Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform Your Home with Paint & Paper

HOWTODECORATE

JOASTUDHOLME&CHARLOTTECOSBY

MITCHELLBEAZLEY

PREVIOUSPAGE

ThewallsofthissophisticatedroomhavebeenpaintedinLimewash,whichisoneofthetraditionalspecialistfinishesforwhichFarrow&Ballhasalwaysbeenfamous.

THISPAGE

‘Plummett’wallsanda‘Railings’doorcreatearoomthatfeelsstrongbutserene.

OVERLEAF

TheinnersanctumoftheFarrow&Ballprojectroom.

PREVIOUSPAGE

PREVIOUSPAGE

ThewallsofthissophisticatedroomhavebeenpaintedinLimewash,whichisoneofthetraditionalspecialistfinishesforwhichFarrow&Ballhasalwaysbeenfamous.

THISPAGE

‘Plummett’wallsanda‘Railings’doorcreatearoomthatfeelsstrongbutserene.

OVERLEAF

TheinnersanctumoftheFarrow&Ballprojectroom.

PREVIOUSPAGE

OVERLEAF

6Introduction10TheFarrow&Ballstory14Colournames&inspiration20Creatingpaint&paper

24PARTONE:WHERETOSTART30Inspiration343thingstothinkabout:architecture,light&style54Colours78Neutrals92Sampling

94PARTTWO:THEMANUAL96Whichwhite?98Coverage100Waysofdecorating114Flow128Shape&featurewalls136Accents146Floors154Chair&picturerails162Cornicing&moulding168Ceilings176Children’sbedrooms184Wallpaper192Exteriors204Eras210Howtopaint214Howlightaffectscolour

218PARTTHREE:THEDIRECTORY220Colourcombinations

INTRODUCTION

Farrow&Ballhasdefinedthecolourchoicesofageneration,andwhatbetterthingcantherebethantobringcolourintopeople’slives?

Choosingacolourorawallpapershouldbeanadventureaswellasajourneyofself-discovery.However,thisbookisnotsomuchaboutyourchoiceofcolourasabouthowtouseitandunderstanditseffect.Itisreassuring,butpossiblyalittledaunting,toknowthattherearenostrictruleswhenitcomestodecorating,sothefollowingideasareherenotsomuchtoinfluencebuttoinspire,andtohelpyoubringyourvisiontolife.

Farrow&Ballcolourshavestoodthetestoftimeinadiversityofdomesticenvironments.Theyhavebeenusedintherestorationofhistoricinteriorsaswellasbeingenjoyedbycontemporaryinteriordesignersandhomeowners.Eachcolourismeticulouslyresearchedandreflectsthecompany’suniqueheritage.TheFarrow&Ballrangeisafabulousencyclopediaofpastcoloursandpatterns,rediscoveredandreinvigoratedforamodernaudience.

Colourandpatternareoneofthegreatestformsofself-expressionandthepossibilitiesaremyriad,soFarrow&Balloffersathoughtfullycreatedpaletteof132colourstohelpyouwithyourchoice.Ifyouwanttousecolourtomakeastatement,thenthebasicwaysinwhichthered,yellow,blue,greenanddarkfamiliesareeffectiveindecoratingarecoveredinthisbook.Shouldyouwantthecoloursofyourhometobehistoricallyaccurate,thereisabroadoutlineofthecoloursusedinfourmaindecorativeperiods.IfyouwouldprefertousethefamousFarrow&Ballneutralfamilies,theytooarecovered,togetherwithsuggestionsonhowtousethemtocreatethemostsubtleandsophisticatedofrooms.

Thebookincludesdetailedadviceonhowtoapproacheveryarchitecturalelementinthehome,includingthethornysubjectsofceilingcolourandhowtomakethemostofthenaturallightinyourrooms.Usingcolourisallaboutcombination,sothethreebasicwaysofcombiningcoloursarecomprehensivelyexplored,asistheuseofcolouronfloors.Therearealsosomesuggestionsfordecoratingtheroomsoftheyoungermembersofthehousehold.

Thehomesincludedinthisbookarevaried,chosen,inpart,todemonstrateparticulardecoratingmethods,aswellastoshowcaseindividualanddivergentstyles.Wherevertheyareintheworld,theyareallownedbypeoplewhohavecomebacktoFarrow&Balltimeandtimeagain,takingcomfortinreturningtoatrustedfriend.Colourisa

Balltimeandtimeagain,takingcomfortinreturningtoatrustedfriend.Colourisamatterofpersonalpreferenceandourhomeiswherewecanbetruetoourselves,sothecolourchoicesreflectthepersonalitiesandthestoriesofeachhousehold.

Differentperiods,stylesandtastesareallcoveredhere.Someschemeshaveanunderstatedapproach,withroomsthatarecalmandrestrainedbutstillhaveadepthandrichness,whileothersareakaleidoscopeofbrilliantlycontrastingcolours.Colouroffersalmostinfinitepossibilities,andthesamehuethatappearsfuntoonepersoncanbegarishtoanother.Beautyiscertainlyintheeyeofthebeholder.

ThewonderfulresonantnamesoftheFarrow&Ballrangestillgivethenotentirelyinaccuratepicturethatthey,andalsothecolours,areinventedaroundakitchentable.Someoftheinspirationbehindthecreationofthesenamesandthecoloursthemselvesaresharedinthisbook.

Althoughfounded70yearsago,Farrow&BallonlyopeneditsfirstshowroominLondonin1996,whenIwasluckyenoughtojointhecompany.Ihadnoformaltraining.IamFarrow&Ballhome-grown,nurturedbyanastonishinggroupofpeople.However,asachild,IdidspendaninordinateamountoftimerearrangingmysetofCarand’Achecrayonstoseehowdifferentcolourcombinationsworked.Mydolls’housewasconstantlyredecoratedandIwasalwaysexperimentingwithcolour,paintingmyceilingbrightyellowtotrytofilltheroomwithsunlightorcreatingcosyspacesincupboardsbypaintingthemdark.Iwasalreadyahalf-formedcolourgeekandcouldn’twaittoexploreitsvisualmagic.

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INTRODUCTION

IhavebeenluckyenoughtoworkwiththephenomenonthatisFarrow&Ballforthepast19years,helpingtodevelopandnamenewcolours,aswellaslookingatcolourtrends.Anenormousamountofmytimeistakenupworkinginmyroleasacolourconsultant,helpingpeopleintheirownhomestochoosetheirpaintcoloursanddecidehowtocombinethem.

Thisrolehastakenmeallovertheworld–tocastlesontheshoresoflakes,tochurches,toprivatemembersclubsandtoasmatteringofhomesbelongingtomusicandfilmstars.OnethingIhavelearnedisthatitisjustasexcitingandchallengingtobedecoratingadiminutivebasementpropertyasitisapalace,andthatthesamebasicprinciplesapplytoboth.Itistheseprinciplesthatformthebackboneofthisbook.

In2007,anexuberantbundleofenergyintheshapeofCharlotteCosbyarrivedatFarrow&Ball,andshehasexpertlyaidedmeinproducingthisbook.CharlotteisnowHeadofCreativeandherenthusiasmforcolourandpattern,likemine,knowsnobounds.WehaveworkedhappilytogethertosharewithyousomesecretsabouttheintriguingworldofFarrow&Ball,aswellasthemyriadwaysyoucanchangeyourhomewithourpaintsandpapers.

Includedaresomeindispensablepracticaltoolsintheformofdecoratingtipsandsomefail-safeFarrow&Ballcolourcombinations.Ourintentionisthatyoucanusethisbookasamanualtorefertowhenyouhaveadecoratingquandarybutalsowhenyousimplyneedsomeinspiration.Hopefully,itwillhelptoturnyourideasanddreamsintoreality.

Watchingpaintdrymaybeafamiliarmetaphorfortedium,butIcannotthinkofabetterwaytospendtime–excitedlyanticipatingthefinalcolourthatwillenhanceourhomesandenrichourlives.

TheVictorianartcriticJohnRuskinwrotethat‘Thepurestandmostthoughtfulmindsarethosewhichlovecolourthemost.’AtFarrow&Ball,wecertainlyagree.

—JoaStudholme

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‘ShadedWhite’wallsandan‘AllWhite’ceiling–whatmoredoyouneed?

BELOW

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Stunning‘ChineseBlue’(A)flattersantiquefurnitureandportraitstoperfection.

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INTRODUCTIONFACINGPAGE

THEFARROW&BALLSTORY

Farrow&Ballhasdeeproots.Thecompanywasfoundedin1946byJohnFarrow,anindustrialchemist,andRichardBall,anengineer,whohadrecentlyreturnedfromGermanywherehehadbeenaprisonerofwar.Fortuitously,thetwometwhentheybothworkedataclaypitandtheylaterwentontoestablishtheirfirstpaintfactorytogetherinVerwood,Dorset.TheirreputationforqualityquicklyspreaduntilthepairwereaskedtosupplypainttotheAdmiraltyandtheWarOffice.

Inthe1960s,Farrow&BallmovedtoitscurrentsiteonUddensEstate,nearWimborne,andcontinuedtoexpandsuccessfullythroughoutthe1970sand’80s.Butwhileotherpaintmanufacturersstartedtocreateacrylicpaintscontainingmoreplasticandlesspigment,Farrow&Ballcontinuedusingitsoriginalformulations,thefinestingredients,richpigmentsandtraditionalprocesses,tomakereallyhigh-qualitypaintthatwasquitedifferentfromthatofthecommercialbrands.ThiswasalldoneoutofthelimelightintheheartofsleepyDorset,whichhelpedthecompanyretainitsidentityandheritage,bothofwhichwouldprovetobeimportantfactorsinmakingthecompanysosuccessfulintheyearstocome.

Intheearly1990s,historicaldecoratorTomHelmewascommissionedtodeveloparangeofpaintsfortheNationalTrust,buthewasunabletofindaproducerwhocouldmatchhisexactingstandards,untilhecameacrossthethensleepyFarrow&Ball.Hewasjoinedbyhisschoolfriend,corporatefinancierMartinEphson,andtogethertheytookovertherunningofthecompany.

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Averyoldandmuch-treasuredoriginalFarrow&Ballpainttin.WestillmakeourpaintinDorsettothisday.

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THEFARROW&BALLSTORY

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Ourlongheritageisveryimportanttous,andwestillmakepainttothesameexactingstandardsoftheoriginalfounders.Ourdeliveryisabitmoreefficientnowthough.

TheNationalTrustpaintswerebornbyworkingcloselywithhistoricalbuildingsandcreatingcoloursthatweresympathetictotheirera.Suddenlythededicatedtrade-basedcustomers,whowerethecompany’susualclients,werejoinedbyanarmyofpeopleinterestedininteriordesign,allofwhomweredesperatetopurchasepaintsthattheycouldseehadadifferentlook:anunsurpasseddepthofcolour.ThenamesandcolourswerenowbeingtalkedaboutinreveredtonesallovertheUK,andin1996thefirstFarrow&BallflagshipshowroomopenedonFulhamRoadinChelsea,London,followedin1999bythefirstoverseasshowroominToronto,Canada.

