# Anchracite Walls for a workshop



## Molynoox (23 May 2022)

Hi All,

So I am about to paint my workshop and I was _*thinking *_I would do it in anthracite (dark grey). A bit radical, it could be too dark and 'cave like', but I thought I might try it....

thoughts?

Here is an image I found that I think helps visualise it:





A lot of my storage will be made out of plywood which is a light colour and that should pop quite well against the dark grey - I am hoping that means it wont all look too depressing. I could just paint it white and be done with it though.....
Also, I have really good downlighters in there, and a large french door and a window on front wall.

Here are some images of my workshop, just to give a feel, 4m x 3.5m:














I really cant be bothered painting this twice so if anybody has any thoughts good or bad I would love to hear them  

thanks
Martin


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## Bingy man (23 May 2022)

I assume you mean to paint all four walls? Personally I’d keep it light as in low light situations it could end up a bit gloomy. As a prominent feature wall -hell yes , go for it but maybe a lighter shade of grey for the other 3 walls as I reckon that not much light will be reflected back towards your work area ,, just my opinion mind


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## Suffolkboy (23 May 2022)

Personally I do everything I can to make my work spaces as light as possible. I'd be worried that would suck the light out of the room... 

A light grey might work?


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## mikej460 (23 May 2022)

I agree, one wall anthracite and 3 in something like Dulux Soft Pebble. If you want a french cleat wall then varnished ply strips would look great against the dark grey background.


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## Droogs (23 May 2022)

Just think about how the light absorbtion of the dark paint will make marking out more difficult. Best go for white or a pale colour


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## Doug71 (23 May 2022)

mikej460 said:


> I agree, one wall anthracite and 3 in something like Dulux Soft Pebble. If you want a french cleat wall then varnished ply strips would look great against the dark grey background.



This made me chuckle, best post ever, we need a new section dedicated to workshop interior design 

And funnily enough in my workshop I actually do have a grey feature wall with varnished Birch ply French cleats attached


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## Molynoox (23 May 2022)

mikej460 said:


> I agree, one wall anthracite and 3 in something like Dulux Soft Pebble. If you want a french cleat wall then varnished ply strips would look great against the dark grey background.


I reckon this is a winner. Looks like its called Polished Pebble:


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## Doug71 (23 May 2022)

And to answer the original question I agree with Mike and would just have one wall in the dark colour, probably an end one so you still get the light coming through the windows bouncing off the back wall. My workshop is white and everyone comments how nice and bright it is but personally I would prefer it a grey colour (but not too dark). 

I was working in a panelled room a few weeks ago which was painted a dark brown colour, looked stunning but even with all the lights on I still needed my head torch to see what I was doing, the walls just seemed to absorb all the light.


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## Molynoox (23 May 2022)

Doug71 said:


> This made me chuckle, best post ever, we need a new section dedicated to workshop interior design
> 
> And funnily enough in my workshop I actually do have a grey feature wall with varnished Birch ply French cleats attached


 I'm just doing my bit to add some contrast to all the useful and meaningful posts on here  

pictures of the french cleat wall or it doesn't exist...


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## mikej460 (23 May 2022)

Molynoox said:


> I reckon this is a winner. Looks like its called Polished Pebble:
> View attachment 136270


That's the one, we've just painted our cloakroom with it. It comes up a lot lighter than this though


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## Molynoox (23 May 2022)

I'm now wondering if I should even bother with the anthracite at all, I like the idea, but is it worth buying a tin of paint for just just one wall... It would look cool with the french cleats though.

Either way, I'm not doing anthracite on all four walls, I've been talked out of that one, and I'm not doing white either after Doug's comment.

So its probably going to be pebble on three walls and batman on one.

Martin


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## Doug71 (23 May 2022)

Molynoox said:


> I'm just doing my bit to add some contrast to all the useful and meaningful posts on here
> 
> pictures of the french cleat wall or it doesn't exist...



Only have this one I'm afraid, and for those interested the the grey is RAL 7035 which is Festool grey, yes I am that sad!

