GOOD IN EVERY LIGHT: FARROW & BALL
For many years my mom would bring a Farrow & Ball color book with us on trips to Europe. She’s an interior designer and wanted to match, as closely as possible, whatever charismatic shade of rose or pale yellow she came across. She rightly didn’t trust a photo; she needed to match the card. This seemed fairly eccentric at the time. Now it feels like downright genius. You have to be precise to get these things right.
I appreciated her love of color, but it didn’t apply to me directly. I’ve lived in five apartments in New York and love them all in different ways (the one on the Upper West Side I love a little less). I’ve always been particular about where I live (that's probably an understatement) and each has had a unique character. But until Emilie and I moved into our current apartment, the walls of every one have been white.
White white. Boring white. Whatever came in the apartment white. It didn’t always matter. The walls were covered in art, there were plenty of windows (when I was lucky), and it didn’t deter the situation. Well this apartment, my sixth, was going to be different. We wanted something softer and less stark. There were lots of walls, uninterrupted by windows (a blessing and a curse) and we wanted a new color. Ultimately, we returned to Farrow & Ball to sort us out. We spoke with their color consultant to come up with a scheme that made sense for us. It was one of the great design experiences I’ve had.
I like experts: I trust a good tailor, a good sommelier, a good fishing guide, a good editor. They know more than you could ever know—it’s their job to know more. They help you find something you love that you don’t know about yet. In the case of Farrow & Ball, you send their expert photos of your apartment, some inspiration shots and fill out a questionnaire. It’s fun. Mostly they want to know what kind of light your apartment gets. How long are you in each room? What time of day? Is there natural light, and from what direction? Then you have an hour (or so) zoom meeting. It’s a wild ride.
For the living room (photo above) we settled on Off White (an original Farrow & Ball color), a dusty white, you might say the gentlest grey, with a faint green undertone. That sounds like a lot, basically it’s lovely in the morning and throughout the day. These colors look good in any light, even fluorescent, and never appear cold or harsh.
We painted the living room ceiling and all of the kitchen and bedroom Farrow’s White, a soft white that faintly glows. It’s one of the best default colors in the sense that it’s versatile and looks great everywhere. We didn’t want to think too hard in the bedroom and kitchen, just something reassuring. Farrow’s White, like a good Charvet shirt, makes everything better.
But the X-factor and the genius idea of our beloved consultant was Mouse’s Back for the baseboards and the doors in the entry way and the hallway. Mouse’s Back! This grey brown is absolutely lovely. I consider my life to be divided into two phases: pre-Mouse’s Back and post-Mouse’s Back. Where once I was in shadow, now I see the light. I love this color. Did I know you were allowed to paint your baseboards and doors a different color? I did not. But I realize I’ve seen this in Italy and England to great effect—it never occurred to do it myself. This is what an expert can provide: insight about tradition that encourages you to try something new.
Mouse’s Back door and baseboards, Off White walls, Emilie’s Belgians.
I get pleasure from this paint every day. That’s no exaggeration. On a basic level I think everybody is happier when their space is a color they enjoy. I could look at Farrow & Ball whites all day (none of which are, in fact, white). On a more elevated level, details like painted doors and trim, something slightly ambitious, is a wonderful addition to any home. They have a new collaboration with Liberty that matches bold patterns with their archival tones—if you’re feeling daring, or are designing the next Paul Smith store.
The entire kitchen is Farrow’s White. The hanging light we bought in Murano and miraculously survived being shipped from Italy back to New York.
Now our apartment feels a bit like it belongs to an English person who went to Italy, returned home and tried to imitate it. But English people imitating Italians always end up appearing more English. That may be what’s happening here, like Lucy Honeychurch in A Room with a View (beloved book and film). Whatever the analogy, a good room deserves a good tone. Be surrounded by what you love—in any shade, the best colors are always enlightening.