Overthefollowingyears,Farrow&Ballcontinuedtogrowapace,openingshowroomsinEuropeandNorthAmerica,alongwithanever-expandingnumberintheUK.Theshowroomswerestyledmorelikealibraryoramuseumthanatypicalpaintstoreandtheysoonbecameamagnetforpeoplewishingtoperusethenowworld-famouspaletteof132paintcolours,aswellasthehandcraftedwallpapers,inaspacious,peacefulenvironment.Everycolourwehaveevermadeisstillavailablefromourarchive.Archivecoloursaremarkedwithan(A)inthisbook.

Farrow&Ballhascertainlyputitsstampontheworldofinteriorsandhomedecorglobally,whilestickingtoitsrootsandremainingtruetoitscraft.EverybatchofpaintandrollofwallpaperisstillmadewiththeutmostcareandmeticulouslycheckedinitsDorsetfactory.

Today,Farrow&Balldistributesitsunsurpassedpaintsandartisanalpapersto67countriesworldwideandhasmorethan50showrooms,whereyoucanworkoutyourdreamsincolour.ItisnolongerasleepylittleDorsetcompany.

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THEFARROW&BALLSTORY

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COLOURNAMES&INSPIRATION

Sometimeintheearly1990stherebeganawholenewtopicofconversationatmanydinnerparties.Peoplewerechattingregularlyabouttherichnessof‘Mouse’sBack’orthescrumptious‘SmokedTrout’,alongwiththedelicacyof‘PeaGreen’(A).ItbecamequicklyevidentthatthiswasnotthecontentsofaBacchanalianfeastbutthenamesofapaletteofpaintsthathadsuddenlytakentheworldbystorm.Thenamesweresointriguingthatone’simaginationranwildtryingtovisualizethecolourwithwhichtheywereassociated.ThiswasthefirsttimeIfellundertheFarrow&Ballspell.Thenamesarenowiconicandalthoughtheconcepthasbeenmuchcopied,uniquelyeachandeveryoneofournameshasmeaning.Theyaremeticulouslyresearchedandreflectourindividualheritage.

Wearemorethanawarethatthepsychologyofcolournamesispowerful.Manypeoplemightdoubtthewisdomofcallingacolour‘DeadSalmon’,forexample,butthisnameisactuallyderivedfromapaintingbillfoundforthedecoratingofthelibraryatKedlestonHall,Derbyshire,in1805.SalmonisthecolourandDeadactuallyreferstothemattpaintfinishratherthanadeceasedfish.Therearemanyothernamesthatemanatefromtheanimalkingdom,rangingfromthedelicatetoneof‘CabbageWhite’,namedaftertheequallydelicatebutterfly,tothemorerobustifvaporous‘Elephant’sBreath’and‘Mole’sBreath’–twoofthemost-discussedFarrow&Ballnames.However,allthenamesarerootedinmuchmorethanquirkinessorattention-seeking.Weusetheconnotativepoweroflanguagetodescribecolours.‘SettingPlaster’isnamedaftertheblushingwallsofnewlyplasteredhouses,acolourthatwehaveallbeentemptednottocover.‘String’is,ofcourse,thecolourofuntreatedtwineandworksinperfectcombinationwith‘Cord’,anothertypeoftwine.Thesecolourandnameassociationsareintentional,ifalittleesoteric.‘Ammonite’wassonamedafterthebeautifulfossilsfoundontheIsleofPurbeck,Dorset,andsositsnaturallywith‘PurbeckStone’.

Astruecolourists,weatFarrow&Balloftentakeinspirationfromoriginalpigments,sometimeswithsurprisingconsequences.‘IndiaYellow’isfamouslynamedafterthepigmentcollectedfromtheurineofcowsthathadbeengivenaspecialdietofmangoleaves.Therathergrim-sounding‘Arsenic’makesreferencetothepigmentthat,historically,wasoftenusedingreenwallpapers–thereisatheorythatNapoleon1mayhavebeenpoisonedbythearsenicusedinthedecorationofhisbathroominStHelenawherehewasheldinexile.Butpleaseletmereassureyouthatthereisnothingpoisonousinthesepaintstoday.

Occasionally,thepaintnamecomesalmostbeforethecolour.‘Plummett’wasmixedafteranafternoonspentfishingontheriver,wherethecolouroftheleadusedtoweightthefisherman’slinewasathingofsuchbeautythatitjustbeggedtobeaddedtotheFarrow&Ballpalette.

Similarly,therewasadeepdesiretomakeawhitethatwasalmostgossamerinappearance–awhitewithverylittleadditionalcolourandalmosttranslucent–likeaspider’sweb.Thiswasthebirthofthecolour‘Wevet’,namedaftertheDorsetdialectforexactlythat:aspider’sweb.

BecauseFarrow&BallhasitsrootsfirmlyinthecountyofDorset,England,otherpaintnameshavebeentakenfromthelocaldialect.Althoughnotrecognizablewords,theyaresomehowsoevocativethattheybringthecolourtomindanyway.Weallknowthehueofamixofmistanddrizzle,whichcreatesthecolour‘Mizzle’.‘Dimpse’isalsoquaintlocaldialectforthecolourofthesky,butthistimeattwilight.

Thesecoloursarejoinedbyanotherweather-relatedname,‘Cromarty’,aseaareareferredtointheBBCradiobroadcastoftheShippingForecast,whichwarnssailorsaboutimpendinggalesandisverymuchpartofthefabricofBritishlife.‘Cromarty’,alittlelighterthan‘Mizzle’,conjuresupthecoloursofswirlingmistsandturbulentseas.

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THISPAGE

Thebeginningofthelengthyprocessofmixingnewcolours.Fairlybasic,usingtheeyeandateaspoon,butstillextremelyeffective.

LEFT

Anammonitefossilistheobviousinspirationbehindthepaintcolour‘Ammonite’.

FACINGPAGE

Moreinspiration,clockwisefromtopleft:theleavesofpurplesproutingbroccoli:‘Brassica’;thewallpaperinthehallofStGilesHouse:‘StGilesBlue’;paintedwoodenmiceremindusoftheinspirationbehindtheiconic‘Mouse’sBack’;heather,withitsLatinnameofCallunavulgaris:‘Calluna’;whoknowsifthenamecomesfromthestoryofthebirdofpeaceoracarpenter’sjoint:‘DoveTale’;aspider’sweb(intheDorsetdialect):‘Wevet’.

ManyoftheFarrow&Ballcolourshavetakentheircuefromhistorichouses.‘PictureGalleryRed’wasinspiredbythepicturegalleryatAttinghamPark,Shropshire,while‘SudburyYellow’isaninterpretationofJohnFowler’swallcolourforthestaircaseatSudburyHall,Derbyshire.‘CalkeGreen’isbasedonacleanedversionofthecolourfoundinthebreakfastroomatCalkeAbbey,alsoinDerbyshire.‘Cook’sBlue’wasalsoinspiredthere,bythewallsinthecook’scloset,whichhaveremaineduntouchedovermanydecades.Itissaidthatthecolourwasusedtodeterflies.

Thetraditionoflookingtohistorichousestofindcoloursendurestothisday.Manythatwecreatearebasedonsurvivingpaintworkorontraditionalcolourshandeddownbysuccessivegenerationsofpainters.In2012,whileworkingonthemagnificentStGilesHouse,theDorsethomeofLordShaftesbury,wecameacrosssomeancientwallpaperthathadbeenusedinthehall.Fromthatsmallscrap,‘StGilesBlue’wasborn–acolourthatfeelscleanandcontemporary,eventhoughitwaswassourcedfromahousethathaditsfirststonelaidinthe15thcentury.Similarly,‘InchyraBlue’wasinspiredbyabespokecolourcreatedforLordandLadyInchyrafortheirclassicGeorgianInchyraHouseinPerthshire.Thecolourneededtobesympathetictothehouse’sdramaticbackdropandworkwiththemoodyScottishskies.

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LEFT

Anammonitefossilistheobviousinspirationbehindthepaintcolour‘Ammonite’.

FACINGPAGE

Moreinspiration,clockwisefromtopleft:theleavesofpurplesproutingbroccoli:‘Brassica’;thewallpaperinthehallofStGilesHouse:‘StGilesBlue’;paintedwoodenmiceremindusoftheinspirationbehindtheiconic‘Mouse’sBack’;heather,withitsLatinnameofCallunavulgaris:‘Calluna’;whoknowsifthenamecomesfromthestoryofthebirdofpeaceoracarpenter’sjoint:‘DoveTale’;aspider’sweb(intheDorsetdialect):‘Wevet’.

ManyoftheFarrow&Ballcolourshavetakentheircuefromhistorichouses.‘PictureGalleryRed’wasinspiredbythepicturegalleryatAttinghamPark,Shropshire,while‘SudburyYellow’isaninterpretationofJohnFowler’swallcolourforthestaircaseatSudburyHall,Derbyshire.‘CalkeGreen’isbasedonacleanedversionofthecolourfoundinthebreakfastroomatCalkeAbbey,alsoinDerbyshire.‘Cook’sBlue’wasalsoinspiredthere,bythewallsinthecook’scloset,whichhaveremaineduntouchedovermanydecades.Itissaidthatthecolourwasusedtodeterflies.

Thetraditionoflookingtohistorichousestofindcoloursendurestothisday.Manythatwecreatearebasedonsurvivingpaintworkorontraditionalcolourshandeddownbysuccessivegenerationsofpainters.In2012,whileworkingonthemagnificentStGilesHouse,theDorsethomeofLordShaftesbury,wecameacrosssomeancientwallpaperthathadbeenusedinthehall.Fromthatsmallscrap,‘StGilesBlue’wasborn–acolourthatfeelscleanandcontemporary,eventhoughitwaswassourcedfromahousethathaditsfirststonelaidinthe15thcentury.Similarly,‘InchyraBlue’wasinspiredbyabespokecolourcreatedforLordandLadyInchyrafortheirclassicGeorgianInchyraHouseinPerthshire.Thecolourneededtobesympathetictothehouse’sdramaticbackdropandworkwiththemoodyScottishskies.

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FACINGPAGE

OtherFarrow&Ballcoloursalsostartedasbespokeshades.‘PrintRoomYellow’(A)wasmixedspeciallyfortheearlyrestorationofan18th-centuryprintroom,anddelicate‘JamesWhite’,withitsunderlyinggreen,wascreatedforthegardenroomofdiscerningDrJames,oneofourfirstevercolourconsultancyclients.

Nature,however,willalwaysbethegreatestinspiration.‘Calluna’,forexample,isthecolour,aswellasthename,ofthebeautifulheatherthatbringslatesummertolifeinthemostruggedlandscapes,whileitsstrongercounterpart‘Brassica’wasinspiredbythecolouroftheleavesofpurplesproutingbroccoli.

Sometimesacolourismadebecauseitcomestolightthatthereissomethingofagapinthecolourcard.Theamusinglynamed‘VertDeTerre’,whichisindeedclosetotheblue-greenoftheverditerpigment,wascreatedasanalternativetoboth‘CookingAppleGreen’and‘BallGreen’,withtheformerbeingsomewhatfresherandthelattermoresubtleandmuted.‘VertDeTerre’istheperfectalternativethatliesbetweenthetwo.

Wecertainlyhopetoleadcolourtrendsratherthanfollowthem;whenboth‘PavilionGray’and‘ManorHouseGray’werecreated,itwasjustbeforethecurrentgreymania.Althoughtheyareperfectinthecutting-edgecontemporaryhome,theywerebothinspiredbythecoloursofancientbuildings:oneacricketpavilion,theotherahistoricboardinghouseinafamouscollegeforboys.

