The best utility rooms all have one thing in common - a beautiful colour scheme. Despite being hidden off the side of a kitchen or the back of a house, your utility room colour scheme deserves to be just as thoughtfully considered as the rest of your home, and these Farrow & Ball shades are the best place to start.
The heritage paint brand has created palettes with an instantly identifiable quality, in turn creating a high-end design that exudes elegance - even if it is a small and function-first space. While utility room ideas put practicality before anything else, choosing a scheme you love will bring joy to these everyday laundry and cleaning tasks.
So which Farrow & Ball shades work best in a utility room? These three popular colours will feed on beautifully from your kitchen for a chic space that inspires productivity.
1. French Gray
Grey kitchens appear to have gone down in popularity over the last few years in favour of warm-toned neutrals, but French Gray by Farrow & Ball is the exception. It's really more green than grey, making it perfect for a utility room that is close to the garden as it helps to link the two together.
'Utility rooms deserve the same thought as kitchens or living spaces - with the right palette, they become beautiful, characterful rooms you actually enjoy spending time in,' explains Melissa Hutley, Interior Designer & Co-Founder of Hutley & Humm.
'Choosing the right paint colour can completely transform how this hardworking room feels day to day. French Gray is a favourite for its soft, sage-tinged neutrality - calm, timeless, and quietly uplifting, especially in spaces with little natural light.'
The name is deceiving - this shade actually leans more sage green than it does grey. It will look classic on Shaker cabinetry.
2. Green Smoke
As utility rooms are such a small area, they can benefit from a moodier colour scheme that draws the room inwards.
'Green Smoke is ideal for achieving that cosy ‘cottage’ or ‘farmhouse’ look that has become a popular trend in kitchens,' explains Michael Bolland, managing director at The Paint Shed.
'Its calming colour helps soften the stresses of a busy kitchen, making the heart of the home feel grounded and safe. From a practical perspective, Green Smoke is available in a range of finishes suited to kitchen spaces. The Dead Flat formula, for instance, is washable, wipeable, and scuff-resistant, making it perfect for withstanding the demands of daily kitchen life.'
Sitting somewhere between green and blue, Green Smoke has an antique touch popular in homes in the 19th Century. It pairs beautifully with paler tones like Farrow & Ball's Eddy or Vert de Terre.
2. Sulking Room Pink
Pink kitchens became a big trend a few years ago, and I still can't get enough of them. While I believe pale pink is essentially a neutral, it's understandable that others might feel differently about decking their kitchen out in this hue.
Instead, a utility room is the perfect place to experiment with a more playful shade. Pale pink is the ultimate choice as it adds personality while still opening up the room and adding light - and Farrow & Ball's Sulking Room Pink is the way forward.
Sulking Room Pink is a slightly more 'grown-up' shade of pink. It's a muted rose with lots of warmth, making your utility a comforting space to enter.
Sulking Room Pink is the perfect rosey shade for living spaces. It will turn a utility room in a beautiful space that isn't just rooted in practicality.
A utility room is a great opportunity to experiment with a different colour scheme, but if you want to coordinate with your cooking area, take a look at the best Farrow & Ball shades for a kitchen to inspire your new look.
