Excerpt: Farrow and Ball

CONTENTS

6

Recipes for Decorating

8

PART 1 – THE BASICS Why Farrow & Ball works in every type of house and for every type of person.

Working with colour and pattern.

How to tackle woodwork and ceiling colours when planning a scheme.

Farrow & Ball archive colours.

28

PART 2 – THE HOMES Exploring 15 homes where Farrow & Ball has been used successfully – with examples from around the world.

Each case study will provide colour palette recipes for the rooms shown and include unique “recipe tips”.

178

PART 3 – THE ROOMS How to decorate particular rooms, again including colour palette recipes for each room scheme shown.

Living Rooms Kitchens & Dining Rooms Studies & Work Rooms Bedrooms Children’s Rooms Bathrooms Hallways & Landings Exteriors

258 262 267 268

Glossary/Directory Index Acknowledgments Credits

RECIPES FOR DECORATING

Y

ou don’t have to be a chef or even a particularly good cook to experience proper kitchen alchemy. The same can be said of decorating, because like cooking it is not a science but an art. It is fine to make mistakes and to experiment because the pleasure is in the creating of a scheme and then in sharing the result with your family and friends.

At Farrow & Ball we firmly believe that there are no steadfast rules when it comes to decorating. There are a few basic things to think about as outlined in our last book, How to Decorate, but your home should tell the story of who you are and be a collection of what you love. So in this book we bring you the decorative recipes that have been used to create 15 very different homes. They range from a contemporary architectural masterpiece in New York to the ultimate bucolic cottage in the west of England. And the recipes used are often very personal, sometimes including things that have been passed down from generation to generation and on other occasions made up entirely of newly bought contemporary pieces. But the most important ingredient in these homes is colour.

Many years ago I began to think about how the architectural elements within a room are just like ingredients in a recipe. The colours need to be combined and balanced in just the same way as ingredients are when you create a culinary dish. Combining

them to form something far better than the sum of their parts. So the lists of ingredients are included in the form of detailed colour palette recipes for each house.

As well as studies of particular homes, we look at how people from all over the world treat specific rooms. It never ceases to amaze and delight me how different people approach the decoration of rooms in their homes. And thank goodness for that the world would be a far duller place if we all liked the same things.

So we include sleek, ultra-modern kitchens, farmhouse kitchens, family kitchens, diminutive and huge kitchens – all very personal in style, but all decorated with love, as are all the different types of rooms we include.

Our aim is to provide as much useful information as possible so in our recipes for successful decorating we have also included some classic colour combinations - the mac and cheese or tea and cake of the paint world.

Just as there are copious ways to cook an egg, there are countless ways of decorating a room. While some might favour the simple egg-white omelette others crave opulent eggs Benedict. Over the following pages we cover both the simple and the opulent in decorating, because the right room – like the right recipe – will nourish one’s well-being.

LEFT

This kitchen feels remarkably calm as a result of using the well establish combination of French Gray on the cabinets and Slipper Satin on the walls. The underlying green in both colours mean they sit perfectly together resulting in it feeling fresh but not too shiny and new.

7 INTRODUCTION

CASE STU DY 3

THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE The first thing you notice on approach to this old British school house deep in the Somerset countryside is that the exterior woodwork appears to have been painted specifically to reflect the colour of the cows grazing in the surrounding fields.

Surely this is an unimaginable attention to detail? But indeed the soft black is the perfect bovine match and gives a hint of the treasures waiting inside.

Originally painted throughout in a bland white (albeit fitting for a school house), the smaller rooms are now transformed into unique spaces each with their own sense of character, to sate the owners’ appetite for colour and to enhance the individual attributes of each room.

On entering the house through the charming arched door (inset above) one is greeted by a rich green hall which perpetuates the hues of the verdant garden. This surprisingly strong coloured space creates drama on entry and means that when you pass through to the main room it feels incredibly big and light in comparison.

At the dark entrance to the living room (left), a striking black has been used on the bookcase and ceiling to create a moody area, but in order to both create space and to retain the spirit of an old school building, the rest of the walls and ceiling remain a soft white.

LEFT

I N S E T A B OV E

A B OV E

The living room bookcase tucked under the gallery has been painted in arresting Railings. It was vital to include the door within the bookcase and the ceiling underneath the gallery in order to enhance the dramatic effect.

