Farrow & Ball + Kelly Wearstler: 8 New Colours In the California Collection

*Hazy, from The California Collection by Kelly Wearstler + Farrow & Ball.*

When trailblazing American interior designer Kelly Wearstler announced on Instagram that she had partnered with revered British paint brand Farrow & Ball on eight new colours (released this month), it’s safe to say that it set the interiors world alight. Even though the Dorset paint brand has been trading in America for a number of years, their imagery and ethos remain quintessentially tied to British homes and heritage. Wearstler, a contemporary Los Angeles designer, may initially seem an odd fit (although it is worth noting that F&B are owned by L.A.-based private equity firm Ares Management), but Wearstler has been using F&B in her projects for almost two decades. The California Collection - eight sun-soaked shades inspired by the light of the Pacific and the landscape of the State - is being marketed as a separate palette to the general F&B colour card, although the concept is a continuation of the brand’s tradition of celebrating colours in the local landscape.

*Palm, from The California Collection by Kelly Wearstler + Farrow & Ball.*

This collaboration is the first palette created by an outside designer since the paint company’s founding in 1946. Wearstler, worshipped by pretty much everyone with a modern interiors obsession, is a big win for F&B in a market starting to become saturated in designer paint. The light, bright, airy hues of The California Collection are exactly what people are after post-lowdown, with summer on the way. “Kelly Wearstler is an ideal partner because she shares Farrow & Ball’s appreciation of design and colour” explains Anthony Davey, CEO at F&B. “There are many consumers who have an aesthetic desire to try something new and Kelly is the perfect design master to show them how.”

*Citrona, from The California Collection by Kelly Wearstler + Farrow & Ball.*

I believe the fresher tones of Palm and Hazy will earmark a significant move away from the popular darker tones of Hague Blue, Railings and Sulking Room Pink - colours which have long dominated in British interiors - as we all now want to bring a little light into our life after the pandemic. I also think the huge trend for neutrals has become a bit overly popular, resulting in people wanting to bring a touch of colour back into their design schemes.

*The eight colours that make up The California Collection.*

“I always say living without colour is like living without love, so it’s been a dream to partner with Farrow & Ball on a collection of paint that celebrates the emotions colour can evoke,” says Ms. Wearstler. “Colour is the spirit of a room, and provides expressive power to transform a space with your personal voice, whether you’re painting all of your walls, or just one.”