“Living without colour is like living without love,” says Kelly Wearstler. It’s the concluding line in the official video, available for viewing on Farrow & Ball’s social media platforms, introducing the American interior designer’s collaboration with the UK-based paint company. This philosophy is the driving force behind the Los Angeles-based designer’s creations and partnering with a paint company to come up with a colour collection was a dream of hers.

Having used Farrow & Ball in her design projects for more than two decades, Wearstler’s love for colour is very evident in her career. “Colour is the spirit of a room, and provides expressive power to transform a space with your personal voice, whether you are painting all of your walls, or just one,” she says.

This collaboration, the first for Farrow & Ball with an external designer, marks the iconic paint brand’s 75th anniversary and was launched earlier in March. Inspired by her home in Los Angeles, the collection is supported by Farrow & Ball's ethos of sustainability. Their water-based paints are eco-friendly, low-VOC and packaged in recyclable tins.

The inspiration

The designer believes colours found in nature resonate on a primeval level. They impart a feeling of peacefulness and of belonging to the surrounding environment. Rooted in this belief, the palette is inspired by the landscapes of California. This beautifully plays with the thought process of Farrow & Ball who use their natural environment in Dorset, England, as the inspiration for all their colours. 

Wearstler describes the palette as chic and sophisticated, yet casual and relaxed. “This paint collection is about what I truly believe California represents,” she describes in the video, “which is bringing the outside in – from the desert hues to the colours of sand at the beach to the sky”. The series of complementary colours represent various moods of the sun-kissed city and its coastal landscape.

The colour palette

Consisting of eight colours available in four finishes, the capsule collection evokes images of sun-kissed palm fronds, sandy beaches and clear blue skies. The collection includes warm neutrals like Sand, inspired by visuals of Malibu’s sandy beaches and coastal homes brimming with natural wood and textured linens.

Faded Terracotta evokes visuals of terracotta pots and tiles softened to a pale hue by the California sun. Another neutral shade, Salt, is a crisp white “reminiscent of the salty air ushered in by the Pacific Ocean”. Complementing the neutral shades are brighter hues like Citrona, a softened citrus shade inspired by the lemon trees of California.

Palm, a muted, fresh green is an ode to the iconic palm trees of Los Angeles while Hazy, a subdued shade of blue-grey, was envisioned out of a desire to capture the fresh vibe of early mornings on the coast. Rounding the collection are the deeper shades of Stoke, a soft grey shade reminiscent of city streets and rainy coastal days, and Tar, capturing the off-black hue of sun-baked desert highways.