipanis!

Thanks for the explanation about the game of Bowls! I kind of figured that's what it was!

I am interested in how your project turns out. Also, if you need any advice on sanding or anything else about painting, would you please let me know? House painting and decorating is one of the things that I do for a living.

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Clough

No, I'm not sure what is meant by playing "bowls". Would you please explain?

Thanks!

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Yes, the kids had some fun bowling down the hallway for a while :)

Thank you for your interest, Clough. I really do appreciate the fact you're around to offer your expert advice.

Ray is a whiz at home building but has an urgent storage need at the moment and is busy building a garage. As I'm keen to get on with renovating my home, I'm mostly doing it on my own. He took a look at the walls this evening and is loaning me his small electric sander and putty filler to prepare the walls better for painting, and he's been good at showing me how to clean the brushes properly and look after them. It's helpful to know simple things like having a brush only for enamel paint, another for water based paints. Ray didn't know about spackling compound by the way, so it goes to show you learn something new everyday and it pays to ask for another opinion.

After your question about the carpets today, I started to wonder if it would be possible to replace just the hallway carpet... unless a different carpet in the hallway alongside the bedroom carpets would look too tacky. I know I'm stating the obvious here, but since the hallway carpet connects to the bedroom carpets, is it possible to now cut the carpet at the doorways? If it's possible, I wonder if an off-cut of carpet would do the trick. What do you think?

I'm not sure what you mean by "an off-cut of carpet". I don't have any problem with carpets in adjoining rooms being a different color. Each room has its own separate look and identity. It's a matter of personal preference and taste.

If a different carpet in the hallway would look fine, I'll certainly give it more thought. An off-cut of carpet is left-over carpet from a large roll, which I believe you can buy and is much cheaper. The hallway is only around 1 meter wide (3 feet) and 7 meters long (21 feet), I'm guessing. However, a professional would need to lay the carpet on the floor. I'll have to find out how much it might cost... hmmm... thanks for planting the idea.

You're welcome!

It was just some food for thought...

The spackling compound worked perfectly, Clough. It dries quickly too, which makes it handy.

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Originally Posted by frangipanis

the spackling compound worked perfectly, Clough. It dries quickly too, which makes it handy.

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Cool, I'm glad that it helped! You know, its not really all that hard to lay carpet yourself.

Just some other food for thought...

Having seen carpet being laid Cough, I'm not sure I'm up to it. I'm only 5 foot and probably don't have the sort of physical strength or even the tools that are needed. What did you have in mind though?

What do you think of Golden Jasmine2 for the skirting boards, Clough?
Hope

The doors will be two tones darker than the walls that are similar to the creamy white in the pic with the fireplace.
http://www.dulux.co.uk/colours/colle...sic_whites.jsp

I did go to the first link that you provided, frangipanis. But, it's taking a long time for it to open up because I'm on a really slow dial-up connection. I do promise that I will look at what's on both of the links that you have provided, but probably not tonight for me. It's very late here...

Concerning the carpet laying - since this is a hallway, it might be feasible for you to do it since it's not a large room. I would think that something like a carpet stretcher could be rented and the other tools that you would need would be those that most people would normally have on hand for basic home repairs.

There's quite a bit of information available on the Internet how to do it yourself.

How to Lay a Carpet - Google Search