White Done Right: A guide to navigating Craig & Rose’s whites
White is anything but simple and we understand that selecting the perfect white is an art form. Our curated collection of whites — crafted with undertones to harmonise with light, space, and style, our collection offers endless versatility.
Feb '25
White is anything but simple.
At Craig & Rose, where rich heritage meets modern design, we understand that selecting the perfect white is an art form. Our curated collection of whites — crafted with undertones to harmonise with light, space, and style, our collection offers endless versatility. Whether crafting a serene sanctuary or a bold architectural statement, discover how our whites adapt effortlessly in your home.
The Foundation: Harmonising Undertones
White is a chameleon. Its subtle it’s nuances — the whisper of cool blue, the hint of a golden cream, or the quiet neutrality that lets another colour’s sing. These undertones are the invisible curators of mood, shaping a room’s atmosphere long after the paint dries.
Step 1: Identify your room’s existing elements:
- Flooring: Is your oak floor oiled by honeyed patina (warm) or does your polished concrete lean cool with grey undertones?
- Furniture: A mid-century teak sideboard radiates warmth, while a steel framed sofa portrays cool modernity.
- Fixed Finishes: Marble countertops with veining? Note if they’re icy Carrara (cool) or a creamy calacatta (warm).
The Golden Rule:
At Craig & Rose, precision in undertones transforms spaces into cohesive narratives. Consider your room’s existing elements as characters in a story—each must complement the other.
Warm wood panelling? Pair with Regency White (antique ivory) Chalky Emulsion on walls—its honeyed undertones echo aged timber, creating a dialogue between heritage and warmth. Cool grey sofa? Frame it with Dutch White (balanced grey white) Eggshell on skirting boards, where the paint’s subtle grey-blue undertone sharpens modernity without sterility. But tread carefully: a cool grey carpet paired with Pale Mortlake Cream gloss woodwork (golden undertones) creates visual discord. The clash of warm and cool here draws attention to imbalance rather than intention.
Step 2: Break the Rules (Strategically)
If you crave contrast, intentionally mix undertones, then bridge the gap with art, textiles, or decor in complementary shades.
Warm Isabelline walls against cool steel shelving? Introduce linen cushions in Dutch White (balanced grey) to mediate. Cool Pantry White trim in a warm room? Add artwork with slate blue frames to echo the undertone.
Pro Tip: The Art of Testing – Beyond the Swatch
Light paints in dualities. A white that whispers at sunrise might shout contrast under artificial lighting.
Use a Moveable Canvas:
Whether a Sample Patch or painting a large swatch of your chosen white (Chalky White or Regency White) with a sample pot onto lining paper. This portable canvas lets you track how light shapes the colour.
Observe Its Dialogue with Light:
- Morning: Pin the swatch to a sunlit wall – does Broken White glow like fresh cream, or does Dutch White sharpen into a steely coolness?
- Afternoon: Move it to shaded corners. East-Facing rooms might mute warmth, as the sun moves, turning Isabelline from honeyed to hushed.
- Night: Test under artificial lighting. Does Whiting morph into a buttery gold under warm bulbs, clashing with cool tiled floors?
- Timing is everything! If the room is used mostly in the evening (e.g the dining room), prioritise how the white behaves at that hour.
Designer Insight: In north-facing rooms, blues and greys intensify. If Iona White appears glacial at midday but softens to serene stone at dusk, it’s a keeper—perfect for a snug where evening ambiance matters most
Embrace the journey! White is more than a colour – it’s a conversation between colour and light. Craig & Rose whites are crafted with nuanced undertones made to harmonise with your home, offering timeless cohesion or bold contrast depending on your vision.
