Mylands Paint | Downton Abbey

For over 130 years, Mylands has remained one of the best-kept secrets of London’s master decorators and interior design specialists. Their unique range of paint and wood finishes deliver something very special and that’s why they are the first choice for the most exacting residences and the most visually stunning film and theatre sets.

It’s therefore no surprise that Mylands has been selected as the paint of choice for the sixth series of the award-winning period drama Downton Abbey. Mylands paints have been used throughout the hit show providing the perfect backdrop to the grand Edwardian style interior of majestic Downton Abbey, set in Yorkshire at the turn of the 20th century.

Of course no one would dispute that the main house is absolutely stunning, but we love looking below stairs at the kitchen, scullery and parlours where the servants worked…

It’s not a coincidence that the paint choices selected for the downstairs areas were grey, sludgy, muted tones – this helped employers emphasise the gap between upstairs and downstairs. It’s amazing now that over 100 years later, we absolutely adore these richly pigmented colours for their incredible depth, coverage and durability and use them in the most prominent rooms in our homes.

In the servant’s hall above, the walls are painted in Mylands Empire Grey No.171 – a really moody classic grey that looks great with the natural stone flooring and wooden furniture.

As well as the paints, we love the servants’ bells in this shot – fans of the show will instantly recognise their distinctive names.

Mrs Patmore’s kitchen is painted in Amber Grey No. 156 – a historic grey which was sourced from the Mylands archives.

It’s amazing to see the huge cast iron range cooker and all the copper pots and pans. At the turn of the 19th century, the evening meal typically consisted of 8+ courses so you can only imagine how much washing up that generated. All the washing and drying up was done in the scullery which would be located nearby – this was primarily due to plumbing issues. In those days the smells from drains could be so overwhelming, people were afraid it would taint the food being prepared and served. That, together with the issue of space, ensured that the kitchen and scullery stayed separate for many years to come.