Farrow & Ball – Safe, Traditional and Laid-back

Perhaps mirroring the safe, traditional, and genteel aspects of the British personality in a bygone era, the mostly muted tones, and shades of Farrow & Ball paint, are one of the most successful UK brands. Traditional, safe, and laid-back, the paint colours are highly pigmented, a quality found in more expensive brands that differs from the average DIY paint that often contain acrylic with fewer pigments and added plastics. The difference can definitely be seen on your walls.

The colour collection has 156 paint colours divided in to warm (yellow-based) and cool (blue-based) hues of light, mid and deeper tints, tones, and shades.  This palette is quite strong on its blue and green hues, together with neutral tones of grey, white and brown that make up more than a third of the palette. If you’re decorating with a palette of neutral tones or shades, be careful to check in natural light and the lighting in your room whether the undertone is warm or cool. In warm incandescent or LED lighting, colours with a cool undertone will look a little acidic or greenish.

I like the pretty clutch of sugared almond pastels; Calluna, Nancy’s Blushes, Lulworth Blue, and honey tones like Hay or Matchstick. These would be great in a young child’s room.

There are many variations of cool white, grey, and soft green tones, with a few nursery pinks, blues and purples. These kinds of colours can look and feel a little flat and unassuming. You might want to “beef” them up a bit by combining them in a palette of light and deep tones and add a splash of a contrasting accent colour to add interest. For example, Calluna, Brassica and Pelt are a combination of light, medium and deep purple tones, which by adding a splash of Pale Hound instantly elevates the palette to become quite a sophisticated colour scheme.

The sensible warm greens, yellows and brick and terracotta reds will work for quite traditional decorating themes and some colour combinations will lend themselves to vintage feel. While the stand-out gorgeous orange of Charlotte’s Locks, I’d use as an accent colour to add vibrancy in a colour scheme of mostly neutral shades or alternatively of deep or dark shades.