Thinking maybe some LED strips around the edge


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## Molynoox (23 May 2022)

Doug71 said:


> Only have this one I'm afraid, and for those interested the the grey is RAL 7035 which is Festool grey, yes I am that sad!
> 
> Thinking maybe some LED strips around the edge
> 
> View attachment 136271


looks great, pimping it up with LED lights would be a good move I reckon
I need to think about my lighting - it will all have to come off sockets as I didn't plan for it any other way and electrical work is done now - kinda wish I had put in a circuit for LED lights as I hate visible wires.

thanks fore the pic


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## mikej460 (23 May 2022)




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## Scruples (24 May 2022)

White and let the walls reflect the available light around causing a more even light. If, like me, you constantly change things around, pollyfilla won't show up on a white wall.


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## Rodpr (24 May 2022)

What about a nice sawdust beige?


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## redhunter350 (24 May 2022)

Could not think of anything worse than black !! As many have said a light colour is best, it reflects light. My choice would be light grey or buff
I recall being told that most industrial Machinery was painted either grey, blue or green with red on danger areas, the reasons being they are easy on the eye thus less tiring and when you think about it most of our world is blue, green or grey ! Sea, Sky, vegetation.


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## DJT48 (24 May 2022)

Paint it white. It will go grey or brown or black naturally over time.

You need light in a workshop.


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## RichElfin (24 May 2022)

Another vote for white,I've just painted my new shed white all round walls and ceiling inside and its so much better than my previous
shed which i just left as natural OSB and ply.Definitely a lot better for working in.


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## Trextr7monkey (24 May 2022)

_my double garage under the house was all grey when we moved in - concrete floor, concrete block walls and block and bison beam ceiling. I couldn’t wait to brighten it up. Floor went blue, walls yellow and white - whatever we had lying about and slowly it has gone all white which is great as despite a window and double doors it is artificially lit most of the time. 
To be honest grey is the last colour I would be looking at although we do have it in the house _


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## Spectric (24 May 2022)

light and airy will be a nicer place to work in, dark and dingy may dull your spirits.


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## Molynoox (24 May 2022)

I've followed all the advice.....























glad I put wheels on the bandsaw....

that's just a mist coat at the moment - I will apply second coat tomorrow, and then I have the option of the batman colour scheme on one or two of the walls - I'm feeling like 'white' might be 'right' though, it feels pretty nice in there.

Martin


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## Terry - Somerset (24 May 2022)

I agree with other posters - keep it white to optimise the lighting.

I like to keep the workshop reasonably tidy and organised.. However I seem to accumulate tools over time - impulse buys, particular tasks, upgraded tool, replacements for those that are worn.

Creating neat serried ranks of chisels or screwdrivers is photogenic, but what happens when when another size or brand is bought. Does one leave gaps which can be filled and accept that it will seem some are missing until the final purchase.

Boxes hanging off French cleats seem a clever solution - but with neat standard box dimensions, what do folk do when confronted by an oversized tool. Bigger box. New row of cleats. Remake all the old boxes.

In summary - some may see contemporary workshop design as a goal in itself - others as a place to work creatively


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## mikej460 (24 May 2022)

Terry - Somerset said:


> Boxes hanging off French cleats seem a clever solution - but with neat standard box dimensions, what do folk do when confronted by an oversized tool. Bigger box. New row of cleats. Remake all the old boxes.


A cleat system caters for all shapes and sizes of stuff - that's the beauty of it.


Terry - Somerset said:


> In summary - some may see contemporary workshop design as a goal in itself - others as a place to work creatively


and some of us like both..


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## g1_lo (2 Jun 2022)

Yeah keeping it white like most others have said will do a few things. Reflect natural light where its needed and help when you want to work in low light in the winter months. Also any dark colours will show up dust like no ones business. Also when I re designed my workshop many years ago I put as many items on castors as possible, and thought about workflow to get the most through put with minimal physical effort.


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