Picking that perfect neutral shade for your home is ever the laborious task that doesn’t start with 2 shades, but it’s normal to have at least 20+ differing shades that you have to whittle down. Sound familiar?
So, perhaps you have whittled it down to these two highly popular neutral shades by Dulux, Fine Cream & Timeless, but you just can’t decide which one would suit your home, and design plans.
In this blog we explore these two popular neutrals from Dulux, their complementary colours and which types of rooms these neutral, cream shades are suited to.
What Colour Is Dulux Timeless?
Dulux Timeless is a warm, creamy white shade that is a versatile, and dynamic white for every room in a home. It has yellow undertones which make it an ideal colour for North facing rooms as the yellow helps to counteract the coldness of blue light.
It’s also a much more forgiving white colour than a standard Dulux Bright White shade which will pick up every blemish, fingerprint and scratch. Trust me on this.
What Colours Go With Dulux Timeless?
Tonal Combinations
When picking complimentary colours, a paint chart is always needed to check undertones. For example, a yellow wall pairs well with a green neutral, or 2 neutrals from the same family such as pink and pink. But never combine yellow with blue as you will have a colour temperament clash.
In the case of Dulux Timeless you want to look for tonal combinations, other Dulux colours with a yellow undertone.
Both Pale Citrus and Citrus Zing paint colours are perfect for layering with warmth and a cohesive feel. If you don’t want to go down such a yellow route, combining with other neutrals will work best for you.
Neutral Combinations
As Timeless is a creamy, white shade it also pairs well with other neutral colours. Both Ashen White and Calming Meadow are great choices. Use Calming Meadow as a grounding colour in a space such as on architraves, skirting or doors.
Pretty much any neutral combinations work with a cream shade, think earthy greens, browns, greys, creams and whites. This colour scheme is perfect for many home decor styles including Scandic, earthy, modern, rustic and modern farmhouse.
Designer’s Choice Combinations
Whilst it’s best practice to follow the undertones of your main colour paint which in this case is yellow, rules were meant to be broken, right? The designer’s choices add instant warmth to the creamy white shade of Timeless.
Pretty Pink and Raspberry Diva are quite contrasting shades, but anything really does go with a shade such as Timeless. Don’t just think of paint colours here, whilst Dulux recommend paint colours, these shades could be used throughout home furnishings, cushions, throws and decor accessories.
Feeling brave? You might even want to pair it with blues for a coastal decor scheme, Mineral Mist is a beautiful pastel blue shade which is a great complementary colour for Timeless.
Earthy Colours
Timeless is neutral enough that it’s perfect for the base in any design scheme, and it looks great paired with earthy shades such as olive greens, rusty reds, browns and other cream shades.
The below living room has Timeless on half wall panelling with a gorgeous green like Overtly Olive above. It creates the most grounding and cosy scheme.
Additional Complementary Colours
There are so many other colours which are a great match for Timeless, here are just a few!
- Black
- Bright White
- Rusty reds
- Brown
- Greige
- Grey
- Blues
What Colour Is Dulux Fine Cream?
Dulux Fine Cream is a classed as a pale yellow with distinctive yellow undertones. This yellow based shade makes it a great choice for rooms with none, or minimal natural light as the yellow will counteract the natural blue light that makes a room feel cold.
What Colours Go With Dulux Fine Cream?
Tonal Combinations
When looking at paint charts, notice how those tiny little rectangular squares are cleverly arranged into colour groups? This is so it’s easy to see what undertone each of the whites and neutrals contain, from yellows to blues and greens, to reds, pinks and purples.
With Dulux Fine Cream in question, this popular Dulux shade has distinctive yellow undertones so it pairs well with other yellow colours. Dulux recommend a pairing of Soft Vanilla, a beautiful honey colour and Fresh Stem.
Neutral Combinations
If you’re looking to use Fine Cream in your home it’s likely you might want to create a neutral aesthetic too, and pairing with neutral combinations is a great way to achieve that soft, yet ultra relaxed feeling in your home.
Ashen White and Overtly Olive are great colour matches for Fine Cream. I’m such a stickler for pairing earthy greens and greige with creams such as Fine Cream as it creates such a cohesive, stylish space without much work. These additional colours can be easily introduced with furnishings, throws and cushions.
Designer’s Choice Combinations
Perhaps you want to use a neutral such as Fine Cream but you’re not afraid of colour and want o introduce some warmth for a really distinctive look.
Well, Dulux suggests both Spring Rose, a quintessentially pink shade, and Dusted Damson which is a mix of a deep purple, brown shade.
It pays to be different in an interior, and I actually love this trio of colours together.
Fine Cream & Darker Neutrals
Fine cream is a warm and uplifting neutral that pairs well with darker neutrals for a beautiful softness. Take note of the below bedroom which using a darker neutral on half wall panelling to ground the scheme.
Fine Cream is the perfect pairing, drawing the eye up and creating a warm, lighter feel in the room.
Fine Cream & Earthy Details
Like Timeless, earthy details and natural materials work beautifully against this warm off-white. Wooden furniture, seagrass, rattan and ceramic accents help to layer and create a cosy, lived in feel.
Additional Complementary Colours
There are so many other colours which are a great match for Fine Cream, here are just a few!
- Black – use as as defining accent in the scheme, such as on door hardware, decor accessories and frames
- Earthy Green
- Mustard
- Brown
- Bright White
- Greige
- Grey
Dulux Fine Cream or Timeless?
Dulux Fine Cream and Timeless are both incredibly difficult colours to choose between because they both have yellow undertones. If you’re looking to counteract blue light that comes from dark rooms, either of these colours are a great choice, but how do you choose between the two?
If you want a more understated, neutral shade I would personally opt for Timeless, whilst it does have yellow undertones, it looks like a warm cream, rather than Fine Cream which can look like a pale yellow in certain lights.
Get a tester pot of the two shades and paint a patch of them either side of each other in the room that they will be for.
Survey the shades during all times of the day, this part is important! Paint can look incredibly different in natural light, to the artificial light you use in the evening. Let it sit with you for a couple of days and it will make the decision for you!
Ultimately, if you want a more yellow shade opt for Fine Cream, if you want the benefits that come with yellow undertones but you want to keep things neutral, I’d go for Timeless all the way.
What shade is your favourite out of the two?
