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Hallways, stairs and landings Chislehurst

A colour-washed hallway in Chislehurst

From silver grey to Farrow & Ball Shaded White, with every skirting, door and frame washed in the same colour for a contemporary look.

  • Shaded WhiteFarrow & Ball. Walls and woodwork
Hallway with greige walls, a white painted open-tread staircase, dark handrail and a matching panelled door
Walls in Farrow & Ball Shaded White, with the staircase in Aqua Guard Matt brilliant white and an Off Black handrail.

Moving a Chislehurst hall on from silver grey

These clients found us on TrustATrader. They wanted a change from the silver grey in their hallway, and a complete redecoration including the stair treads.

Testers, Shaded White and the colour-washing idea

We brought testers round and talked through what would work with the colours in the flooring and the feel of the hall. They chose Farrow & Ball Shaded White. We suggested colour-washing all the skirtings, doors and frames in the same colour, which gives a contemporary look and makes the space read as one.

The ground-floor glazed doors and the handrails went into Farrow & Ball Off Black, and the staircase was finished in Johnstone's Aqua Guard Matt in brilliant white. Everything was prepared from scratch first.

Colour-washing: the part our clients mentioned

A bright, soft hallway with the dark doors and rails giving it definition. The colour-washing was the part our clients hadn't thought of, and it's the part they mentioned in their review.

By Colin Fry, Founder and Director. Published . Last reviewed .

Checked and approved by Colin and Harry Fry, .

Editorial integrity: read our editorial standards.

Before and after

Silver grey and bare wooden rails first, then Shaded White and Off Black.

Looking down the stairwell during preparation, with dark wooden handrails and masking tape on the carpet
Looking down the white painted staircase from the top landing, with dark handrails
The same view down the stairwell, with the staircase in brilliant white and the handrails in Off Black.
Hallway before decorating, with grey walls, white glazed double doors and a dark wooden handrail
Low view along a hallway to a dark glazed door, with a white staircase on the left and dark glazed double doors
The ground floor glazed doors in Off Black and the walls in Shaded White, replacing the old silver grey.

Every photo from the job

Shaded White from the front door to the landing, and Off Black on every rail.

  • Hallway before decorating, with grey walls, white glazed double doors and a dark wooden handrail

    The existing silver grey walls, white glazed doors and wooden handrail the client wanted to change.

  • Landing chandelier wrapped in plastic with a stepladder over the stairwell during decorating

    The light fitting wrapped and the walls filled before the landing was redecorated.

  • Looking down the stairwell during preparation, with dark wooden handrails and masking tape on the carpet

    The bottom handrail already in Off Black, the varnished handrails above still to be painted.

  • Hallway with greige walls, a white painted open-tread staircase, dark handrail and a matching panelled door

    Walls in Farrow & Ball Shaded White, with the staircase in Aqua Guard Matt brilliant white and an Off Black handrail.

  • Hallway with a wood-effect floor, dark glazed double doors, a white staircase and the front door at the far end

    Farrow & Ball Off Black on the ground floor glazed doors, with the walls in Shaded White.

  • Dark painted glazed double doors along a hallway leading to a white front door

    The glazed doors in Off Black, with skirtings, doors and frames colour washed in Shaded White.

  • Low view along a hallway to a dark glazed door, with a white staircase on the left and dark glazed double doors

    The ground floor glazed doors in Off Black and the walls in Shaded White, replacing the old silver grey.

  • White balustrade with a dark handrail running up an open-tread staircase to the landing

    White spindles and treads in Aqua Guard Matt, with the handrail in Farrow & Ball Off Black.

  • Looking up the stairwell through white spindles to a ring ceiling light and mirrored panels

    Brilliant white spindles and strings up through the stairwell, with the handrails in Off Black.

  • Landing with greige walls, doors painted to match, a white balustrade with dark handrail and a mirror

    The landing walls in Shaded White, with doors and frames colour washed in the same colour for a contemporary look.

  • Two panelled landing doors and their frames painted the same shade as the walls

    Doors, frames and skirtings colour washed in Farrow & Ball Shaded White to match the walls.

  • Landing balustrade with white spindles and a dark handrail leading to doors painted to match the walls

    The landing, where the white balustrade and Off Black handrail meet the Shaded White walls and doors.

  • Looking down the white painted staircase from the top landing, with dark handrails

    The same view down the stairwell, with the staircase in brilliant white and the handrails in Off Black.

  • White open-tread staircase with an Off Black handrail rising from the hall, a cupboard beneath and a dark glazed door beyond

    The staircase in Johnstone's Aqua Guard Matt brilliant white with Off Black handrails, and an Off Black glazed door at the end of the hall.

  • Landing with a white balustrade and Off Black handrail between two pale panelled doors, a ring light and mirror panels

    The other side of the landing, the panelled doors and frames colour washed in Shaded White to match the walls.

  • Pale panelled door and deep skirting beside the curved bottom steps of a white staircase with an Off Black handrail

    By the front door, the door, frame and skirting colour washed in Shaded White, beside the brilliant white staircase.

  • Close-up of a dark handrail meeting a white newel post with an acorn finial

    The Off Black handrail against brilliant white spindles and newel post.

  • Dark painted handrail scroll seen from above, over white spindles and a wood-effect floor

    The scrolled end of the handrail, painted in Farrow & Ball Off Black.

  • Close-up of a white newel post and spindles under dark painted handrails

    Off Black handrails meeting a brilliant white newel post on the landing.

  • Close up of a dark painted handrail over turned white spindles and a newel finial, against a pale painted wall

    All three finishes together, Off Black handrail, brilliant white spindles in Aqua Guard Matt and Shaded White walls.

He suggested colour-washing (doors/walls/skirting all the same colour) which I didn't think of, we went for it and I'm delighted with the result.

Jodi, Chislehurst Read the review on TrustATrader
Landing with greige walls, doors painted to match, a white balustrade with dark handrail and a mirror

The landing walls in Shaded White, with doors and frames colour washed in the same colour for a contemporary look.

The company that DOESN'T live up to its name.

Gone off the colour in your hallway? Drop us a note and we'll talk through what would work with your floor.

Request a visit or call 07970 500150

Before you book us

The things we'd want to know if it were our house.

  • On the books since 2002

    Splat Decorating Ltd, company no. 04553807. Colin has been a director from the start.

    Check Companies House

  • Insured, and checked

    Our public liability insurance was verified by TrustATrader in May 2026.

    See our TrustATrader profile

  • The two of us, every day

    Colin and Harry Fry, father and son, do the work themselves. No subcontractors, no strangers in your house.

    About Colin and Harry

  • Paint we'd use at home

    Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Coat, Johnstone's, Dulux Trade, Zinsser and Sadolin. We buy it, so it never runs out halfway.

    Our prices, timings and paints