So, what is a neutral shade?

[Redwall]

Did anyone mention Magnolia yet?

[Harvestman]

I just use white, but then there's so much stuff in the house that colours would be an overkill. I decorate with bookcases

Seriously though, Tengu ignore this horde of blokes recommending old aged clothing colours

Go and have a look at 'tones' in the paint charts.
Find something that's fixed in each main room (like your tiles) and find a warm or cool tone that works with it. Like very, very pale creamy peach with terracotta, or pale blue which works with it too Remember that curtains and blinds and lightshades are an easy way to introduce colour and interest in a plainish room.

Don't go all dizzy and have one room blue, one purple, one green, one grey, though; find shades that works gently throughout the house. Subtle is the word. Tones and hint of tint are a good way to make rooms look open and airy and spacious and warm or calm. Unremitting mushroom coloured walls aren't a good idea, and modern, "make a statement!", sixties style wallpapers can be a very personal choice. Borders can pick up colours, but in a rented house......they are often too easily damaged/need restuck at edges and ends.

It's okay for Dharma to have orange ceilings, she's an unreconstructed hippy and it suits her somehow
but I don't think it's quite you or something most people looking to rent would find appealing; white ceilings are simple, clean and easily maintained.

Basically you want a clean, clear and relatively plain interior that whoever moves in can live with, without feeling either overwhelmed or depressed.

Gentlemen..........I married a man whose idea of bachelor house painting was grey ...........don't do it Tengu, trust me on this, it's blooming awful
Took me months to remove that battleship grey from all the glosswork in the house I don't care 'how' trendy it might be now, it's boringly depressing and always looks slightly grubby.

Clean, simple, scrubbed and smelling fresh, and the house will have more appeal than something screaming of someone's personal idiosyncracies, and it won't cost you a fortune in interior decoration either

Best of luck with it
M

"Aaaaww, muuum, you always spoil our fun..."

[Toddy]

"Aaaaww, muuum, you always spoil our fun..."

Very OT kind of thread for us really though

M

[santaman2000]

BTW, having magnolias growing everywhere down here, I can tell you they're white.

[Tengu]

The tree in the garden next door to my dads has white flowers with a pink flush.

You are right, I have never seen pale cream magnolias!

[southey]

Hmmmmmmmmm

[beamdune]

Just go with a cream of some kind - think I used Crown Antique Cream - boring? yes, but its looks fresh, clean and light. Also looks a lot nicer than the white I had used previously.

Homebase seem to have a half price sale on lots of paint at the moment - 2.5 litre pots of Crown paint for £10

[rik_uk3]

Posh totty Kirstie Allsop always recommends Magnolia; can't go wrong.

[DaveBromley]

quite surprised at all the blokes answering this, I definitely subscribe to the "blokes only see in 16 colours. Mauve is NOT a colour" school of thought myself lol.

In all seriousness though i think that White is right in this circumstance and colour can be added with accent items such as colours vases etc.

HTH

Dave

[demographic]

Just do it magnolia, or plain white.

Don't faff about with loads of colours and when your tenants move out its dead easy to repaint it.

[Teepee]

I'll put my day job hat on as a Decorator

The vast majority of my clients asking for rental properties to be decorated go for white and magnolia, with more and more choosing a 'not quite magnolia tint' because its old hat. Magnolia is a very forgiving colour to less than perfect wall texture-add to that its neutral and stays looking fresh whilst not showing dirt too badly. Its a great colour, spoilt only by its popularity and the fact I've painted too many hundreds of rooms in it.
Magnolia and white are the cheapest paint colours by far and come in large 10-15 litre pots; another reason for its popularity as maintainence cycles are far cheaper.

From the sounds of your existing colours, something along the lines of Almond white (a nice creamy yellow), Gardenia (almost magnolia) or Dulux Hessian will go well if you don't want the dreaded magy.

I'd steer clear of white for a rental unless its toilets and kitchens-it shows dirt badly. Toilets and kitchens should have a washable finish and white is fine for it as the dirt will clean off easily.

[santaman2000]

The tree in the garden next door to my dads has white flowers with a pink flush.

You are right, I have never seen pale cream magnolias!

Pure white with green rubbery leaves; here you go www.floridagardener.com/FLNatives/Magnoliagrandiflora.htm

I should know this one. Growing up in Mississippi it was my State tree and State flower.