Worried that Elephant’s Breath has become just a touch too ubiquitous? Fear not: interiors brand Farrow & Ball has launched nine new paint shades, their first new colours to arrive since 2016.
The nine covetable launches range from a nostalgic soft off white named School House White to statement-making hues like Rangwali, a vibrant pink inspired by the tradition of throwing paint during the Holi festival, and Bancha, a more modern twist on olive green, with the darkest shade being the Georgian inspired red-black Paean Black.
Of the new shades, though, we predict that Sulking Room Pink will soon become a fixture on your favourite interiors-themed Instagram accounts. Think of it as millennial pink with an edge: according to the brand, the colour is ‘not to be seen as overtly pink, but rather a muted rose with enormous warmth,’ while its ‘powdery feel makes it incredibly soft and easy to use with complementary tones.’ Its unusual name nods to pink’s prominence as a colour used in the boudoir, a room that takes its name from the French verb ‘bouder,’ to sulk.
See the new Farrow & Ball paint shades in full in the gallery below...
Farrow & Ball new paints - Grazia
1 of 9School House White
They say: 'Pared back, timeless and familiar without the cool undertones of the more contemporary neutral groups, this soft off white is reminiscent of the colour used in old school houses'
2 of 9Treron
They say: 'This enduring colour is a dark green version of Farrow & Ball classic Pigeon, hence being named after the green variety of the same species'
3 of 9Jitney
They say: 'Though muted, it is incredibly uplifting and reminds us of lazy days by the sea – hence sharing its name with the bus that whisks New Yorkers out of the hot city to the similarly coloured sandy beaches of the Hamptons'
4 of 9Paean Black
They say: 'This Georgian inspired red based black creates an intimate feel in super contemporary of bohemian homes, while adding a distinguished look to traditional exteriors'
5 of 9Sulking Room Pink
They say: 'Not to be seen as overtly pink, but rather a muted rose with enormous warmth, its powdery feel makes it incredibly soft and easy to use with complementary tones'
6 of 9Rangwali
They say: 'This colour is exotic, happy and vital. The most adventurous of our pinks, Rangwali is incredibly friendly and takes its name from the powder which is thrown so enthusiastically during the Holi festival of colours in India'
7 of 9Preference Red
They say: 'The deepest and richest of our reds, this Baroque colour is named in honour of our original trade name, Preference Paints'
8 of 9Bancha
They say: 'Its sober tone creates rooms that feel calm and serene – especially when combined with soft pinks and browns. Named after Japanese tea leaves, Bancha, like a cup of green tea, provides a feeling of security'
9 of 9De Nimes
They say: 'The exact shade is rooted in a regency palette but is inspired by the cloth of everyday workwear made in the French city Nimes. Like denim, its blue hue is ultimately fashionable and yet always feels grounded'
‘Our new hues tend to fall into three very broad brackets,’ Farrow & Ball’s colour curator Joa Studholme told the Evening Standard’s Homes & Property. ‘The first is trend-led colours that feel relevant and will nourish the contemporary home. Jitney is a wonderful example of this, with brown-based tones that mark the move away from cooler greys.’
‘The second is existing shades that might need a very slight tweak for today’s market – Sulking Room Pink is an updated take on Smoked Trout, for example,’ she continued. ‘Finally, some of our most popular hues just beg to have lighter or darker accents, such as School House white which is the lightest colour in the contemporary neutral group.'
Farrow & Ball have traditionally retained a chart of just 132 colours, meaning that nine older shades – Clunch, Archive, Smoked Trout, Book Room Red, Yellow Cake, Ringwold Ground, Tunsgate Green, Drawing Room Blue and Black Blue – have been retired to make way for these new launches. If one of those is a favourite, though, you needn’t fear too much: the colours will still be available to buy through the brand’s archive collection.