Theinspirationsbehindthesecoloursarenumerous–howluckywearetoliveinaworldsofullofgloriouscolour.

ABOVE

Theuncertaincolouroftheskywhenthereisamixofmistanddrizzleistheinspirationforthepaintcolour‘Mizzle’.

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Thefacesbehindthenames,clockwisefromtopleft:Nancyof‘Nancy’sBlushes’;Joaof‘Joa’sWhite’;andCharlotteof‘Charlotte’sLocks’.

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‘Nancy’sBlushes’

‘Joa’sWhite’

A

deservingluckyfewhavehadcoloursnamedafterthem.‘BallGreen’isatributetoRichardBall,thepaintpioneerwhofirstfoundedthecompanyalongwithJohnFarrow,afterwhom‘Farrow’sCream’isnamed.‘SavageGround’owesitsnametoDennisSavage,ablockprinterparexcellence,whowasinstrumentalinthecreationofourveryfirstwallpapers,while‘CornforthWhite’wasnamedinmemoryofJohnCornforth,thereveredarchitecturalhistorianandco-authorofEnglishDecorationinthe18thCentury.Morerecently,colourshavebeennamedaftermembersofthecreativeteaminalight-heartedappreciationoftheircontributiontothecolourpalette.

Thepaintnamesarenowasmuchapartofourcoloursastheshadesthemselves.Theybringthecolourstolifeandareinspiredbymyriadsurprisingsources.Whowouldhaveguessedthat‘StiffkeyBlue’isnamedafterthemudonaparticularbeachonthenorthNorfolkcoast?Buttheyarealsosourcedfromthedownrightfamiliar:‘Brinjal’,whosesumptuoustoneisdifficulttoresist,istakenfromtheIndiannamefortheglossyaubergine,oreggplant.

‘Charlotte’sLocks’

CREATINGPAINT&PAPER

Thereisakindofalchemythattakesplaceduringthecreationofourpaints,andthatiswhytheylookdifferent.However,theyoftenstartlifeinthesimplestofways,usuallyatakitchentable.Tensoframekinsfilledwithdifferentshadesaremixedandremixedforweeksonenduntilwearehappywiththeexactcolour.Theyarethensenttothepaintexpertsinourlaboratorytobetestedagain.

Althoughwenowmakepaintappropriateforeverysurface,Farrow&Ballwasknownoriginallyforitsspecialistfinishes,suchasDeadFlatandCaseinDistemper.Muchwaslearnedfromthetraditionalproductionofthesepaints,whichhadveryhighlevelsofpigmentation,andnoweveryfinishfromFarrow&Ball,rangingfromEstateEmulsiontoFullGloss,hasthosesamehighlevelsofpigment,alongwithrichresinbinderscombinedtocreateoursignaturedepthofcolour.Thecomplexpigmentationproducesuniquelyinterestingcoloursthathaveredolenceanddepthintheirundertones.Thiscausesthemtochangesubtlyindifferentlightconditions,makingthecoloursfeelmagicalandalive.Thehighrefractorynatureofallthekeyingredientsproducesasofter,flatterfinishthanmanyothercommercialbrands.

SomepeoplequestionthefactthatFarrow&Ballpaintisnotthick,thatithasthetextureofsingle,orlight,cream,ratherthanthejelly-liketextureofcheapercommercialpaints.Thisisbecauseitispackedwithlotsofrichpigmentratherthanplasticbinders.Thelessviscousnatureofthepaintalsoensuresthatitflowswell,tocreateanevensurface.Everycolourisblendedwithenormouscareandprecisionandisscrupulouslytestedbeforeitevenreachesthetin,becausewebelievethatpaintismorethanjustaveneer.

Thesamecareandprecisionisputintopracticewhenmakingwallpaper.Throughouthistory,block-printedpapershavealwaysbeentreasured,butrecentlymostoftheworkproducedviathismethodhasbeenpurelyfortherestorationofhistorichouses.AlthoughthetechniqueusedatFarrow&Ballformakingwallpaperwasfirstdevelopedinthe18thcentury,thecompanyhasfortunatelyalsobenefitedfromtechnologyavailableinthe21st.

Eachwallpaperdesignisachievedusingahand-brushingtechniquetoapplythebackgroundcolour,whichresultsinvisiblebrushstrokes,justasitwouldhavedoneinthe18thcentury.TheblocksforthepatternshaveFarrow&Ballcolourappliedtothemandarethenoverlaidontothepaper.Theuseofourownpaintnotonlyincreasesthedepthofcolourandmakeseachpartofthepatternstandslightlyproud,butitalso

thedepthofcolourandmakeseachpartofthepatternstandslightlyproud,butitalsoimpartsapleasingtactilitythatcannotbeemulatedbyprinter’sink.Colourthatisprintedontopofcolourproducesremarkableeffectsthatareimpossibletoachievebyanyothermeans.Thereareslightvariationsfromonerepeattothenext,makingthepapersfeelevenmorehandcrafted.

TheFrenchdamask‘StAntoine’anditsEnglishcounterpart‘Silvergate’werethefirstdamaskstobeproducedbythistraditionalblock-printingmethodfordecades.Theyhavesincebeenjoinedbymanyprettybotanicflorals,aswellassomemorecontemporarygeometricpatterns,allofwhichhavebeeninspiredbyarchivesofevocativepapersandfabricsfromaroundtheworld.

Farrow&Ballhasalwaysbeenfamousforitstraditionalstripesanddrags,whichareproducedusingtheopen-troughmethod.Paperisbrush-paintedwithagroundcolourthatwillformthebackground.Oncedry,thisrollofgroundpaperispassedslowlyunderpaint-filled,open-bottomtroughs.Tocreateourstripes,foampadsarehand-cutintoeachofourstripeddesignsbeforethetroughisdivided,allowingthechosenpaintcolourtoflowsteadilyontothepadsbeneath.

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Ourdedicatedandloyalstaffinthefactorytakeenormousprideinthepainttheyproduceandconstantlycheckitsqualityandcolour.

OVERLEAF

Thewallpaperfactoryisfullofexcitingtreasures,fromtherollsofgroundpapertothemeticulouslymadeblocksandrollers.

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CREATINGPAINT&PAPER

PARTONE

WHERE

TOSTART

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Thejoyof‘AllWhite’,usedonthewallsofthiskitchen,isthatitcontainsnopigmentotherthanwhite.Thisgivesanunsurpassedsoftnessandnoneoftheuncomfortablequalitiesofabrilliantwhite.

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INTERIORARCHITECTURALDETAIL

Ceiling

GlazingBars

WindowFrame/Architrave

Panelling/Dado

Floor

Coving

Wall

DadoRail/ChairRail

Skirting/Baseboard

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WHERETOSTART

INTERIORARCHITECTURALDETAIL

CeilingRose

Ceiling

Frieze

Cornice/CrownMoulding

PictureRail

Wall

DadoRail/ChairRail

Dado

Skirting/Baseboard

Doorframe/Architrave

Door

Floor

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ARCHITECTURALDETAIL

THISPAGE

AllthewoodcladdingandtriminthisrecentlybuilthouseboatbelongingtophotographerJamesMerrellispaintedin‘CornforthWhite’,oneoftheEasyNeutrals(seepage88).Thishelpstominimizeanydistractionfromthehouseboat’sbeautifulshapeandallowsultimateconnectionwiththesurroundingwater,whichisasimilartoneto‘CornforthWhite’.

THISPAGE

AllthewoodcladdingandtriminthisrecentlybuilthouseboatbelongingtophotographerJamesMerrellispaintedin‘CornforthWhite’,oneoftheEasyNeutrals(seepage88).Thishelpstominimizeanydistractionfromthehouseboat’sbeautifulshapeandallowsultimateconnectionwiththesurroundingwater,whichisasimilartoneto‘CornforthWhite’.

seepage88

3THINGSTOTHINKABOUT

ARCHITECTURE,LIGHT&STYLE

Therearenohard-and-fastruleswhenitcomestodecorating.Luckily,weallgravitatetodifferentstyles,liveindifferentplacesandlikedifferentcolours–theworldwouldbeamuchdullerplaceifthiswerenotthecase.However,itiscertainlyhelpfultobearthefollowingthreepointersinmindwhenstartingtodecorate:

ThearchitecturalelementsoftheroomThelightYourstyle

Everyroomisdifferent,sothechoiceofcolourshouldbeinfluencedbytheparticularconditionsofthespace:howitfunctions,itsarchitectureandwhenitisused.

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Sometimesthesimplestdesignsarethemosteffectiveandmonochromeschemes,suchasthis,haveanenduringappeal.‘Wevet’onthewallsandtheveryslightlydarker‘StrongWhite’onthewoodworkcreatetheperfectbackdropfortheelegantblacktableandchair.

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Theunderlyinggreenin‘Mouse’sBack’makesittheperfectcolourtouseupstairsinthisTorontohome.Thecolourintheroomistotallysympatheticwiththeview,sothetree,whichisoftenbathedinlight,remainsthestar.However,asthelightfades,thecolouronthepanellingwillfeelstronger,creatingamorecocoon-likespace.

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Thesimplicityofthisspacemakesitsoappealingforsittinginandworking.Noartworkisrequiredonthisexpansivewall,whichispaintedin‘CornforthWhite’,becausetheextraordinarytoplightcreatesshadowsofrarebeauty.These,togetherwiththepaintcolour,willchangeandexcitethroughoutthecourseoftheday.

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RIGHT

TheinternalwindowsinthisParishomearepaintedin‘PitchBlack’,asaretheglazeddoorsthatopenoutontothecourtyardgarden.Thewallsare‘StrongWhite’,alongwiththepanellingglimpsedthroughthewindow,whichiscombinedwith‘PurbeckStone’walls.Together,thesecolourscreatetheperfectunderstatedbackgroundfortheowner’scollectionofmid-centuryfurniture.

COLOURS

Therearesomanypreconceptionsaboutcolour–blueisalwayscold,redisstimulating,yellowroomsarealwayswelcomingandgreencreatesrestfulspaces.Theremaybeagrainoftruthinallthesestatementsbutyoushouldnotgethunguponthem.Themoodyoucreateinaroomismostaffectedbythedepthofcolourandhowthatcolourisused.Thesoft,almostimperceptiblehuesof‘PinkGround’,‘TunsgateGreen’,‘PavilionBlue’and‘HoundLemon’,withtheircrystal-cleardelicacy,aresometimesalmostfeltratherthanseen,while‘EatingRoomRed’,‘GreenSmoke’,‘DrawingRoomBlue’and‘IndiaYellow’alloozeperiodgrandeur.

Overthenextfewpages,withthehelpofimagesfromhousesofvaryingstylesanderas,weexplorehowthefivecolourfamiliesofRed,Yellow,Green,BlueandDarksaffectbothourhomesandourmood.Someschemesareclearandvivid,whileothershaveacontemplativerefinement.Theyare,however,allpackedwithbeautifulcolour.

