Just when we thought we couldn't fall in love with Stanley Tucci anymore at Ideal Home, he revealed that the paint idea for the kitchen cabinets is in one of our favourite paint shades from Farrow and Ball.
In an Instagram post over the weekend, the actor and author of Taste, Stanley Tucci finally answered the question that his followers have been begging to find out 'what colour is the kitchen?' At last, we have the answer, it is Down Pipe from Farrow and Ball.
In the video 9while making peas and ribeye steak for dinner), after prompting from his filming assistant on what colour the kitchen is he reveals: 'It's a Farrow and Ball Down Pipe, it sounds rude doesn't it?'
After the revelation, Farrow and Ball even temporarily re-christened the shade 'TucciBlue' in an April Fool's prank. But the elegant Tucci kitchen colour scheme is no laughing matter, whether the grey shade was Stanley's or his wife, Felicity Blunt's, choice, it is one we at Ideal Home think is a match made in heaven for cabinets and shelving.
In fact, this writer has spent many meetings admiring Farrow and Ball's Down Pipe paint, as it is the exact colour our Ideal Home Editor-in-Chief, Heather Young, used on the shelves in her home office.
'Down Pipe was top of my list of colours to introduce to our new home, and the built-in shelving in my office was my first opportunity to use it,' says Heather. 'It's such a versatile shade – it can feel both energising and cosy, depending on the time of day. And it's perfect for cabinets and shelving that are under constant use, because the dark colour means any scuffs or marks don't show up.'
Heather actually loves the shade so much, she's planning to take it further. 'At the moment I've only used Down Pipe on the wall of shelving, but I've decided I want to paint the whole room the same shade,' says Heather. 'I'm completely converted to using dark colours in my home, and recently painted my living room even darker in Farrow & Ball's Railings.'
While Down Pipe might appear to have a blue-ish tint in the Tucci kitchen it is actually a dark grey. 'Down Pipe, the perennial F&B favourite dark has so much versatility as a paint colour - although perception is dark grey, the underlying green notes give it a softness and a warmth that most dark greys lack,' explains Patrick O’Donnell, Farrow and Ball's International Brand Ambassador.
Patrick points out that kitchen cabinetry is not the only 'point of call' for this classic shade. 'It makes an elegant statement for a house exterior on woodwork and works beautifully with most render, stone or brick.'
'It also created a perfect foil for a gallery wall display on either your stairs or living room and will let your art register wonderfully against the dark, sultry tones.'
If you're keen to get the same look as Stanley Tucci and our Editor you can order a tester pot of Down Pipe for £5.50 from the Farrow and Ball website. A 2.5 litre pot of modern emulsion is priced at £59.
While the pigmentation of Farrow and Ball paint really can't be beaten, but if you can't stretch to that price and are desperate to try out a similar shade Dulux Thunder Clouds is a strong alternative and £10 cheaper.
If you're planning a spot of repaint-ing this Easter weekend, consider being bold and taking your cabinets and shelves to the dark side.
