Interiors inspired by nature: new Farrow & Ball collection

Renowned museum and wallpaper experts Farrow & Ball have collaborated with the nation’s most beloved museum for the very first time to create a collection inspired by the great outdoors. We find out more…

Collaborating with the Natural History Museum in London, Farrow & Ball have launched Colour by Nature, a collection inspired by the colours of our planet’s natural environment. The latest range of paints consists of sixteen shades, allowing you to create spectacular interiors using vibrant reds, rich greens, beautiful blues and soft neutrals. Every colour has been meticulously identified, classified and researched in the true Farrow & Ball style. Like the paints from their core palette, the new colours are blended using an eco-friendly water base, which is kinder to the environment. 

The collaboration draws on the museum’s world-leading collection, including a rare colour classification book kept in their prestigious artefacts library. Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours was a taxonomic guide used by Charles Darwin on his seminal voyage on HMS Beagle. With beautiful handwritten descriptions and painted charts, it describes where each colour can be found in nature, for example on a bird’s wing or a flower’s petal. Published in 1814, this ground-breaking book quickly became an invaluable tool for scientists and artists alike, including the experts at Farrow & Ball two centuries later. 

Fill your home with colour

“This is the first time we have created a new palette as an extension to our carefully curated colour card, so it’s an exciting time for us,” explains Charlotte Cosby, Head of Creative at Farrow & Ball. “With the expertise of the Natural History Museum, we hope to inspire homes across the globe and what better way to do that with the eco-friendly colours inspired by nature.”

There is a lot to be said for keeping up with the ever-changing modern world, but we still love to feel connected to the natural world. The museum’s popularity proves we still have an affinity with the great outdoors. Being the most visited natural history museum in Europe, and the top science attraction in the UK, it welcomes five million visitors each year from around the globe. Farrow & Ball’s collection is a celebration not only of colour but also of the shared respect and curiosity of Mother Nature’s wonders. 

The Natural History Museum is more than just an educational facility, however. The institution is dedicated to inspiring a love of nature, and they are continuously working towards unlocking answers to critical environmental issues facing humanity and the planet. It has been a world-leading research centre for hundreds of years, using its resources to tackle issues such as food security, diseases and natural material usage. 

“Aside from the fantastic quality of the Farrow & Ball brand, we are very excited to be working alongside a company that is so committed to minimising their environmental impact,” explains Maxine Lister, Head of Licensing at the Natural History Museum. “The collaboration has been a delight to bring to life and has proved to be such a great opportunity to not only highlight an important historical artefact but also to encourage families to bring the true beauty of nature into their homes.”

Choosing colours for light-filled rooms

The modern-day orangery is an extension of your home that is bathed in light. Just because a space is filled with sunlight, doesn’t mean you have to settle for white or magnolia shades. In fact, we’ve been seeing a surge of homeowners opting for dark and vibrant colours in recent years. We speak to Farrow & Ball’s Head of Creative, Charlotte Cosby, to find out which colours suit bright and airy rooms:

 “Because of the rich pigments we use, all of our paint colours share a remarkable ability to shift under different light sources,” explains Charlotte. “The transformation can be especially dramatic under natural light as it changes so much over the course of the day, making our paints a wonderful choice for orangeries, garden rooms, and other well-lit spaces.”

“Orange Coloured White, a fresh yet warm cream from our new Colour by Nature collection, adds a delicate luminosity to all rooms without feeling too creamy, so it’s especially suitable for north-facing spaces where the light can often be cooler. Ash Grey is another excellent choice, as natural daylight really brings out its underlying green tones.”

Respecting the natural environment

Still rooted in Dorset where it has operated since 1946, Farrow & Ball is dedicated to creating richly pigmented paint and handcrafted wallpaper using the finest ingredients. Deepening from subtle neutrals to dark inky blues, each paint shade is designed with a blend of up to five pigments for an extraordinary depth of colour. Responding to all types of light, the varying undertones within every hue gently shift in light and shade to bring homes to life. From their responsible practices to their eco-friendly formulas and recyclable materials, we admire businesses like Farrow & Ball for reducing their impact on the earth without compromising on quality.

Westbury Garden Rooms are committed to achieving a low-carbon footprint across all areas of the business. We use Accoya; an engineered timber created using fast-growing and abundantly available FSC certified trees like Radiata pine – Accoya is a natural, sustainable product that produces minimal wastage. 

The pine goes through an environmentally friendly modification process, which makes it a super-strength version of its original form. This cutting-edge material is virtually rot-proof and does not swell or shrink, meaning that Accoya garden rooms and orangeries are virtually maintenance-free and guaranteed to last 50 years above ground.