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MyheartsingswhenIseethisstrikingyetsimpleuseofcolour,whichisperfectforaseasidehouse.‘WimborneWhite’combinedwith‘DrawingRoomBlue’hasafantasticallygraphicfeel,creatingaroomthatisfreshbutextremelymodernduetotheboldmoveoftakingthestrongercolourupontothecladding,justabovetheworktop.And,ofcourse,thetinofEnglishmustardistheperfectcomplementaryaccent.

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Thekeytothislustrousspaceisthatthereisnocontrastbetweenthewallsandthewoodwork.Everyelementispaintedthesamecolour–‘BookRoomRed’–andeventhecurtainfabrichasthesameearthytoneasthewalls.Notethattheradiatorispaintedthesamecolour,sothatitseeminglydisappearsintothewall.

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‘Nancy’sBlushes’feelsbraveandbrightinthisvibrantbedroom,eventhoughithasbeentemperedbytheplainmushroomheadboardanddarkfurcoveronthebed.Allwoodworkhasbeenpaintedthesamecolourasthewallsforacalmingeffect,whilethepinkhasbeenstoppedabovethepicturerail,makingthespacefeelmoreintimate.

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FACINGPAGETOPLEFT

Althoughyellowcansometimesappearrawinbrightlight,themagicofthese‘IndiaYellow’wallsisthattheycomeintotheirownafterdark.ThisexuberantParishomeisfilledwithcolour,whichmakesitfeelupliftingduringthedayandthenglowatnight.

FACINGPAGETOPRIGHT

Thissunnybedroompaintedin‘CiaraYellow’(A)isasfreshasaspringmorning.Itisimpossiblenottofeelhappyandcheerfulinthisroomwithitsupbeattoneandaccessoriesthatmatchthewalls.Theceilinghasbeenpaintedthesamecolourasthewallstopreventtheslopeoverthebedfromfeelingclaustrophobic.

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‘Yellowcake’wasinspiredbythevibrantcoloursusedoncabinetsinmid-centurykitchens.Here,ithasbeenusedtostunningeffecttocreateanupbeatwashroominabeachhouse.Althoughcertainlynotacolourforthefaint-hearted,itsboldnessismostarresting.

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Theuseof‘Babouche’inthisdelightfullyrusticbedroomisperfecttomaketheroomfeelfullofenergywhileretainingatraditionaledge.Thecolourwaschosenparticularlyfortheenduringwarmthitgivesinanorth-facingroom.

RIGHT

TheperfectlyproportionedhallofthisstunningGeorgianhousecommandedayellowofparticularsophistication.‘PrintRoomYellow’(A)feelsabsolutelyideal,introducingcomfortandwarmthwhileflatteringthehistoricportraits.Itiscomplementedby‘SlipperSatin’,whichhasasuitablyagedlook,onthewoodwork.

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AlthoughthisBrooklynhallhasanairofsimplicityaboutit,thecoloursonthewallsandtrimworkdeceptivelywelltogether.Cool,grey‘Dimpse’isusedonthepanellingandwalls,whilethedoorsarepaintedinitslightercounterpart,‘Blackened’.TheseArchitecturalNeutralssitperfectlywiththegreyoakfloor,tocreateamodern,clean-feelingspace.

NEUTRALS

Thereisnodoubtthatneutralshavebeenthemostpopulartonesforhomeuseduringthefirstdecadesofthe21stcentury–andperhapsforgoodreason.Manypeoplefeelmostcomfortablewhensurroundedbycarefullybalancedcoloursthatcreateanunderstatedenvironmentandmakefewdemandsontheeye.Neutralsofferinfinitepossibilitiesformakingspacesairyandrelaxing,refinedandtimeless,orelegantlysophisticated.However,neutralsalonearenotafail-safecombinationanditisalltooeasytofallintothetrapofusingbland,depressingcoloursthatarenothinglikethesubtle,complexpalettesfeaturedhere.

Lightplaysahugepartinhowneutralsappear,whichiswhyFarrow&Ballhascreatedsixneutralgroups–Traditional,Yellow-based,Red-based,Contemporary,EasyandArchitectural–foreverylightcondition.Althougheachgroupcreatesaverydifferentlook,theycanbereliedupontoworkperfectlytogether,inseeminglyendlesspermutations.

Selectinganeutralgroupiseasy–simplyconsiderthelightintheroomanddecidewhichgroupyouaremostdrawnto.Whenyouhaveestablishedyourpreferredneutraltones,youcanthenbuildadecoratingscheme,possiblywiththeadditionofboldercoloursandwallpaperstoflowthroughoutyourhome.

OlderorclassicbuildingstendtodemandsoftereffectsfromneutralsandaremostsuitedtotheTraditional,Yellow-basedandRed-basedNeutrals.Morecontemporarysettingsbenefitfromthesubtle,tone-on-toneharmoniousgreysoftheContemporary,EasyandArchitecturalNeutrals.

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‘LimeWhite’

‘Off-White’

‘OldWhite’

‘SlipperSatin’

‘OldWhite’

‘SlipperSatin’

‘WhiteTie’

‘NewWhite’

‘String’

‘Matchstick’

‘StrongWhite’

‘SkimmingStone’

‘Elephant’sBreath’

‘AllWhite’

‘Wevet’

‘CornforthWhite’

‘Ammonite’

‘PurbeckStone’

‘PurbeckStone’

‘Blackened’

‘ManorHouseGray’

‘PavilionGray’

‘Dimpse’

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Here,theEasyNeutralsarebeingsampledinabright,undecoratedspace.Theintentionistouseallthreecolours–‘PurbeckStone’‘CornforthWhite’andaccentcolour,‘Mole’sBreath’–incombinationonthewalls,woodworkandfiresurround.Fourwallpapers–clockwisefromtopleft,‘Peony’(BP2302),‘Versailles’(BP2602),‘Silvergate’(BP803)and‘StAntoine’(BP909)–arealsobeingconsideredforthechimneybreast.Theyeachhavetheirindividualcharms.

J

P

JamesWhiteAllWhiteJoa’sWhiteDimity

L

LampRoomGrayStrongWhiteLichenLimeWhiteLightBlueStrongWhiteLightGrayClunchLimeWhiteSlipperSatinLondonClaySkimmingStoneLondonStoneJoa’sWhiteLulworthBlueAllWhite

PaleHoundWimborneWhitePalePowderPointingParmaGrayWimborneWhitePavilionBlueAllWhitePavilionGrayBlackenedPeignoirWimborneWhitePeltGreatWhitePictureGalleryRedJoa’sWhitePigeonShadedWhitePinkGroundTallowPitchBlackShadowWhitePitchBlueBlackenedPlummettAmmonitePointingWimborneWhitePurbeckStone/Wevet

T

Tallow/PointingTanner’sBrownJoa’sWhiteTeresa’sGreenSlipperSatinTunsgateGreen/AllWhite

M

Mahogany/Joa’sWhiteManorHouseGrayBlackenedMatchstickWhiteTieMiddletonPinkAllWhiteMizzleWimborneWhiteMole’sBreathAmmoniteMouse’sBackOff-White

V

VardoShadedWhiteVertdeTerreSlipperSatin

R

RadicchioJoa’sWhiteRailingsAmmoniteRectoryRedDimityRedEarthDimityRingwoldGround/Tallow

W

Wevet/AllWhiteWhiteTieWimborneWhiteWimborneWhiteAllWhiteWorsted/ShadowWhite

N

S

Nancy’sBlushes/GreatWhiteNewWhite/WhiteTie

Off-Black/DimpseOff-WhiteSlipperSatinOldWhiteSlipperSatinOvalRoomBlueShadowWhiteOxfordStoneDimity

SalonDrabDimitySavageGroundNewWhiteSettingPlasterTallowShadedWhiteShadowWhiteShadowWhiteWimborneWhiteSkimmingStoneStrongWhiteSkylightAllWhiteSlipperSatinPointingSmokedTroutDimityStGilesBlueAllWhiteStiffkeyBlueShadowWhiteStoneBlueStrongWhiteStonyGroundSlipperSatinStringWhiteTieStrongWhiteAllWhiteStudioGreenLimeWhiteSudburyYellow/NewWhite

Y

O

YeabridgeGreen/JamesWhiteYellowcakeAllWhiteYellowGroundWhiteTie

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WHICHWHITE?

WAYSOFDECORATING

Everyroomshouldbeseenasafantasticopportunitytousecolour.Whetheryourchoiceofschemehasbeenspontaneousandinstinctive,orheartfeltandstudied,itisonlythebeginningofyourjourneytowardsmakingthemostofyourparticularspace.

Whenfacedwitharoommadeupofseeminglycomplicatedarchitecturalelements,itcanbealittleoverwhelmingchoosingwhereeachcolourshouldgo.Yourfirstdecisioniswhetherthewoodworkshouldbehighlightedornot.Thiswillprobablybeinfluencedbythestyleofyourroom.Mostpeopledefaulttotheclassicpreferenceofusingacleanwhitetrimintraditionalrooms,wheretherehasalwaysbeenapresumptionthatwoodworkshouldbepaintedlighterthanthewalls.Incontemporaryrooms,ontheotherhand,wherethetrimisusuallylessdecorative,itisoftenthoughtbesttopainteverythinginonecolourtocreateabackdropthatismoreconducivetominimalliving.

Althoughitmayfeelasifthepossibilitiesareendless,itiscomfortingtorememberthattherearethreebasicwaysofdecorating:lightondark;darkonlight;andonecolourthroughout.

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ABOVELEFT

Whocouldresistthislight-filledbathroominNewYorkState?Thecombinationof‘MiddletonPink’onthewallsand‘AllWhite’onthewoodworkremindsusoftheuncomplicateddaysofchildhood,andfeelsfreshandprettytoboot.

LEFT

ThisquietcornerinaDutchhouseisunifiedbytheuseof‘Wevet’ontheexpansivewoodwork.Thisdelicatewhite,withitshintofgrey,istheperfectcolouralongside‘LampRoomGray’onthewalls.Thefactthatthetwohavethesamebasetonemeanstheysitseamlesslytogether.

ABOVE

Thecombinationof‘Teresa’sGreen’onthewallsand‘Pointing’onthewoodworkistotallyclassicandutterlyfittingforthemagnificentlandingofthishistorichouse.Veryoftensimpleschemessuchasthesearethemosteffective.

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Thisroomexudesanamazingsenseofcalm.Thewallsare‘SkimmingStone’,whichistheperfectgreyforbedroomsbecauseitneverfeelstoocold.Here,itiscombinedwiththelighter‘WimborneWhite’onboththewoodworkandthefloortoretainafeelingofcrispnessandsimplicity.

ABOVELEFT

Whocouldresistthislight-filledbathroominNewYorkState?Thecombinationof‘MiddletonPink’onthewallsand‘AllWhite’onthewoodworkremindsusoftheuncomplicateddaysofchildhood,andfeelsfreshandprettytoboot.

LEFT

ThisquietcornerinaDutchhouseisunifiedbytheuseof‘Wevet’ontheexpansivewoodwork.Thisdelicatewhite,withitshintofgrey,istheperfectcolouralongside‘LampRoomGray’onthewalls.Thefactthatthetwohavethesamebasetonemeanstheysitseamlesslytogether.

ABOVE

Thecombinationof‘Teresa’sGreen’onthewallsand‘Pointing’onthewoodworkistotallyclassicandutterlyfittingforthemagnificentlandingofthishistorichouse.Veryoftensimpleschemessuchasthesearethemosteffective.

