New from Farrow and Ball

Farrow and Ball launched three delightful new wallpaper designs yesterday, each one in a range of their own colour combinations, and the results are stunning. The designs are inspired by French fashion designs and they seem to me to conjure up a charming taste of the past.  To celebrate the launch, we have created schemes combining the new wallpapers with paint colours, fabrics, trims and flooring. They are on display in the Farrow and Ball Cambridge showroom but if you can’t make, here is a look at our work.

The wallpaper above is the beautifully delicate Feuille and we have combined it with warmer greys and delicious bluey purple hues to create a fresh, inviting and feminine scheme. The schemes uses Ammonite, Purbeck Stone, Brassica and Charleston Gray.

This amazing Paisley wallpaper is a wonderfully traditional print that also manages to seem very modern. We have created two schemes to show how contrasting looks can be created using the same design in very different colour combinations. The scheme above uses a background colour of Railings which is a deep inky blue black with a dash of Charlotte’s Locks orange and the light touch of Dimpse and Strong White. This scheme is deep and mysterious and only works if the dark colours are in the significant majority with just a confident dash of orange and light greys.

The second scheme using the Paisley wallpaper seems reminiscent of summer tennis parties and a gin and tonic on the terrace. The background is Pavilion Blue and is combined with Green Blue, Nancy’s Blushes, Calamine and Blackened. The key with this scheme is to keep away from creams – use Pavilion Blue or Blackened on woodwork or ceilings, cream or off white seems to destroy the beauty of the delicate colours in the wallpaper.

Finally the wonderful paper Tourbillon. I think it has just a hint of Art Deco about it, but I could be wrong. Either way, I chose the divine Calamine colourway and combined it with the very grown up (and close to my heart) Brinjal in a gloss finish, plus Smoked Trout, Calamine and Raddicio.

If you would like any other details of the schemes, please let us know.

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The colours of 2014

Whilst we are just still in the season of rounding up 2014, can I add one last offering of my own which is some great paint colours we have used, discovered and reacquainted ourselves with during the last year. Here are 10 of my favourites.

1. Fired Earth, Elizabeth’s Parrot

This is a fantastic shade of green which reminds of the colour of fresh green basil. However, the inspiration for the shade is far more glamorous as it is inspired by the beautiful Helmut Newton photograph of Elizabeth Taylor in her swimming pool with, you guessed it, her parrot.

www.firedearth.com

 

2. Abigail Ahern Bleeker

Dark colours in interiors are oh so in at the moment which is giving us lots of lovely shades to choose from. No one does dark colours better than Abigail Ahern and of her very tempting range I have chosen Bleeker because it is sophisticated and elegant but also warm and inviting. Be brave and use it liberally.

Direct from Abigail Ahern www.abigailahern.com or from Rockett St George www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk

 

3. Gold

I’m serious. Lovely lovely gold, particularly on the ceiling. Getting the look right is almost entirely dependant on using the right product and I would highly recommend specialists Gold Leaf Supplies who know what they are talking about. This beautiful room, with its lovely gold ceiling by Leslie Hayes Interiors and is taken from Decoist.com with thanks

http://www.decoist.com/2013-07-31/golden-accent-leafing-modern-interiors/

www.goldleafsupplies.co.uk/

 

4. Farrow and Ball Railings

I rediscovered this beautiful colour when looking for a black for a monochromatic scheme (so easy to get this look wrong). This black is deep inky blue and so is softer than pure black and if you use one of Farrow and Balls lighter neutral greens (such as Hardwick White or Old White) you get the lovely black and white monochrome effect with lots of class and softness.

www.farrowandball.com

 

5. Zoffany Fig Grey

An ever useful colour because it is so beautiful. It looks quite purple in the picture shown and indeed it does have those warm base notes but it is also a very modern grey so can be used in both contemporary and traditional settings.

www.zoffany.com

 

6  Marston and Langinger Peacock Blue

I treated myself to a tester of this paint when I was placing an order just because it looked so luscious and it was everything I hoped for. It has just a tinge of Teal in the blue and it is perfectly named because it absolutely could be found in the feather of a peacock. I haven’t used it in a project yet but I live in hope.

www.marstonandlanginger.com

 

7  Farrow and Ball Setting Plaster

This is one of my all time favourite pinks and so there are few years when I don’t use it somewhere. This picture is from a grown up girl’s bathroom that we did a few years ago but I am shamelessly using it in my round up for 2014. What is so lovely about this colour is that it manages to be both feminine and classy at the same time, because I think, it has no hint of bubblegum about it at all

   

www.farrowandball.com

8 Marston and Langinger Bayswater

I refuse to put together a list of 10 paint colours without including a glorious yellow – greys may be the colour du jour but I would personally never turn my back on a joyful rich mustardy yellow (there’s no primrose about Bayswater, thank goodness) which can be coupled with an off white woodwork colour and gilt picture frames – heaven.

www.marstonandlanginger.com

 

9  Sanderson Graphite

Go on then, I’ll give you just one contemporary, urban, fashionable deep grey because they are rather fabulous. Sanderson Graphite is for grown up grey lovers and it is super smart. Use it bravely and it won’t let you down.

www.sanderson-uk.com

 

10 Paint Library Paper 3

Finally, the architectural colours from Paint Library proved another winner this year – my job would be so much harder without this range. An old favourite that is still wonderful and fresh is Paper 3 which has understated class and great versatility. Use Paper 2 if your room is gloomy or Paper 4 if you are flooded with light. Often I find Paper 1 on the woodwork works brilliantly with Paper 3 on the walls – you see how useful this range is?

www.paintlibrary.co.uk

Wishing you all a wonderful colour filled 2015!

 

 

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Glorious colour

I’m on a bit of a roll with colour in our design work at the moment (don’t worry, I’m still loving and using the neutrals) so when I was glancing back through Farrow and Ball‘s brilliant image library this week, I couldn’t resist sharing these wonderful traditional rooms in glorious colour. Some of the paint colours are old favourites and some are brand new but all look glorious.

Book Room Red walls

French Grey walls with door and frame in Mahogany

Calke Green panelling, shutters, radiator, woodwork – wonderful!

Wonderful new Stiffkey blue mixed with Brassica on the skirting board and dado rail

Super classy French Grey

A delicious combination of India Yellow on the walls, bookcase in Mahogany, Hardwick White on the ceiling and Old White on the cornicing

Beautiful Moles Breath on the door and walls, coupled with Blackened on the ceiling

Panelling in Railings

Bookcase, door and frame in Railings

And this is why their colours are so gorgeous….

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