The new system provides better gloss retention, chalks less and has a faster drying time. It is more weather resistant and easier to paint with.

Little Greene’s Exterior Masonry Paint is easy to apply and quick to dry.

It has a smooth, matt finish that resists dirt retention, and with such a beautiful range of shades, there is a paint for walls everywhere, from townhouses to cottage gardens.

For a Little Greene Colour Card click here

“It’s worth remembering that no colour works in isolation and finding a new, successful combination can be rewarding and exciting.”
David Oliver, Design Director of Paint & Paper Library

Understanding colour is one of the most difficult aspects of decoration to get right because there are no absolutes. It has as much to do with light as pigments and neither is constant. When selecting a colour it is important to decide:

• where to make definitions and where to create sufficient emphasis to catch the eye in terms of the transition from light to dark and warm to cool.
• Although the possibilities are unlimited when it comes to combining colour schemes, these typically fall into three general groups: monochromatic, related or contrasting.

The monochromatic Colour Scheme

These are based on one colour, which is adjusted by adding white to lighten the hue or black to darken it, producing a graduated tint or shade that works theoretically through the whole room. Colour schemes using this approach tend to be tranquil, stylish and easy to update. In fact a monochromatic scheme is regarded as one of the easiest to achieve or revive without fuss. It is perfect for minimalist décor and provides a fantastic backdrop for displaying fine painting, a favourite object or eclectic collection.

The related or analogous colour scheme

This consists of three colours that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel. The middle colour is referred to as the ruling or key colour -one dominant with two supporting colours. The harmonious aspect of the related threesome is frequently seen in natural flora or fauna.

The contrasting colour scheme

This is based on colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, creating a complementary opposite (red/green, orange/blue, yellow/violet). When the complementary pair is placed side by side, the maximum amount of contrast is created and the colours enliven each other, so they can look brighter and more intense than usual. This is particularly effective when used in a ying yang style approach – to accentuate or highlight a favourite object, painting, or architectural focal point.

This product has the same hallmark Farrow & Ball mattness and depth of colour to achieve a seamless look from inside to outside the home.

Farrow & Ball customer Services receive queries on the suitability and preparation for this finish during the Spring and Summer months, mainly on newly rendered surfaces.

Consider the age of the render (F&B recommend at least 6 months drying time. This allows sufficient moisture evaporation
and curing of the render).

Ensure all algal/fungal growth is completely removed prior to the application of paint. (The durability of this finish is directly related to thorough preparation).

Farrow & Ball Exterior Masonry Paint is supplied ready for use, but 10% water may be added to assist application on sound bare surfaces.

For powdery or unstable mortar or render, apply Farrow & Ball Stabilising Primer.

o Available in 5 litres
o Available in over 100 colours
o Minimal VOCs
o Recoat 5 hours
o Water vapour permeability 289.9gms/m²/24hrs (2 coats)

The Alcro exterior wood painting system, Bestå, has been specially developed to cope with Sweden’s variable climate, which is why they can guarantee that it will protect a façade for up to 15 years.

Looking to the future, means looking to the environment and climate change. Alcro-Beckers are to the forefront in this area and have more eco-labelled products than any other paint manufacturing company.

Click here to view product

Alcro Beckers is a Swedish company where some the worlds finest timber and timber coatings originate.

For further information why not order a Beckers Exterior Wood colour card.

From the beautiful White Garden at Sissinghurst, to humble back-to-back terraces in Birmingham, the National Trust palette references a wealth of architectural, garden, landscape and archival design detail.

The complex and subtle shades thus originated remain rooted in our cultural heritage and now, reworked and reinvented, are perfect for use in the modern home.

Available to buy online from the 17th May 2010.

Pictured is Teatro, the latest collection from Osborne & Little.

Osborne & Little’s innovative designs are regularly selected for international projects in the leisure industry.

The Osborne & Little design studio can both customise existing designs to meet specific requirements and finishes and accept commissions for original designs to a given brief.

Further information can be seen here.