A House in Tones: The Paint Story of No.17
Every home tells its story in layers, through texture, proportion and light. At No.17 House, paint is never simply a backdrop. It is a material language in itself, chosen to soften, to cocoon, to ground. The palette is a restrained symphony of neutrals, stone, oatmeal and sage —nuanced neutrals that offer calm yet never feel flat. Each room carries its own whispered tone, shifting subtly as the light changes, yet the whole house hums in harmony.
At No.17 we favour a fully enveloping approach, colour-washing ceilings, walls and woodwork in the same tone so the eye drifts without interruption, allowing light and shadow — not paint lines — to shape the architecture.
LIVING ROOM, PRINCIPAL BEDROOM & FAMILY BATHROOM, BAUWERK LIMEWASH in STONE
The living room has become the heart of a new chapter with the addition of Bauwerk Limewash in Stone. We wanted to refresh the space and add interest ahead of something exciting launching very soon. Bauwerk Stone lives in that elusive off-white space, one that feels impossibly soft in daylight and deeply cocooning at night. Limewash offers what standard paint cannot: depth, movement, a mineral softness that recalls the weathered surface of an old stone wall. It absorbs and refracts light so that no wall ever feels static.
Morning light dances across its surface with a silken haze, while evening dimmers draw out its warmth, almost like candlelight etched into plaster. It really is the perfect off-white, not too warm, not too grey. The perfect tone to add history and depth to a room, the kind of finish that elevates the everyday act of sitting in a room into an experience of quiet retreat. We loved it so much that we carried Bauwerk Stone through to the master bedroom and master bathroom, creating a quiet continuity and a serene foundation for these more private spaces.
HALLWAYS in FARROW & BALL ALL WHITE and MARMARINO
In the hallways, the upper halves of the walls are dressed in natural white Marmorino plaster, a finish that feels both ancient and modern. Its chalky tactility captures the shifting light across the stairwell, giving every climb or descent a subtle drama. Below on the wainscoting, Farrow & Ball’s All White is clean and elegant, yet warm enough to sit effortlessly against the plaster and defined enough to anchor the architecture.
KITCHEN & DINING in BAUWERK STONE
The kitchen and dining spaces continue the narrative begun in the living room, with walls painted in Bauwerk Limewash in Stone. Carrying this finish through creates a sense of continuity, a palette that feels both calm and quietly dramatic. In the kitchen, Stone plays beautifully against marble worktops and natural oak. Its chalky texture absorbs glare from downlights, letting brass hardware and veined stone come forward. The walls are never flat: they shift from airy and pale in daylight to moody and grounded under the evening pendants. This gentle movement in tone gives the space a lived-in elegance, balancing the utilitarian with the poetic.
UTILITY in NEPTUNE SAGE GREEN
The utility is where function meets beauty and at No.17, we wanted to give our small but mighty space its own quiet voice. Painted in Neptune’s Sage Green, the room feels calm and restorative, a subtle nod to the outdoors and the magic of Kew Gardens. The shade is muted, dusty, and chalky, more herb leaf than jewel tone, so it slips seamlessly into the house’s neutral narrative while offering something distinctly fresh.
NURSERY in BAUWERK BONE LIMEWASH & LICK WHITE 01
The nursery carries the same gentle language but leans into warmth. Walls and ceiling are painted in Bauwerk Bone Limewash, a shade soft enough for textiles and toys to carry colour yet not so pale as to feel washed out. It is nurturing, sun-warmed, a shade that grows with the child rather than dating the space and is a perfect neutral tone for both boys and girls. The lower wall wainscoting and woodwork is painted in Lick White 01, the perfect warm white to complement the earthy neutral of the Bone.