Black Blue has been used on the arched front door in order to reflect the colour of the cows in the surrounding fields. The Exterior Eggshell finish gives it a relaxed country feel.

The junior school room is now the kitchen with the units painted in rich Studio Green rather than ubiquitous charcoal, which would not suit such a rustic setting.

As in the main living area the walls and ceiling retain their historic roots by being

57 THE HOMES

painted in Shadow White, as have the majority of the mismatched chairs and the table legs. The use of sunny Babouche in the window recess to match the planting outside provides an uplifting twist.

CASE STU DY 3

RECIPE TIPS FROM THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE * Big airy rooms are kept light but with some colour accents for added interest. * Smaller, darker spaces are enriched with just one strong colour. * Colours have been chosen to enhance the main attributes of the room. * Compromised areas are kept dark at the base and then become light at the top.

THE PALETTE HALL

WC

OLIVE

ALL WHITE

INCHYR A BLUE

ALL WHITE

Walls

Woodwork & ceiling

Walls bottom ⅔

Everything else

S I T T I N G R O O M ( S E E PAG E 5 6 )

SHADOW WHITE

DROP CLOTH

R AILINGS

NANCY’S BLUSHES

MOUSE ’S BACK

Walls & ceiling

Woodwork

Bookcase

Internal wall

Floor

K I T C H E N ( S E E PAG E 57 )

A B OV E

RIGHT

The smallest bedroom has been painted in beautiful Setting Plaster. This is the perfect colour to create an intimate room, as its broken plaster colour prevents the walls from looking too flat.

The same colour has been taken over the ceiling in order to disguise its low height and over the woodwork in order to create the ultimate calm space. This room proves that good things come in small packages as it is everyone’s favourite to sleep in.

Not many bedrooms have the privilege of opening onto such an abundant garden.

In order to magnify the feeling of a pastoral idyll, French Gray, with its underlying green, has been used on every surface in this room. The fact that the doors are painted the same colour as the walls prevents the feeling of there being a barrier between the interior and exterior, and provides the perfectly inviting passage for an early morning stroll.

SHADOW WHITE

STUDIO GREEN

BABOUCHE

OVAL ROOM BLUE

Walls & ceiling

Units

Window recess

All

PINK BEDROOM (LEFT)

CORRIDOR

INCHYR A BLUE

ALL WHITE

Walls bottom ⅔

Everything else

GREEN BEDROOM (RIGHT)

THE HOMES

SET TING PL ASTER

All

BLUE BEDROOM

FRENCH GR AY

LIGHT BLUE

INCARNADINE

All

Woodwork

Stair risers

E X T E R I O R ( S E E PAG E 57 )

60

BOOT ROOM

B AT H R O O M

BL ACK BLUE

STIFFKEY BLUE

WHITE TIE

All

Bath panel & floor

Everything else

K IT CH E NS & DI N I NG RO O M S

BOHO COUNTRY KITCHEN

T

his fabulous rambling house is packed full of colour until you reach the intentionally cooler kitchen. A traditional Mizzle hall and surprising Calamine corridor deliver you to the neutral kitchen. The walls are painted in Blackened, one of our Architectural Neutrals, an ideal choice for those who wish to achieve a slightly modern industrial feel but want to avoid blindingly stark pure white. As in most homes, this kitchen is very much the heart of life here – the room that the family spend most time in – so the owners have chosen to make it their lightest brightest space. As the room receives sunlight for most of the day, the perceived cool tones of Blackened are somewhat softened and work as a perfect counterbalance to the bucolic view. Originally the dining room in the house, modern day living meant that converting this room to a kitchen was the obvious choice. Now the family can spill out into the garden direct from the kitchen, and with the trim on all the doors and windows painted in the same colour as the walls, that journey feels seamless.

The units at either end of the room are painted in Pavilion Gray, so the contrast with the walls is very slight, making the space feel even more vast, while the two-metre-long island is painted in Pitch Black to add a dash of drama. Having such a large dark object in the centre of the room makes everything around it feel bigger and lighter, and the fact that it sits below your eye line means it is much easier to live with than if this strong colour had been used on wallhung cabinets. The addition of an old French cupboard painted in Oval Room Blue softens the overall look and avoids the room feeling unforgiving or clinical. Indeed, despite its cool palette, this room has the warmest of family atmospheres. Music is written, clothes designed and puppies born in this happy multifunctional space: the perfect neutral backdrop to a highly colourful family.