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Thisroomexudesanamazingsenseofcalm.Thewallsare‘SkimmingStone’,whichistheperfectgreyforbedroomsbecauseitneverfeelstoocold.Here,itiscombinedwiththelighter‘WimborneWhite’onboththewoodworkandthefloortoretainafeelingofcrispnessandsimplicity.

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Charlietocheck/addpictures

FLOW

Inthisdayandage,mostpeoplewanttocreateaflowthroughtheirhome.Theyseeitasparamountinproducinganunchallengingenvironment,whereyoucandriftfromroomtoroomwithoutbeingjoltedbytheuseofcolour.Asoutlinedbelow,thiscanbeachievedinanumberofways,whetheryouwantapared-down,simplefeelorafantasticriotofcolour.

OnecolouroronegroupofneutralsOneceilingcolourOnewoodworkcolourTone-on-tonecolourSeveralcoloursAunifyinghallcolour

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Thelightershadesof‘GreenGround’,‘DayroomYellow’,‘Calluna’and‘Nancy’sBlushes’sitseamlesslytogether,asdothedarker,butequallyweighted‘GreenSmoke’,‘Radicchio’,‘HagueBlue’and‘Brinjal’.

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SHAPE&FEATURE

WALLS

Theverymentionofafeaturewallcanstrikehorrorintheheartsofsome,whileotherswillrubtheirhandswithglee.Colourdrasticallyadjustsoursenseofspace,andwhilelarge,awkwardroomscanbehelpedbypaintingasinglewallinadifferentcolourtoprovideafocalpoint,afeaturewallcanjustaseasilydestroytheproportionsofaroomifitisnotexecutedcorrectly.Asinglewallpaintedinaboldcolourcanalsobringlifetoaroom,especiallyiftheothercoloursareinsharpcontrast,butitisimportanttounderstandhowcoloursworktogether.Sharpcontrastsarecreatedbytheuseofcomplementarycoloursfromthecolourwheel(seepages56–7),witheachmakingtheotherlookbrighterandmoreintense.Colourisnotonlyvisuallypleasingbutapowerfultoolfortransformingspaces–itcancertainlydisguiseawkwardproportions,butrememberthatitcanjustaseasilycreatethem.

LEFT

Wow!‘DrawingRoomBlue’andthestarklycontrasting‘AllWhite’aboveitmakeaboldstatementandimmediatelymakeyouwanttoexplorethisroom.Paintinganintense

colourhalfwayupawallwherethereisnodadorailisfareasiertoexecutethanyoumightimagineit,andisworthdoingtocreateastunning,individuallook.

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seepages56-7

STRONGCOLOURONASHORTWALL

Theuseofastrongercolouronashorterwallcanmakearoomfeelsquarerinshape.Therefore,along,thinroompaintedin‘Wevet’,forexample,withaboldertonelike‘Charlotte’sLocks’usedonashortwall,willforeshortenthespaceandhelptocreateamoreevenlyproportionedroom.Alternatively,astrongercolourcanbeusedontherecessesoneithersideofachimneybreast,toadddepthwhileretainingbalance.

ABOVELEFT

Choosingsunny‘Babouche’foronewallinthisslightlycrampedbedroommeansthatthespaceimmediatelylooksdeeper,aswellasinjectingadelightfulelementofcolour.Theremainingwallsandtheceilingarepaintedinaseamless‘Off-White’EstateEggshell.

ABOVERIGHT

‘Off-Black’onasinglewallofachild’sbedroominaParishomecreatesbothafocalandatalkingpoint.Manychildrenappreciatethesecuritythatastrongcolourgivesthem,andthischildisbeingintroducedtoastrongdesignethicearly.

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SHAPE&FEATUREWALLS

WARMANDCOOLCOLOURS

Itisdrummedintousthatdarkcolourswillalwaysmakearoomlooksmaller.Whilethereisanelementoftruthtothis,itismuchmoreusefultoknowthatitiswarmcolours,likeredsandyellows,thatwillmakearoomfeelcosierbecausetheyappeartoadvancetowardsyou.Ontheotherhand,cool,bluercoloursrecedeand,asaresult,thespacefeelslarger.

ABOVE

Aseasidesittingroomneedstofeelairyandbreezy,andthisonecertainlydoesjustthat.Thehugeamountofnaturallight,togetherwith‘ParmaGray’onthewallsand‘WimborneWhite’onthewoodwork,capitalizesontheavailablespaceandcreatesaroomperfectforpost-beachrelaxation.

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SHAPE&FEATUREWALLS

ASTRONGCENTRALCOLOUR

Boldcolourdoesn’thavetodominate,andcombiningcolourwithneutraltonescancreatestrikingschemes,aswellashelpingtochangethesenseofspaceinaroom.Ifyouuseadarkercolourinthecentreofaroom,everythingarounditwillfeellighterandbrighter.Thistechniqueisparticularlysuccessfulwhenyoupaintacentralkitchenislandinastrongtone.Ifyoudon’thaveanisland,youcouldpaintthelegsofatableinadarkertoneinstead,togroundtheroom,whilekeepingthestrongcolourwellbeloweyelevel.Thesamecanbesaidofpaintingtheundersideof,orthepanellingaround,abathtubinabright,neutralbathroom.

LARGEORSMALLPATTERNS

Likesomanythingsindecorating,itseemscounterintuitiveforalargepatternusedinasmallspacetocreateanillusionofvolume,andasmallpatterntohaveamoreenclosingeffect,buttheydo.Therefore,wallpaperscanbeusedtogreateffecttochangetheshapeofaroom.Intricatepatterns,suchas‘RenaissanceLeaves’or‘Samphire’,willimmediatelymakearoomfeelcosy,whilebigger,bolderpatterns,suchas‘Tessella’or‘StAntoine’,lendasenseofgrandeurandappeartoenlargeaspace.

ABOVELEFT

Usingtheflamboyantdamask‘StAntoine’(BP953)(A)inthistinybathroomwasawisechoice,asitimmediatelymakestheroomfeelbigger.Manypeoplearewaryofhangingartonapatternedbackground,buthereyoucanseehowmyeclecticfamilyportraitslooktotallyathome.

ABOVERIGHT

Thedelicatepatternof‘Yukutori’(BP4304)wallpaper,inspiredbyJapanesepen-and-inkdrawingsofflyingbirds,isperfectforthiskitchen.Althoughclose-upyoucanappreciatetheintricacyofeachbird,asyoumovefurtheraway,thepatternbecomesindistinctandservespurelytosoftenthewalls.

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Iadorethisroomwithitspared-downdesignethic.Thesurprisinglystrongwallcolour,‘DeadSalmon’,givesawarmthandglowtothespace,whiletheoutsizedbutsimplekitchenisland,paintedin‘Railings’,groundstheroom,makingeverything

simplekitchenisland,paintedin‘Railings’,groundstheroom,makingeverythingarounditfeellighterandbigger.

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SHAPE&FEATUREWALLS

ACCENTS

Accentcoloursareusuallyintroducedforthefollowingreasons:

ToadddepthandbalanceToenlivenadrabspaceTocreatearhythmthroughthehouse

Thejoyofaccentcoloursisthattheycanbeusedasboldlyorassparinglyasyoulike.Thosewhoarenervousaboutusingthemcanintroduceminuteamountsofcolourorpattern,whichmaywellbehiddenfor90percentofthetime.Insidecupboards,onhiddenslidingdoorsorontheundersideofbathtubs,thesepocketsofcolourwillbringasmiletothefacewhentheyareoccasionallyrevealed.Othersliketomakeboldstatementsbypaintingstrongcoloursonfeaturewallsorchimneybreasts.Buthoweverbraveyoumayfeel,alwaysrememberthatanaccentcolourshouldenhanceratherthanoverwhelmtherestofyourdecorativescheme.

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Thesimplicityofthis‘Off-White’schemeisperfecttoshowoffboththegraphicposterandthetwoaccentchairspaintedin‘ChineseBlue’(A).Thebeautyofthisisthatyoucanremovethebluechairswhenpiningforatotallyneutrallookorevenchangethecolouraccordingtotheseason.

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ACCENTS

FLOORS

Therehaslongbeenatraditionofpaintingfloors,andsuddenlyitisfashionableagain.Acoupleofcenturiesago,paintwasusedtoimitate:woodenfloorswerepaintedtolooklikestone;stoneflagstolooklikechequerboard;andornatepatternscreatedasanalternativetomarquetry.Thesetechniquescanstillbeappliedinthemodernhome,althoughfloorsareusuallypaintedinasolidcolourforalookthatisbothstylishandpractical.

Farrow&BallFloorPaintcoversupamultitudeofsins,bringingbotholdandnewfloorstolife.Well-wornfloorsthathavebeenpatchedwithtotallymismatchingboardsretaintheircharacterwhenpainted,whilecheapnewboardsgainaslightlustrethatlendsthemasenseofpermanence.

Everyhomecontainsroomsthatwouldbenefitfromaneasilywashablefloorcovering.However,floorpaintshouldbeconsideredasmuchforitsrelaxeddecorativequalitiesasforitsdurableones.WithFarrow&BallFloorPaintavailableineverycolour,itiseasytorevampthelookofaroombysimplypaintingthefloor,anditisalotlessexpensivethananyotherfloorcovering.

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BothCharlotteandIfindithardtoresistpaintingatleastonefeatureinourhouseseveryweek.Here,sheisupdatingherbathroomwith‘Brassica’FloorPaint.ItisasimportanttosampleFloorPaintasitiswallpaint,ascolourcanoftenlooktotallydifferentwhenthelighthitsitfromabove.

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WHITEANDLIGHTFLOORS

Kitchensareoftenverybusyplaces,sousingonlyonecolourservestobringasenseofcalmtothespace.Everyelementinthisroomispaintedinthesamecolour,‘SlipperSatin’,butthefloorappearstobemuchlighterthanthewallsasthelightfloodingthroughthedoorisbouncedaroundtheroom.Pale-colouredfloorsaretheverybestwaytomakethemostofanyavailablelight.

STRONG-COLOUREDFLOORS

Floorcolourhasabigimpactonthelookofaroom,andthemorefloorspacethereis,thegreaterthatimpact.Beaware,acolourusedonthefloorwillalwayslookmuchlighterthanthesametoneonthewalls.Here,bold‘IndiaYellow’onthefloorofasimplewhiteroomactsasananchorandalsoreflectsacertainamountofthesameshadeontothewalls.Itistheprimarydecorativestatementintheroombutitdoesn’tfeeloverwhelmingasitsofarbelowtheeyeline.

54mm

40mm

m

42m

m

27m

32mm65mm

30mm

m

15m

m13m

19m

94mm

66mm

m

19m

m

19mm

CHAIR&PICTURERAILS

Itisimportanttorememberthattherearenohard-and-fastrulesindecorating,andthisisparticularlytruewhenitcomestothetreatmentofpicturerailsandchairrails.Thesearchitecturalelements,andthewallsaroundthem,canbetreatedinmanydifferentways,allofwhichwillhaveagreateffectontheoverallappearanceofyourroom.

