A few months ago, longtime Remodelista contributor Izabella emailed to say she’d just picked up a copy of Farrow & Ball’s latest tome, How to Decorate, which she’s using as a reference in her current remodel (“Incredibly inspiring book,” she wrote).
Our own copy just arrived in the mail, and we’ve been poring over it and taking notes. Written by F&B color expert Joa Studholme and creative director Charlotte Cosby, the book walks you through the process of choosing paint color at home—from how to assess your own style to the ways that light can affect your perception of color throughout the day. Much of the book is devoted to specific surfaces—how to choose paint color for ceilings, floors, accent walls, and baseboards, for instance—which, as anyone who’s done it knows, is not at all intuitive. Farrow & Ball rounds out the guide with advice on choosing finishes, considering wallpaper, and thinking about historical context. Farrow & Ball: How to Decorate is $39.99 at Farrow & Ball.
Join the Book Tour
For US readers: How to Decorate is going on tour from October 31 to November 4 with book launch events in New York, Chicago, Berkeley, Pasadena, D.C., and Paramus, New Jersey. Buy the book, hear a short talk from the authors, enjoy light refreshments, and have your book signed. Visit the US Book Tour page for more information and to RSVP.
Here are some of our favorite images from the book, photographed by James Merrell.
Above: Featured in the section on dark colors (red, yellow, green, and blue each get their due): an industrial steel pantry against a “powerful backdrop” of Farrow & Ball’s Railings.
Above: In a French house, this reclaimed wood pantry stands out when trimmed in Farrow & Ball’s Black Blue. (The rest of the room, which can be glimpsed on the right, is painted in Manor House Gray.)
Above: This Dutch room demonstrates the appeal of Farrow & Ball’s Dead Flat finish, shown here in Railings.
Above: The five colors used in this bathroom are “perfectly balanced”: The blue bathtub and yellow toilet complement wall panelling in Hague Blue, walls in Pink Ground, and floor in Strong White.
Above: A textural, but muted, sitting room features walls in Shaded White with decorative wall paneling in French Gray.
Above: Farrow & Ball’s Floor Paint is glossy and durable, shown here on the stairs in Shaded White.
How to Decorate is $39.99 at Farrow & Ball.
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