A B OV E

The outside view provides the perfect pastoral backdrop to this more modern kitchen.

The wall colour Blackened has also been used on the doors and shutters to create a seamless link between interior and exterior.

RIGHT

The Pavilion Gray units are only very slightly darker than the walls which helps to create a sense of space.

The daring use of Pitch Black on the monumental island makes everything around it feel bigger and lighter.

188 THE ROOMS

THE PALETTE

BL ACKENED

PAVILION GR AY

Walls, ceiling, woodwork

Units

PITCH BL ACK

OVAL ROOM BLUE

Island

Cupboard

CAL AMINE

MIZZLE

Corridor

Hall

H A L LWAYS & L A N DI NGS

A B OV E

A B OV E

In this chic French apartment both the walls and woodwork in the lobby have been painted in striking Railings to create a highly dramatic entrance. The same colour has been taken through to the inner hall on the bookcase but the walls and paneling here are painted in the much lighter and more welcoming Elephants Breath.

The colour Citron is often perceived to look like sunshine and these walls positively glow, creating a space full of energy.

Perfect for a hallway that sits between a neutral kitchen and utility room.

The use of Wimborne White on the woodwork prevents the colour being overwhelming and ensures the room retains its traditional values.

238 THE ROOMS

H A L LWAYS & L A N DI NGS

A B OV E

A B OV E

In a rather bland corridor, the use of darker Inchyra Blue on both the bottom of the walls and on the skirting is extremely practical, while All White on the higher walls and ceiling ensures that the space opens out and feels wider. This traditional scheme has been given a modern twist by the same form of decoration being taken over the doors and frames.

Many people choose to make bold statements in their halls but in this Brooklyn home the colour is contained in the rooms and the hall kept totally neutral. Both the walls and the paneling have been painted in delicate Wevet while the newel post and handrail remain unpainted, giving an insight into how the house may have originally looked.

239 THE ROOMS

JOA STUDHOLME

SPECIFICATION:

Having joined Farrow & Ball more than 20 years ago, Joa Studholme has amassed a vast wealth of experience. From developing the new colours to consulting on design projects, Joa has worked with the paints and papers every day on both residential and commercial projects. A self-confessed “colour geek”, Joa’s passion for interior design and colour means her own home is under constant renovation and she claims to redecorate it at least once a month.

Hardcover 260 x 230mm (10¼ x 9in) 268 pages (to include 16 pages of craft paper) c. 37,000 words c. 300 images Mitchell Beazley Spring 2019

CHARLOTTE COSBY

Head of Creative, Charlotte Cosby, has been working with Farrow & Ball for more than 10 years. She has full responsibility for creative direction, including product development, brand identity, photography, showroom design and much more. Charlotte is passionate about pattern, colour and design and spends much of her free time redecorating her Victorian apartment by the sea.

JAMES MERRELL

London-based James Merrell is the book’s photographer. James’s work has been featured in W, Elle Decor (all editions), Vogue Living, Town & Country, Domino, Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, Departures, Travel + Leisure, The Wall Street Journal and Living Etc. It has also appeared in many bestselling interiors books.

Joa, Charlotte and James were the co-authors and photographer for Farrow & Ball How to Decorate, which was also published by Mitchell Beazley in 2016.

I N S I D E F R O N T C OV E R

Hegemone wallpaper on the interior of this dresser painted in Studio Green is a whimsical addition to the kitchen, and sits comfortably with the mismatched china. A perfect introduction to those wary of the use of bold pattern.

RIGHT

Geometric Tessela wallpaper (number 3603) used in the dining end of this London kitchen enhances the parquet flooring beautifully. The background colour of the paper, Strong White, has been used on the walls with a lighter version of the pattern colour, Cornforth White, on the units – the perfect harmonious match.

FARROW & BALL RECIPES FOR DECORATING

by Joa Studholme and Charlotte Crosby Rizzoli International Publications 300 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10010 www.rizzoliusa.com ISBN: 978-0-8478-6658-8 $50.00 HC, 9 x 10Âź inches 268 pages 200 color and b/w photographs Rights: US/Canada For serial rights, images to accompany your coverage, or any other publicity information about this title please contact: Pam Sommers, Executive Director of Publicity T. (212) 387-3465 psommers@rizzoliusa.com