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The Versatile Whites Colour Patches
1829 Vintage Collection
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Marble Dust
1829 Vintage Collection
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Regency White
1829 Vintage Collection
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Dutch White
1829 Vintage Collection
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Pale Mortlake Cream
1829 Vintage Collection
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Craftsman' s White
1829 Vintage Collection
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White Doe
1829 Vintage Collection
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Pantry White
1829 Vintage Collection
There is a particular kind of joy in taking a room you see every day and making it feel entirely new. It is a feeling that sits at the heart of our Colour Forecast 2026, and one we wanted to explore through a real transformation.
For this bathroom project, we partnered with Matt Hatt, whose playful, hands-on approach captures the pleasure of decorating from first idea to final reveal. Known for his theatrical touch and his instinct for pairings that are daring yet considered, Matt brings real warmth and personality to everything he touches.
His brief was one many will recognise: to bring personality and cohesion to a main bathroom that, while structurally sound with its subway tiles, black grout and classic fittings, felt out of step with the rest of his Victorian home. The space called for a palette that could honour its period character while introducing something confident and true to himself.
From the four curated palettes within Colour Forecast 2026, Matt was drawn to Timeless, a collection that pairs the elegance of heritage tones with the boldness to reinvent a room, grounded throughout by warm, enveloping neutrals
A Lifelong Love of Transformation
Ever since I was young I've enjoyed transforming the environment around me. I was one of those kids that would go up to my room, and spend all day, on my own, listening to music trying out new combinations before inviting my mum in for a 'Changing Room' style reveal. Always had a flair for the dramatics.
That feeling of making something you see everyday feel completely new has stayed with me, through the many flats I've rented over the years, to my first home that I bought 3 years ago with my boyfriend. Playing with colour and pattern and leaning into the joy of decorating.
Expert Knowledge, Distilled
As a self-taught interior 'creator', I'm always looking for tricks or expert knowledge that I can use in my transformations. Craig and Rose's Colour Forecast is just that, the brand's expert knowledge distilled down into 4 feelings you want and need your room to be in 2026.
The Room That Needed Warmth
Our main bathroom had been on my to do list for a while, the core of it was good, subway style tiles with black grout, a giant fitted bathroom cupboard, a classic white sink, but it lacked warmth, felt out of kilter with the rest of the house.
Why Timeless Stood Out
The Timeless immediately stood out, as they felt to me like they combined the elegance of colours that would suit my Victorian home with the boldness to create a whole new look, and the warmth through the neutrals I was craving.
Knowing that Craig and Rose had done all the hard work for me, and that any combination of beautiful colours from the palette would work helped me to be so decisive when choosing my colours.
Making It My Own
It left me more time to add some creativity into application, and use of colour. Paint is a hugely powerful way to change a space entirely, and by using some decorating tape and following the steps of the useful guide on painting the perfect stripes I now have the bathroom my Victorian home deserves. (Painting Perfect Stripes: A Step-by-Step Guide by Craig & Rose) I have achieved a real stand out space that makes me smile everyday. I adore the warmth of Mallord on the walls and ceiling, Papyrus and Oriental Red on the bath and cabinets, and pops of the energising Smalt on skirtings.
Looking Back
I think 12-year old Matt would be quite chuffed with how far we've come in our transformation skills.
Matt Hatt
The Bathroom a Victorian Home Deserves
With the hard work of colour selection already done, Matt was free to focus on the details that make a space personal, using decorating tape and a steady hand to bring striking painted stripes to life. The result is a bathroom that feels warm, characterful and entirely his own, from the depth of Mallord on the walls and ceiling to the pops of energising Smalt along the skirtings. It is a fitting reminder that, with the right palette to guide the way, a considered transformation can be as enjoyable to create as it is to live with.
His brief was one many will recognise: to bring personality and cohesion to a main bathroom that, while structurally sound with its subway tiles, black grout and classic fittings, felt out of step with the rest of his Victorian home. The space called for a palette that could honour its period character while introducing something confident and true to himself.
From the four curated palettes within Colour Forecast 2026, Matt was drawn to Timeless, a collection that pairs the elegance of heritage tones with the boldness to reinvent a room, grounded throughout by warm, enveloping neutrals
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