Colour Charts
The FinishGrid Reference Colour Chart
48 original screen-reference colours in eight families, chosen for Kenyan homes. Filter by family, undertone and lightness, select a colour to see where it suits and what pairs with it, and follow it into the palettes that use it.
The short answer
These are FinishGrid's own planning references (FG-C001 to FG-C048), not a manufacturer's colours or codes. Use them to settle on a direction, such as a warm off-white or a deep slate trim. Then ask your supplier for the closest colour in the product you are buying, and approve a painted sample.
Screen colours are approximate. Final appearance depends on lighting, surface, sheen and paint formulation. Always approve a physical painted sample before making your final selection.
Whites and off-whites (8)
Ceilings, trims and calm backgrounds. Small differences in undertone decide whether a white looks crisp, creamy or grey.
Creams and warm neutrals (6)
Soft, sunny backgrounds that sit easily beside timber, beige tiles and red or brown roofs.
Beiges and greiges (6)
Grown-up neutrals between beige and grey. They hide everyday marks better than whites and suit most roofs.
Greys and charcoals (6)
From pale dove grey to near-black. Light greys suit modern homes; the deep ones work best as trims, doors and accents.
Earth tones and terracotta (6)
Clay, laterite and brown colours that echo Kenyan soil, roofing tiles and timber.
Greens (6)
Quiet sages and eucalyptus for rooms, and deep greens for doors, gates and garden-facing details.
Blues and blue-greys (6)
Cool, airy pale blues and steady deep blues. Blue-greys bridge the gap between blue and neutral.
Warm and expressive accents (4)
Confident colours for one wall, a door or a child's room. Used in small doses, they give a neutral scheme its personality.
How to read the chart
- Undertone
- The hidden lean of a colour: warm (towards yellow or red), cool (towards blue or green) or neutral. Undertones decide whether colours sit happily together.
- Lightness
- A rough screen grouping: light, medium or deep. It is not a measured Light Reflectance Value (LRV), which only a paint manufacturer can give for a real product.
- Pairs well with
- Colours in this collection that sit well beside it, for trims, bands or an accent wall.
From screen to wall: approving a sample
- Narrow down to two or three colours here.
- Ask for those colours in the actual product and sheen you plan to use. Your supplier will match the closest colour from their own range; the names and codes here are FinishGrid's, not a manufacturer's.
- Paint sample boards (A4 or larger) or patches on the wall, with two coats.
- Look at them beside the roof, floor or furniture, on sunny and shaded walls, morning and evening.
- Approve one painted sample before buying all the paint.
Plan the next step
Chosen a direction? Work out how much paint the job needs, or ask for a second opinion on your colours.
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Paint Calculator
How much interior paint to buy for your rooms.
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Project Estimator
A planning budget for interior walls, exterior walls or a textured finish.
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Guides
Preparation, new plaster, damp and silk vs matt, explained.
Paid service
Paint, Colour & Finish Consultation
A paid FinishGrid Advisory service: written, brand-neutral advice on colours and finishes for your actual property, scoped with you first.