Veryoftenpicturerailsandchairrailsarepaintedwhitethroughforceofhabitor,ifthemouldingsareparticularlygrand,todrawattentiontotheirarchitecturalbeauty.Althoughthereisnothinginherentlywrongwiththisformofdecorating,itdoestendtocreateoverlybusyrooms.Theeyeisconstantlydrawntothewhitestripesrunningaroundtheroom,ratherthantothebeautifulwallcolourortheview.

Originally,theserailswerepaintedtocoverupmismatchedwoodgrainsandcolours.Theywerepurelyfunctionalpartsofthearchitecture:chairrailstoprotectwallsfromfurnitureandpicturerailsforhangingpaintings.Thereis,however,nopracticalreasonwhytheyshouldbepickedoutinadifferentcolourfromthewall,anditisonlyrelativelyrecentlythatpeoplehaveattemptedtotransformthemintoafeature,givingthemmisplacedimportanceandoftenmakingthemtheguidingdecorativeforce.Inmostcontemporaryrooms,therailsareeitherremovedorsimplypaintedthesamecolourasthewallsforastrong,unifiedlook.Astherearenocontraststodistracttheeye,thismakestheroomfeelbigger.

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‘FrenchGray’onthisdecorativewallpanellingistheperfectbackdropforthemid-centurychairs.Thecolourhasbeencontinuedontotherestofthewoodwork,sothatthe‘ShadedWhite’wallsfeelstrikinglyluminous,creatinganenviablysoftambience.

RIGHT

ThereisastrikingfreshnesstothismodernBritishsittingroompaintedinthetime-honouredcombinationof‘PurbeckStone’onthewallsand‘Wevet’onthewoodworkandceiling.Thepicturerailhasbeenpickedoutinthewoodworkcolour,creatingacrisplinearoundtheroom,whichaccentuatesthesimplicityofthistwo-colouredscheme.

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m

60m

72mm

CORNICING&MOULDING

Whocouldimaginethataseeminglyinsignificantpieceofplastermouldingcouldchangetheshape,heightandstyleofaroomtosuchadegree?Mostpeopledon’tgiveitmuchthought,butIcanassureyouthatthesearchitecturalmouldingscancompletelytransformyourspaceifpaintedtheappropriatecolour.

First,IshouldpointoutthatthemouldingshavedifferentnamesoneithersideoftheAtlantic.InBritain,werefertothemascornice,orcoving,whileintheUStheyareusuallycalledcrownmoulding.Theoriginofbothtermsisclassical,fromtheLatincoronisandtheGreekkoronis,meaningcrown.Whichevertermyouuse,Iamreferringtothedecorativeelementthatrunsaroundthetopofaroomtocoverthetransitionfromwalltoceiling.

Embellishedcornices/crownmouldingstendtobeusedinlarger,moreornateinteriorsandaretobetreasured.Theplainertypearegenerallyusedinsimpler,contemporaryhomes.However,bothcanbepaintedinfourbasicways:

MouldingandceilingthesamecolourMouldingandwallsthesamecolourGradatingcolourfromwallstoceilingPickingoutthemouldinginanaccentcolour

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MOULDINGANDWALLSTHESAMECOLOUR

Paintingthemouldingthesamecolourasthewallswillmakethewallsappeartallerandtheroomfeelloftier.Thisapproachisparticularlyeffectiveifyouareusingplainconvexmoulding,purelyasameanstosoftenthetransitionfromwalltoceiling.Usingthesamecolouronthewallsandmouldingsalsogivesasimpleandstrong,contemporaryfeeltoaroom.

PICKOUTTHEMOULDINGINANACCENTCOLOUR

Paintingthemouldinginacolourthatcontrastswiththewallsandtheceilingcreatesacrisp,tailoredroom.However,becauseyoureyewillbenaturallydrawntoastrongcontrast,itoftenmeansthatyouareconstantlyreadingtheshapeandconfinesoftheroom,whichmakesitfeelsmalleroverall.Highlycolouredmouldingtendstobefortheveryadventurous,buttheuseofasubtletone,suchas‘DoveTale’,againsta‘SkimmingStone’wall,or‘Worsted’with‘ShadowWhite’,providesadecorativetouchthatgivescharacteranddistinctionwithoutruiningtheroom’sproportions.Itisessentialthattheceilingispaintedinasympathetictone.

Thismethodofdecorationismostoftenusedwhenonewantstodrawtheeyetoboththedecorativemouldingandaceilingrose,whichshouldbepaintedinthesamecolour.

Alltoooften,decorativemouldings,includingceilingroses,havebeenpaintedoversomanytimesthattheyenduplosingalotoftheirdelicatedetail.Inordertopreventthisfromhappeningonintricatemoulding,andtocreateareallytraditional,authenticlook,itmakessensetouseaspecialistfinishsuchasSoftDistemperorLimewash,providedthatthemouldinghasnotpreviouslybeenpaintedwithanemulsion.

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CORNICING&MOULDING

CEILINGS

Verylittlethoughtisusuallygiventothecolourofthehumbleceiling.However,itcausesmorecontroversythananyothersubjectindecorating.Althoughceilingsaresooftenpaintedinsomeubiquitouscolourlesspaint,thereisnoruletosaythattheyhavetobewhite.Ceilingcolouraffectsaroomindifferentways,sointhenextsectionwecoverthefollowingtopics:

MakingaroomlooklighterordarkerChangingaroom’sperceivedheightSamecolourforceilingsandwalls

Considertheceilingtobeyourfifthwallandgiveitdueconsideration–itscolourisabsolutelyvitaltoyouroveralldecorativescheme.Anddon’tforgetthattheuseofFullGlossontheceilinghasanamazingeffectonaroom,asdoestheapplicationofwallpaper,ifyouarefeelingverybrave.

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Theornamentalceilingisjustoneoftheexquisitedecorativefeaturesinthisenviablehall.Sometimesaverysimplecolour,suchas‘WimborneWhite’usedhere,isallthatisneeded.Themagnificentarchitectureandsuperblightdotherest.CaseinDistemperhasbeenusedtoenhancethestunningdetail.

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CHILDREN’SBEDROOMS

Thedecorationofchildren’sbedroomsisoftenthesourceofconsiderableangst–theage-olddilemmaofwhethertokeeptotheestablishedcolour-flowoftherestofthehouseortoallowthechildfreereinwillnevergoaway.Thereare,however,manywaysaroundit,whichshouldpleaseboththeparentandthechild.Overthenextfewpages,wecoversomeunderstatedandpracticalsolutions,aswellassomethataremoreadventurous.

Usingsmallareasofstrongcolouralongsideneutralsoftensatisfiesbothparties.Thesimplestapproachistouseastrongcolouronthewoodworkandalightertoneonthewalls.Chooseaneutralcoloursympathetictoyourestablishedcolourpaletteforthewallsandthenindulgeinsomeboldcolourfortheskirting/baseboardanddoors.‘HagueBlue’woodworkwith‘Blackened’wallsistheperfectschemeforthemodernchild,orswap‘Blackened’for‘Skylight’foramoreclassiclook,evocativeoftheseaside.Ifyouareresistanttopinkforachild’sroom,thendelicate‘PalePowder’,whichisneitherbluenorgreen,worksfantasticallywellteamedwith‘GreenBlue’woodwork.Foramoreneutralroom,try‘GreatWhite’onthewallsand‘Brassica’onthetrim.

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Softaquasarefirmfavouritesforchildren’sbedroomsbecausethegreenundertonepreventsaroomfromeverfeelingcold.‘DixBlue’hasbeenusedonthisadventurous,high-levelbedandthewallbehindit.Aladderinexhilarating‘Yellowcake’generatesalittlemoreexcitementbutwithoutbeingoverpowering.

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Charlottecreatedthissimple,eye-catchingschemeforayoungfriend.Themountainsarepaintedin‘PurbeckStone’,whilethebackgroundis‘Ammonite’.Easytoachieve,butneverthelesseffective,theideahasbeencopiedamultitudeoftimes.Ithasevenbeenreinterpretedasacityscapeforthemoreurbanchild.

Allchildren’sschemescanbeenhancedbyintroducingaboldcolouronstorageunits,bedsorotherfurniture.It’sthesameaswhenusingastrongcolouronacentralkitchenisland:byplacingadarkerobjectinaroom,everythingarounditwilllooklighter.

Ifyouarewaryofcolour,thenpaintingastrongerhueinarecessortheinteriorofcupboardsorbookshelvesismosteffective.Thechildcanbegiventheopportunitytochoosethecolourthemselvesand,ofcourse,itcanbechangedveryeasilyastheygrowinageandsophistication.

Funwallpaperliningacupboardhelpstostartthedaywell,andisadiscreetdecorativetouchasitisnotinviewatalltimes.Bolddesignsinclude‘ClosetStripe’and‘TentedStripe’,whilethemoredelicate‘Yukutori’,withitssoftoutlineofbirds,andthecharming‘BumbleBee’,aFarrow&Ballfavourite,areequallyappealing.

Colouredceilingsseemtothrillmostchildrenandshouldn’tberestrictedjusttotheobviousblue,or,indeed,topaint.Onenteringaneutralroomwithacolouredceiling,ittakesamomentbeforeyoubecomeawareofit,whichintroducesanelementofsurprise.Eventhemerestwashofcolourontheceilingwillinfuseaspacewithalittleindividuality.

FullGlossonceilingsmakethemglintandshine,creatingajewel-likequality.Alternatively,ifyouwanttoreallyindulgeyourchild,consider‘BrockhamptonStar’or‘Vermicelli’wallpapersontheceiling.Theirmetallicpatternswillcatchthelightandcreateatwinklingtreatoverhead.

Paintedstripes,eitherhorizontalorvertical,areagreatfavouritewithchildrenofallages.Whencreatedinboldcolours,suchas‘Charlotte’sLocks’and‘Pelt’,theyhaveagraphicedgemore

THISPAGE

Theluckyoccupantofthisroomhastheprivilegeofbeingbathedingloriouslightfromtwodirections.Wisely,thewallshavebeenlefttotallyneutral,paintedin‘WhiteTie’,aslightlyyellowedwhitethatwillenhancethesunny,upbeatfeelofthespace.

Hedgerow-inspired‘Hornbeam’wallpaperhasbeenpresentedintwodifferentcolourwaysinthischarmingroom.

Thejuxtapositionofthestronger-colouredpaperwithits‘RedEarth’patternbelowthedadorail,andthelighterpaperabove,groundstheroomandmakesitfeelbigger,whilegivinganunexpecteddecorativetwist.

WALLPAPER

Choosingwallpaperisextremelypersonal.Whetheryouwanttomakeabig,boldstatementorjustcreatealittletextureonthewall,Farrow&Ballhasawallpapertosuit.Thereisawealthofchoice,fromtheflamboyant‘Bamboo’tothemellow‘Silvergate’,asillustratedoverthenextfewpages,wheretheimagesshowexamplesofhowtousepapersindifferentwaysandinordertomakethemostoftheirparticularqualities.

