The powder room edit
There is a room in every home that most people treat as an afterthought. Small, usually windowless, visited briefly. But the powder room is the one space where guests spend time alone, where they close the door and actually look at the walls. It deserves something better than a leftover neutral.
These four colours were chosen for rooms that earn a second glance. A deep red with the warmth of aged claret. A rich earthy brown that reads as almost black in low light. A forest green that feels enveloping rather than oppressive. A blue so deep it holds the room like still water. Colours for walls that are meant to be noticed.
None of these are easy choices. That is rather the point.
The 4 colours at a glance
- Montmartre Rouge — a classic romantic red inspired by evening light over the rooftops of Montmartre, samples from £5.50
- Périgord Truffle — a deep, earthy brown inspired by the prized black truffles of southwest France, samples from £5.50
- Black Forest — a rich, very dark green inspired by the dense evergreens of Germany's legendary forest, samples from £5.50
- Sydney Harbour — a deep, rich blue inspired by the iconic harbour at dusk, samples from £5.50
Montmartre Rouge
Paris at dusk, when the last light catches the zinc rooftops of Montmartre and turns everything the colour of old wine. That is what Montmartre Rouge carries into a room. This is a red with history in it — not bright or declarative, but warm and a little shadowed, the kind of red that has been around long enough to know better than to shout.
In a powder room it works with almost nothing else. White fixtures, a dark floor, a single mirror. The colour does all the work. On a north-facing wall it deepens into something closer to claret. On east or south-facing walls it opens slightly, revealing its warmth. Either reading works. Both are worth testing with a sample first.
Montmartre Rouge suits dining rooms and hallways with equal conviction. Anywhere the brief is drama without effort. The ultra low VOC formula means you can paint a small room and close the door without ventilating for hours — the sort of practical detail that matters more than it sounds.
Order a sample of Montmartre Rouge from £5.50.
Périgord Truffle
The Périgord region of southwest France is defined by one thing above all others: the black truffle, buried in the earth beneath oak trees, discovered by instinct rather than sight. Périgord Truffle takes its name and something of its character from that — a deep, grounding brown that reads dark enough to be dramatic but warm enough to feel human.
This is not a neutral stretched to its limit. It is a fully committed brown, rich with earthy undertones, sitting at the darker end of the palette where chocolate meets raw timber. In a small room it wraps rather than crowds. On heritage woodwork it is particularly convincing — the kind of shade that looks as though it belongs to the building.
Powder rooms, downstairs cloakrooms, hallways with period cornicing. Anywhere the architecture has something to say and the paint should support rather than compete. Sample Périgord Truffle from £5.50 to see how it reads in your light before committing to a full tin.
Order a sample of Périgord Truffle from £5.50.
Black Forest
Germany's Schwarzwald is one of those places where the trees grow close enough that midday feels like dusk. A forest so dense it has its own mythology. Black Forest, the paint, carries something of that atmosphere — very dark green, almost black, with enough depth to absorb light rather than reflect it.
It is an enveloping colour rather than an expansive one. In a powder room this is not a limitation — it is the point. The room becomes interior in the best sense: a space that feels deliberate and complete. Brass or antique bronze fixtures read beautifully against it. White ceramic is crisp. Natural stone flooring settles into something almost Nordic.
Made to order in the UK, ultra low VOC, true matt under 2% sheen — which on a dark colour means the walls absorb rather than bounce, keeping the drama even under overhead lighting. Order a sample of Black Forest from £5.50 and paint a full wall before deciding. Dark colours reward commitment.
Order a sample of Black Forest from £5.50.
Sydney Harbour
Sydney Harbour at dusk is a particular kind of blue — not the postcard turquoise of the afternoon but the deeper, darker water that forms as the light drops, when the opera house turns white against a navy sky. That is the blue this colour is named for. Rich, bold, and completely certain of itself.
In a powder room it reads as a statement without needing anything to support it. White fittings glow against it. Gold hardware lifts it. The matt finish keeps it from feeling cold or corporate — deep blue in flat paint has an almost textile quality, closer to indigo denim than gloss enamel.
Sydney Harbour suits rooms that see little natural light — the depth of the colour works with shadows rather than against them. North-facing cloakrooms, internal powder rooms, hallways with borrowed light. Anywhere a lesser colour would look simply dim, this one looks considered. Start with a sample from £5.50.
Order a sample of Sydney Harbour from £5.50.
How to order
All 4 colours are available as 125ml sample pots from £5.50, with next-day delivery on orders over £60. Every colour is made to order in the UK, ultra low VOC, and safe for children, pets, and the rest of us who would rather not be breathing paint fumes.
If you have already tested your colour and you know it is the one, full tins start from £28 for a litre, up to £88 for five litres which will cover most rooms twice over.
Any questions, we are always on Instagram at @placepaints. We actually reply.
