Everything you need to know about Little Greene

By Molly Malsom

Published: Thursday, 04 November 2021 at 12:00 am

Who is Little Greene?

Little Greene is an independent, family-run paint manufacturer in Britain. They have a strong ethos centred around sustainability, creating paint and wallpaper with minimal impact on the environment.

Their paints and wallpapers are heavily inspired by historic decoration trends stemming back 300 years, focusing on designs from the 17^th century through to the late 20^th century. Colours and designs have been carefully chosen and created based on in-depth research of historic homes and archives through the centuries.

Are Little Greene paints eco-friendly?

In 2004, Little Greene was one of the first UK paint manufacturers to achieve the European standard for Environmental Management Systems, which helps organisations to reduce their environmental impact.

All of its water-based paints carry the industry’s lowest eco-rating (the VOC content is now virtually zero) and are made in the UK. Paint tins are made using over 50 per cent recycled steel and can be recycled again after use.

More recently, the company’s oil-based paints have been reformulated using sustainable vegetable oils, while their Absolute Matt Emulsion, Intelligent Matt Emulsion and Intelligent Eggshell are tested to ‘Toy Paint Regulations’ which makes them a safe choice for decorating children’s rooms.

Overall, the company has reduced its waste by 57 per cent in the last three years, showing a real commitment to the environment.

Competition:

Win £250 to spend on paint and wallpaper at Little Greene

Enter now

What are the best Little Greene paint colours?

As winter approaches, Little Greene suggests embracing darker shades such as inky Basalt for wrap-around comfort, or pairing sumptuous shades like Jewel Beetle with dark, rich hues like Chocolate Colour.

There are just shy of 200 colours in the range, and over 50 of these have been accurately recreated from paint analysis in historic properties, from the Georgians right up to the 1950s, making them an appealing choice for period homes.

What are the best Little Greene wallpapers?

Little Greene have collaborated with the National Trust to create sympathetic wallpaper designs based on the interiors of historic homes. In their second collection, National Trust Papers II, there are seven different designs, all offering a selection of different colour ways.

Paying homage to designs and patterns created over the past 400 years, the new collection features design elements taken from the Georgian and Victorian era, as well as a leather wall-hanging and a 15^th century tapestry amongst decorative items offering inspiration.

1. Massingberd Blossom

This wallpaper from the collection is based on a British Edwardian design at Gunby Hall, dated c. 1905. The oriental design was a popular trend of the era, often depicting nature and wildlife. This wallpaper design comes in 7 colour options: Verditer, Deep Blue, Pale Blue, Oriental, Mineral, Yellow, and Grey.

2. Mandalay

The Mandalay wallpaper design has been taken from leather wallcoverings on display at Bateman’s in East Sussex, dating c. 1712. Inspired by 17^th century Indian chintzes, the flower tree design is available in four colours: Archipelago, Arbour, Pollen, and Ceviche

3. Tulip

Erdigg house in North Wales inspired this scrolling foliage design, dating back to 1898. Available in seven colour ways: Powder Blue, Aqua, Cloud, Pale Grey, Sugar, Theatre, and Blue Black.

4. Beech Nut

A Georgian wallpaper design, Beech Nut has been created from a wallpaper featured in Norfolk’s Oxburgh Hall c. 1782 that would have originally been block printed. Although the original would have been produced in a more subtle grey tone, this wallpaper comes in six colours: Cordoba, Summer, Delicate, Rubine, Florence, and Warm Grey.

5. Burges Snail

Taken from a William Burges design featured on the walls of a bathroom at Knightshayes Court in Devon, this wallpaper is the most playful of the collection. Burges Snail is available in seven colours: Ocean, Dark Blue, Travertine, Lemon, Silver, Juniper, and Rosie.

6. Millefleur

A delicate, floral designs, Millefleur has been created from the rarest piece in the collection; a 15^th century tapestry dated 1478 displayed at Montacute House. The oldest tapestry in the National Trust’s care, this wallpaper has been created in four different colour ways: Chambray, Garden, Knight, and Masquerade.

7. Moy

The Argory in Northern Ireland is to the 19-th century design the Moy wallpaper was created from. A unique design, the original wallpaper was made using water colour paints, creating a more textured effect. Moy wallpaper is available in seven colours: Pink, Red Ochre, Lime, Blue, Ash, Pompei, and Mall.