Farrow & Ball's trending paint colours and how to use them at home

It's one thing knowing the hottest paint colours and trends (opens in new tab), but it's another knowing where and how it's best to use them to enhance your home. 

Thankfully, Farrow & Ball (opens in new tab), purveyors of the last decade's biggest hitters from Elephant's Breath to Down Pipe, know a thing or two about paint colours and how to make them work in your home.  

Whether it's a pre-Christmas refresh in the living room, or post-lockdown overhaul of the kitchen, Farrow & Ball colour curator Joa Studholme reveals how to use this year’s on trend colours.

"Now that we are spending more time in the home, we will be using colours that feel friendly and relatable. Colours that are warm, welcoming, and easy to live with, and that make us proud of our design decisions," says Joa. "These thoughtful choices convey a sense of ease and familiarity and are a result of wanting to find calm within the chaos of our turbulent world. We want our homes to be places not just for rest and recovery, but also for rejuvenation and inspiration."

See Also: Interior Design Trends – the biggest interior trends for 2021 (opens in new tab)

RICH AND WARM

In challenging times, we crave warm tones that will enrich our homes and create cosy sanctuaries away from the outside world. Luxurious colours like Preference Red can be added to the most neutral of palettes by using them in rooms we use at the end of the day, when we most want to relax and be comforted. In 2021 we'll be moving away from dark charcoals and blues and towards the warmer tones of nature, like Deep Reddish Brown and Tanner’s Brown, which are strong and subdued but achingly fashionable. 

Incredibly chic by day and cosy by night, they bring a grounded but luxurious atmosphere that is thought-provoking as well as soothing, particularly when paired with other hues found in the natural world. All three of these chocolatey tones are particularly suited to bookshelves and library shelving.

CLEAN AND TIMELESS BLUES

The blues that will be best suited to anchoring our homes in 2021 are cleaner tones like lively Pitch Blue, fresh Ultra Marine Blue, and the darker, inkier Stiffkey Blue. These uncomplicated shades feel familiar, like memories from our childhood, so have a soothing effect in the home despite their cooler undertones. For a simple but immersive colour experience, use the colour on both walls and woodwork, using Modern Eggshell and Modern Emulsion to create the perfect family environment that is wipeable and scuff-proof! 

If, however, you want a more formal and traditional feel, then team these blues with All White or Ammonite on the woodwork and they will sing even more, especially when used in well-lit spaces or on central kitchen islands. However, when used in areas deprived of light or in evening rooms lit by table lamps, they become much richer and more luxurious in feel.

NATURAL GREENS

Bringing the elements of the natural world into our interiors encourages personal growth as well as evoking a feeling of calm. All greens reinforce our connection to nature and create the perfect welcoming start to the journey through your home. This makes greens a particularly popular choice for use in hallways, where they cause the rooms off it to feel bigger and lighter. 

The traditional grey undertone of Treron makes it feel as if it is part of your family, and, like the slightly bluer Green Smoke, it has an irresistibly inviting deepness and weathered familiarity. These are soft, smoky colours that embrace you on your return home. The more olive-coloured Sap Green is perfect for those who want to embrace a stronger colour with a mid-century modern feel, but still stay in touch with nature and benefit from the protective and grounding attributes of using green in the home.

EARTH COLOURS

The palette of colours we want to use in the home has expanded, and we are looking to introduce warmer tones to add personality and elegance while still remaining comfortable. Surrender to the urge to escape and find refuge in the beauty of nature by using the colours of the earth. Soft, understated Jitney is the perfect base colour to build upon, and so is particularly suited to kitchens where we can layer other earth colours on units and islands, to reconnect with the elements of land, clean air, and natural light. 

The stronger, more mushroom tone of Dead Salmon is just as subtle as Jitney and has an even more aged, earthy look, making it feel familiar and easy to live with. India Yellow is somewhat stronger and moodier – the perfect colour for 2021 with its mix of aged ease and modern strength.

Looking for a lockdown project and want to know how to paint a room? Find out all you need to know here (opens in new tab). 

Read how interior experts reacted to Dulux Colour of the Year 2021 (opens in new tab)