Usingmetallicpaperstobouncelightaroundaroom

(seeaboverightonpage188)

Combiningtwopaperstogethertomakearoomlooklarger(seefacingpage)Usingsubtlepatterntocreateinterestonveryflatwalls(seeaboveleftonpage188)Usingtraditionalandmodernwallpaperdesignstoenhanceyourhome(seepages186,187andaboveleftonpage189)HoweasyitistocombineFarrow&Ballwallpaperandpainttogether(seepage190)Howtousewallpapertomakeyousmile,whetheritbeonafeaturewalloraheadboard(seebelowrightonpage191)Ifyouaretemptedtobreakintopatternbutwaryofthecommitment,remembertostartsmall–theinteriorsofcupboardsandsmallbathroomsarecryingoutforwallpaper.Oruseaflamboyantpatterninaroomthatisn’tfrequentedeveryday,perhapsadiningroomoraguestbedroom.Youwillbeinforarealtreatwhenyoudousethesespaces,orevenjustcatchaglimpseoffabulouspatternasyoupassbyanopendoor.

185

seeaboverightonpage188

seefacingpage

seeaboveleftonpage188

seepages186,187andaboveleftonpage189seepages190

seebelowrighton

EXTERIORS

Exteriorcolournotonlymakesapropertyappealingfromthestreetbutitalsosetsthetoneforthewholehouse.Whetheryouhaveacottageoracastle,acontemporaryorclassicbuilding,therearemanywaystointroducecolourtoexteriors.Alloftheexterior–masonry,walls,windowframes,ironwork,plantersandthefrontdoor–mayneedtobepaintedandshouldbeconsideredasawhole,justasyouwouldthearchitecturalelementsinaroom.

Aswithinteriors,whenitcomestochoosingcolours,therearenorightsorwrongs,butitisbesttotakeintoaccountcertainfactorssuchasthelocationofyourproperty,asdescribedonthefollowingpages.

FACINGPAGE

Iamnotsurewhichisthemoreappealing,theenchantinggardendoorpaintedin‘Brassica’ExteriorEggshellorthefurryhoundwholiveshere.Thewallsarein‘Joa’sWhite’MasonryPaint,togivetheimpressionofwarmth.

193

FACINGPAGE

ASPECTOFYOURHOME&SURROUNDINGAREA

Whendecoratingtheexteriorofyourhome,youcanaffordtoconsiderashadethatisdarkerthanyoumightchoosefortheinterior,becausethelightconditionsaresodifferent.If,forexample,youareconsidering‘Ammonite’,trythestronger‘PurbeckStone’,or‘Pigeon’insteadof‘BlueGray’.

Itcertainlymakessensetochoosecoloursthatsuittheenvironment,anditisalwaysbesttolookatpossiblecoloursinsitu.VibranttonesthatmightseemperfectinthebrightsunshineoftheCaribbeanwilllooknothingbutgarishinnorthernlight.Similarly,thesubtletonesofacrofter’scottagewillappearlifelessinbrightsunshine.Dominantfeatureslikebrickwork,naturalwoodandotherexpansesofcolours,suchaspavedorgravelledareas,lawns,fencing,shrubsandevenflowers,shouldalsobetakenintoaccount,astheyallaffectcolourchoice.

Inaruralsettingyoumaywantthehousetorecedeintothelandscape.Inthiscase,muted,green-basedtoneslike‘OldWhite’or‘LimeWhite’workbestonmasonry,withsympathetic‘SlipperSatin’onthewoodworktominimizecontrasts.Foramellow,sophisticatedlook,paintanyplantersandbenchessittingagainst

thehouseinonefromthelargeselectionofstonecolours:‘OxfordStone’forawarmlook,‘Fawn’foragreenerfeelor‘String’foranunderstatedyellowerscheme.

Inurbansettingsitismoreimportanttobesensitivetothestyleandcolourofneighbouringbuildings,anddecidewhetheryouwantacomplementaryorcontrastingscheme.Iftheentirestreethaswhitetrim,itmaybewisetofollowsuit–eventhesubtlestoff-whitecouldlookdirtyagainstbrightwhiteonanadjacentbuilding.Forthisreason,charcoal-greyslike‘DownPipe’arenowpopularonexteriortrimbecausetheystandoutfromthecrowd.

THISPAGE

‘JamesWhite’ExteriorMasonry,withitsunderlyinggreentone,istheobviouschoicefortheexteriorofthisScottishcroft,surroundedasitisbysomanydramaticnaturalelements.

ERAS

Ifyouarenostalgicforthepast,youmaywanttosourceauthenticcoloursforyourhome.Ofcourse,itisimportanttolookatthefeaturesofyourbuildingandtakethedateofyourhouseintoaccount.However,itisagravemistaketopressurizeyourselfintousingonlycoloursthatarehistoricallycorrect.

Ourhousesarenotarchaeologicalsites,tobepaintedinpainstakinglyre-createdoriginalcolourschemes.Bettertorememberthattheyareourhomestobelivedinandenjoyedinthe21stcentury,regardlessofwhentheywerebuilt.Byallmeans,respectthecoloursofthepast,butdon’tbeaslavetothem–manyhistoricallyaccuratepalettescanleadtoeitherdrearyandoppressiveroomsorspacesthataresofullofcolourtheyaretoodemandingtolivein.

Thejoyofcolouristhatithasdevelopedovertheyears,andweshouldembracethis,togetherwiththechangesthathavetakenplaceinourbuildings–wenowhavebiggerwindowsthaneverbeforeanddefinitelybetterlighting.TheFarrow&Ballpalettehasbeendesignedwiththisinmind,sothecoloursseembothagelessanduptotheminute.Theyareperfectinterpretationsoftrueperiodcolours.

Thefollowingpagesgiveabroadoutlineofthetypeofcoloursusedinthefourmaindecorativeperiods:

GeorgianVictorianEdwardianArtDeco&Mid-Century

205

7

9

Startwiththeceiling.Brushinwheretheceilingmeetsthewall,usuallywitha50mm(2in)brush,takingcaretoapplythepaintevenly.It’sfinetocomedownontothewallatthisstage,asyouwillbepaintingoverthiswiththewallcolour.

Usingtherollerandpole,startrollingevenlyacrosstheceilingarea,overlappingby50percentasyougo.Startfromyourstrongestsourceoflight(usuallyawindow)andworkawayfromituntiltheceilingiscoated.

Whenthefirstcoatisdry,repeattheprocess.Rememberthatyoualwaysneedtoapplytwocoatsoneachsurface,soallowtimeforthemtodrybetweencoats.

Finally,paintthetrimorwoodwork.WithyourInteriorWoodPrimer&Undercoatandweaponsofchoice,usuallya25mm(1in)or50mm(2in)brush,starttocutinthewindows,doorframes,doorsandfinallytheskirtings/baseboardsmakingsureyoudon’tgoontoyourfinishedwalls.Onceagain,theedgesmaytakesomepracticeandpatiencetogetyourlinesstraight.Followthiswithtwotopcoats.Alwaysdoyourskirtings/baseboardslast,asthesearetheareasthatmaypickupdustandsothisavoidstransferringittootherareasthataremorenoticeable.

10

8

Whenyouhavefinisheddecorating,itisvitaltokeeparecordofthecoloursandfinishesyouhaveusedincaseyouneedtotouchupanyareasinthefuture.Finally,besuretostoreanyleftoverpaintinacool,dryplace,protectedfromfrostandextremetemperatures.

Next,paintthewalls.Cut*intotheedgewherethewallmeetstheceilingwithouttouchingthefinishedceilingcolour.Somepracticemaybeneededtogetthislinestraight,sobepatient.

Cutaroundallthewalledges,architravesandskirtings/baseboards–youcanoverlapwiththeseareasslightly,asyouwillbepaintingoverthemwiththerelevantundercoatinthenextstep.Takecaretoapplythepaintevenlyasathickeredgemayshowthroughthefinishedpaint.

throughthefinishedpaint.

*Cutting-in/CutinUsingabrushtopaintareasarollercannotreachorwhereaneatedgeisrequired.

PlumbbobRuler

Rollertray

50mm(2in)brush25mm(1in)brushDustingbrush

Rollersleeve

Pastingbrush

Scraper

38mm(1½in)brush

38mm(1½in)angledbrush

Rollerhandle

Paintkettle

Paper-hangingbrush

Maskingtape

Blades

Snapknife

Tapemeasure

Fillingknife

Pastingbrush

WallpaperscissorsDecorator’ssponge

Dustsheet

FACINGPAGE

Thispretty,east-facingEdinburghbedroomisbathedinearly-morningsunlight.‘PalePowder’onthewallscreatesawarmandupliftingatmosphere–theperfectwaytostarttheday.

THISPAGE

‘StrongWhite’hasbeenusedonthewallsofthissouth-facingkitchenbutintwodifferentfinishes:FullGlossasadurablesplashback,withModernEmulsiononthewallabove.Thestrongsouthernlightcreatesastylishcontrastbetweenthetwofinishesformostoftheday.

FACINGPAGE

FACINGPAGE

Thiswest-facingroomfeelsdelightfullyshadyandcoolformostoftheday,butwhentheeveningsunhitsit,thereisawelcomeburstoflight.‘DropCloth’paintedonthewallsandwoodworkthenbecomesconsiderablywarmerthanitisinthemorning.

BELOW

Smallroomslackinginnaturallightarealwaysenhancedbytheuseofadramaticcolour.Thisinternalbathroomlooksfabulouslyopulent,withitswallspaintedinrich‘Charlotte’sLocks’,creatingajewel-likespacethatisadelighttoenter.

WEST-FACINGROOMS

Thelightinwest-facingroomstendstobemoremutedinthemorningandfarmoredramaticintheevening.Warmtoneslike‘MiddletonPink’or‘SmokedTrout’willaccentuatethelightintheafternoonandtheeveningsun.Greyerneutralssuchas‘SlipperSatin’or‘ShadowWhite’willretainafeelingoflightbutwillchangefrommorningtoevening–lookingcoolerearlierandwarmerlater.

WEST-ANDEAST-FACINGROOMS

Thelightchangesreallydramaticallythroughoutthedayinthesedual-aspectrooms.Countthisasablessing,asthecoloursonyourwallswillconstantlysurpriseandthrillyou.Itis,however,oftenbesttoworkoutwhenyouspendmostofyourtimeintheseroomsandtailoryourchoiceofcolourtothetypeoflightaccordingly.

ARTIFICIALLIGHT

Aswithnaturallight,artificiallightingalsoaffectshowcolourscanappearinaroom.Halogenandincandescentbulbsemitayellowlight,makingcoloursappearwarmer,whileLEDbulbsgiveabluelightandaremoresuitedtocontemporaryinteriors.Bulbsthatemitwhitelightemulatedaylight,whichmeansthatcoloursarerenderedmoreaccurately.Whendecoratingaroomthatisoftenlitwithcandles,optforvelvetycolours,suchas‘DeadSalmon’,orsilverycolours,suchas‘BallGreen’,togiveanintimate,romanticfeel.

217

HOWLIGHTAFFECTSCOLOUR

FACINGPAGE

HOWLIGHTAFFECTSCOLOUR

PARTTHREE

THEDIRECTORY

FACINGPAGE

Themesmerizingshapeofthisbeautifulwindingstaircasemeansthatverylittlecolourisneededonthewalls.Simplebutwarm‘Pointing’onboththewallsandwoodworkcomplementstheagedwoodperfectly.

219

FACINGPAGE

THISPAGE

IamconstantlyrepaintingthewallsinmysittingroomsothatIcanchecktheeffectthattheamazinglighthasonthecolours.Atthispoint–thecolourshavesincechanged–theywere‘Dimpse’,with‘DownPipe’onthefloorand‘AllWhite’onthewoodwork.Thismadeacrispbutunderstatedscheme:theperfectbackdropwhileIwaswritingthisbook,sittingatthisverytable.

