Mylands Paint for London Homes: Heritage, Best Shades and Cabinet Lacquers

Mylands Paint: London's Own Heritage Brand

Mylands is arguably the most genuinely London paint brand available. Founded in the 1880s and still manufactured in Lambeth, the company supplied paint to the West End theatre industry for over a century -- a demanding market that required colours of exceptional depth, consistency and coverage under stage lighting. That theatrical heritage has shaped a palette unlike any other.

For London homeowners and their decorators, Mylands offers something that imported heritage brands cannot: a set of colours calibrated in and for the city they have served for well over a hundred years.

The Mylands Colour Collection

Mylands produces around 200 colours, grouped into thematic collections that reflect the company's London roots. The collections include references to London boroughs, landmarks, historical periods and the company's own theatrical clients.

Some key shades for London period properties:

Hammersmith. A deep, warm off-black with the most subtle green undertone, which reads almost black in low light and reveals its complexity in daylight. Exceptionally popular for front doors, interior doors and kitchen joinery. It is the shade that, in our experience, clients most frequently specify after initially considering Farrow and Ball Railings or Off-Black.

Mortlake. A mid-blue grey that sits somewhere between a slate and a pale denim -- complex enough to be interesting, restrained enough to work as an all-room colour. Excellent in bedrooms where the client wants colour without drama.

Turners Yellow. Named for the painter J.M.W. Turner, this is a warm, dusty yellow with an almost ochre quality in certain lights. Period-appropriate for Georgian and early Victorian interiors and surprisingly versatile -- it works in rooms that receive limited natural light, giving warmth without glare.

Empire. A deep, slightly warm red that has the density of a Victorian lacquer. Best used as an accent -- a library, a dining room, an entrance hall -- rather than throughout.

Chiswick. A soft, warm white with the faintest blush of pink. Popular in bedrooms and bathrooms where clients want warmth without yellow. Particularly effective in rooms with cool, north-facing light.

Bermondsey. A mid-green with grey undertones -- what paint people call a "dirty green" -- that sits comfortably in Victorian and Edwardian kitchens. It references the Victorian fashion for sage and olive tones in working rooms.

Mylands Cabinet Lacquers

Mylands is particularly well known among London kitchen designers and cabinetmakers for their lacquer range. Cabinet lacquers are a different product category from conventional interior paints: they are formulated to be sprayed rather than brushed, dry to a hard film with excellent resistance to water, grease and impact, and are available in levels of sheen from flat through to high gloss.

The key advantages of Mylands lacquers for kitchen joinery:

Durability. A properly applied lacquer finish on kitchen cabinetry substantially outperforms a brush-applied eggshell or gloss. The film thickness is more consistent, adhesion is typically better on MDF substrate, and the cured finish resists scratching and moisture far more effectively.

Colour depth. Mylands tint their lacquers with the same pigments used in their decorative range, which means a client can specify a cabinetry lacquer in Hammersmith or Bermondsey and match it precisely to emulsion on the walls -- something that is difficult to achieve using different manufacturers' products.

Spray-only application. This matters practically: lacquers are not suitable for brush or roller application because the solvent flash-off is too rapid. Any decorator offering to apply a cabinet lacquer by brush is describing the wrong product or the wrong process. Spray application requires proper equipment, a dust-free environment and appropriate respiratory protection.

We use Mylands lacquers on bespoke kitchen joinery projects across central London, typically applied in our workshop rather than on site to achieve the best dust-free finish.

Mylands vs Farrow and Ball: A Practical Comparison

Both brands are premium heritage paint manufacturers with authentic London connections. The differences worth knowing:

Price. Mylands is generally priced slightly below Farrow and Ball at retail. Trade pricing narrows this further.

Brand recognition. Farrow and Ball has invested heavily in brand marketing and is known to a much wider audience. Mylands is better known among design professionals and those who have researched beyond the obvious choices.

Colour character. Mylands colours tend to be slightly bolder in pigmentation and more saturated. Where Farrow and Ball trends toward carefully calibrated restraint, Mylands allows for more deliberate colour statement -- particularly in their theatrical heritage shades.

Coverage. Mylands emulsions are well regarded for coverage, which can reduce the number of coats required on a large project -- a practical cost saving.

Finish range. Both brands offer matt emulsions, eggshells and gloss. Mylands' specialist lacquer range for cabinetry has no direct equivalent in the Farrow and Ball product line.

Buying Mylands at Trade Rates

Mylands paint is available at trade discount through approved decorating contractors. When Belgravia Painters supplies Mylands for a project, clients pay trade rates rather than the full retail price. We can also arrange sample pots, colour consultations and colour matching across the range.

The Mylands showroom in Lambeth is worth a visit for clients who want to see the full palette in person -- the depth and complexity of some shades is genuinely difficult to appreciate from a small sample card.