PAINTFINISHES

Don’tbeoverwhelmedbythechoiceofdifferentpaintfinishes.Unlessyouaredoingspecialistdecorating,thereisreallyonlyachoiceoftwoforthewalls:theveryflatmattEstateEmulsionortheequallybeautifulbutmoredurableModernEmulsion.Similarly,thereisachoiceoftwofinishesforwoodwork:theflatterEstateEggshellorthehighsheenFullGloss.

Whicheverfinishyouchoose,youaresafeintheknowledgethatourinteriorandexteriorpaintfinishesarewater-based,low-odour,quick-drying,environmentallyfriendlyandchild-friendly.

InteriorFinishesEstateEmulsion,ModernEmulsion,EstateEggshell,FloorPaint,FullGloss.Traditionalandspecialistfinishes:DeadFlat,Limewash,SoftDistemper,CaseinDistemper.

ExteriorFinishesExteriorMasonry,ExteriorEggshell,FullGloss.Traditionalandspecialistfinishes:Limewash.

PrimersandUndercoatsWall&CeilingPrimer&Undercoat,WoodFloorPrimer&Undercoat,WoodKnot&ResinBlockingPrimer,MetalPrimer&Undercoat,Masonry&PlasterStabilisingPrimer,ExteriorWoodPrimer&Undercoat.

Notethatnotallfinishesareavailableinallmarkets.

231

WALLPAPERS

Althoughmostwallpapersaremadeusingink,oursarenot.Weuseourownpainttocreatetheprint,aswellasthebackgroundcolour,usingtraditionalblockortroughmethods.Thisresultsintotallyuniquepapersthatworkperfectlywiththepaintcolours.

Ourhugerangeofdesignsareinspiredbyarchivesoffabricsandwallpapersfromaroundtheworld.Thereareflorals,damasks,stripesandgeometricpatterns,someofwhicharelargeandflamboyant,whileothersarequietlysubtle.Hopefully,thereissomethingtoappealtoeveryone.

Inordertomakethesewallpapersappropriateforuseinthemodern-dayhome,endlessworkhasgoneintoensuringthattheyarewashablewhilestillhavingthesamechalkyfinishthathasalwaysdefinedthepaintcolours–acombinationoftimelessartistryand21st-centurydurability.

251

FARROW&BALLSHOWROOMS

UK

Bath124–6WalcotStreetBathSomersetBA15BG+44(0)1225466700

Battersea146NorthcoteRoadBatterseaLondonSW116RD+44(0)2072286578

Beaconsfield39LondonEndOldBeaconsfieldBuckinghamshireHP92HW+44(0)1494677700

Blackheath48TranquilValeBlackheathLondonSE30BD+44(0)2083184897

Bristol19PrincessVictoriaStreetClifton

Bristol

BS84BP+44(0)1179733900

Cambridge14RegentStreetCambridgeCambridgeshireCB21DB+44(0)1223367771

Chelsea249FulhamRoadChelseaLondonSW36HY+44(0)2073510273

Edinburgh20NorthWestCircusPlaceStockbridgeEdinburghWestLothianEH36SX+44(0)1312262216

Esher15HighStreeEsherSurreyKT109RL+44(0)1372477129

Glasgow470GreatWesternRoadGlasgowG128EW+44(0)1413377043

Guildford11TunsgateGuildfordSurreyGU13QT+44(0)1483511365

Hampstead58RosslynHillHampsteadLondonNW31ND+44(0)2074355169

Harrogate1JamesStreetHarrogateNorthYorkshireHG11QS+44(0)1423522552

Henley-on-Thames21ThamesideHenley-on-ThamesOxfordshireRG92LJ+44(0)1491636128

Hove31bWesternRoadHoveEastSussexBN31AF+44(0)1273774640

Hove31bWesternRoadHoveEastSussexBN31AF+44(0)1273774640

Islington38CrossStreetIslingtonLondonN12BG+44(0)2072262627

LeamingtonSpa82RegentStreetLeamingtonSpaWarwickshireCV324NS+44(0)1926424760

Manchester270DeansgateManchesterM34JB+44(0)1618395532

Marylebone64PaddingtonStreetMaryleboneLondonW1U4JG+44(0)2074874733

NottingHill21–22ChepstowCornerNottingHillLondonW24XE+44(0)2072212328

259


Oxford225BanburyRoadSummertownOxford

OX27HS+44(0)1865559575

Richmond30HillRiseRichmondSurrey

TW106UA+44(0)2089487700

Solihull36MillLaneMellSquareShoppingCentreSolihullWestMidlandsB913BA+44(0)1217093360

StAlbans36MarketPlaceStAlbansHertfordshireAL35DG+44(0)1727847155

Sunningdale5BroomhallBuildingsSunningdaleSurreySL50DH+44(0)1344876615

TunbridgeWells4HighStreetTunbridgeWellsKentTN11UX+44(0)1892512121

Wilmslow19ChurchStreetWilmslowCheshireSK91AX+44(0)1625415102

Wimbledon90HighStreetWimbledonLondonSW195EG+44(0)2086052099

Wimborne

UddensEstateWimborneDorsetBH217NL+44(0)1202890905

Winchester32TheSquareWinchesterHampshireSO239EX+44(0)1962843179

EUROPE

Dublin14CornmarketDublin8IRELAND+35316770111

Düsseldorf

HoheStraße3740213DüsseldorfGERMANY+4921121073561

FrankfurtKaiserstraße2560311FrankfurtGERMANY+496924246269

HamburgNeueABC-Strraße.2–320354HamburgGERMANY

ParisRiveGauche50ruedel’université75007ParisFRANCE+33145448220

ParisRiveGauche50ruedel’université75007ParisFRANCE+33145448220

ParisMarais111bis,ruedeTurenne75003ParisFRANCE+33144611822

ParisNeuilly2rueduChateauNeuilly-sur-Seine92200ParisFRANCE+33147229828

ParisStGermainenLaye7RueduDocteurTimsitStGermainEnLaye78100ParisFRANCE+33139104650

MunichRumfordstraße4880469MunichGERMANY+498921269416

Strasbourg1RuedelaNueeBleue67000StrasbourgFRANCE+33390200840

260


NORTHAMERICA

Forthemostup-to-datelistofshowroomsandstockistspleasevisitwww.farrow-ball.comBoston

OneDesignCenterPlaceSuite337ABostonMA02210USA+16173455344

Chicago449NorthWellsStreetChicagoIL60654USA

Greenwich32EastPutnamAvenueGreenwichCT06830USA+12034220990

LosAngeles8475MelroseAvenueWestHollywoodLosAngelesCA90069USA+13236554499

NYFlatiron32East22ndStreetNewYorkNY10010USA+12123348330

NYMidtownD&DBuildingSuite1519979ThirdAvenueNewYorkNY10022USA+12127525544

NYUpperEastSide142East73rdStreetNewYorkNY10021USA+12127377400

NYUpperWestSide322ColumbusAvenueNewYorkNY10023USA+12127990900

OrangeCounty3323SuiteCHylandAvenueCostaMesaCA92626USA+17144382448

Toronto1054YongeStreetTorontoONM4W2L1CANADA+14169200200

Washington5221WisconsinAvenueNWWashingtonDCDC20015USA+12024796780

Westport396PostRdEastWestportCT06880USA+12032213117

261


NORTHAMERICA

Forthemostup-to-datelistofshowroomsandstockistspleasevisitwww.farrow-ball.comBoston

OneDesignCenterPlaceSuite337ABostonMA02210USA+16173455344

Chicago449NorthWellsStreetChicagoIL60654USA

Greenwich32EastPutnamAvenueGreenwichCT06830USA+12034220990

LosAngeles8475MelroseAvenueWestHollywoodLosAngelesCA90069USA+13236554499

NYFlatiron32East22ndStreetNewYorkNY10010USA+12123348330

NYMidtownD&DBuildingSuite1519979ThirdAvenueNewYorkNY10022USA+12127525544

NYUpperEastSide142East73rdStreetNewYorkNY10021USA+12127377400

NYUpperWestSide322ColumbusAvenueNewYorkNY10023USA+12127990900

OrangeCounty3323SuiteCHylandAvenueCostaMesaCA92626USA+17144382448

Toronto1054YongeStreetTorontoONM4W2L1CANADA+14169200200

Washington5221WisconsinAvenueNWWashingtonDCDC20015USA+12024796780

Westport396PostRdEastWestportCT06880USA+12032213117

261


www.farrow-ball.com

http://www.farrow-ball.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ManythanksgotoallatOctopuswhoexpertlynursedthisfirsttimewriterthroughtheprocessofcreatingabook,particularlytoAlisonStarlingforherunfailingsupportandadvice,toJonathanChristieforhisthoughtfuldesign,andPollyPoulterforherextraordinarydiligence.

Weareobviouslyindebtedtothehomeownersfromallovertheworldwhosogenerouslyallowedustophotographtheirbeautifulpropertiesandincludetheminthisbook.

JamesMerrell’sbrilliantphotographshavemadethisbookwhatitis,soweowehimuntoldappreciation,notonlyforhisfabulousimages,butalsoforhiswillingnesstotraveltheworldatthedropofahat.

SpecialthankstothewonderfullytalentedFarrow&Ballteam–toogreatinnumbertomentionbyname,althoughthehardworkandcommitmentofShamusPitts(colourwheelsupremo),BelMoretti,JoTuckerandTraceyMackdeserveparticulargratitude.

TheextraordinarygenerosityandhardworkofLawrenceShowellandJonathanBeardeservesparticularthanksaswell.

CosmoStudholmeshouldcertainlybementionedforhisunfailingpatienceinbothproofreadinghismother’swordsanddealingwiththeoccasionaltechnicalbreakdown!

Importantly,IwouldliketothankmycolleagueandfriendCharlieformakingtheprocessofcreatingthisbooksuchfun.

AndlastlymybiggestthanksgotoA.,C.&N.foralwaysbeingthere.

—JoaStudholme

267

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

AnHachetteUKCompanywww.hachette.co.uk

FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2016byMitchellBeazley,adivisionofOctopusPublishingGroupLtd,CarmeliteHouse,50VictoriaEmbankment,LondonEC4Y0DZwww.octopusbooks.co.ukwww.octopusbooksusa.comTextandillustrationscopyright©Farrow&BallLimited2016

DistributedintheUSbyHachetteBookGroup,1290AvenueoftheAmericas,4thand5thFloors,NewYork,NY10020

DistributedinCanadabyCanadianMandaGroup664AnnetteSt.,Toronto,Ontario,CanadaM6S2C8

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproducedorutilizedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recordingorbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.

Text:JoaStudholmePhotographers:JamesMerrell,RobinKitchin,JamesBowdenandJustinBartonPublisher:AlisonStarlingCreativeDirector:JonathanChristieEditor:PollyannaPoulterCopyEditor:HelenRidgeProofreader:ZiaMattocksSeniorProductionManager:KatherineHockleyACIPcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.

268

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www.octopusbooks.co.ukwww.octopusbooksusa.com

eISBN:9781784722173

http://www.hachette.co.uk

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Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform Your Home with Paint & Paper

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