Farrow & Ball curated by Liberty of London – easy ways to get the look
Two very British and much-loved brands have come together to create something rather lovely. If (like me) you are easily overwhelmed when trying to choose paint shades for a project, it’s such a joy to let someone you trust whittle down the choice don’t you think?
As someone who can agonise for far too long over near-identical splodges of tester paint, I do always love a curated edit. Particularly if it’s by someone exciting. So I was really intrigued to hear about the collaboration between paint pioneers Farrow & Ball and the retail icon that is Liberty of London.
Farrow & Ball curated by Liberty – back stories
Liberty of London heritage
Liberty & Co opened in 1875 on Regent Street, London selling ornaments, fabrics and miscellaneous objets d’art from the Far East. Son of a draper, Arthur Lasenby Liberty founded the store having begun work at sixteen with an uncle who sold lace, and later another uncle who sold wine.
Liberty & Co initially provided an eclectic mix of popular styles, but went on to develop a fundamentally different style closely linked to the Art Nouveau movement of the 1890s. The company became synonymous with this new style to the extent that in Italy, Art Nouveau became known as Stile Liberty after the London shop. The company’s printed and dyed fabrics, particularly silks and satins, were highly esteemed as dress material, especially during the decades from 1890 to 1920.
Liberty continues to be associated with the world of arts and culture, building on its founder’s legacy to seek out the new and the beautiful. If you’ve ever climbed the old creaky wooden staircases between the shop’s floors, you’ll know the sense of history the place retains.
The Farrow & Ball story
There’s a wonderful back story to this British brand too.
It all started in Dorset, back in 1946, with local pioneers John Farrow and Richard Ball. Farrow was a trained chemist who worked for Ireland’s Agnew Paints during the Second World War, while Ball was an engineer who survived capture as a prisoner of war.
They met at a local clay pit and together shared a passion for making rich colours to original formulations using only the finest ingredients. The business grew from strength to strength, supplying the Ford Motor Company, Raleigh Bicycles, the Admiralty and the War Office amongst others.
In the 1970s and 1980s, at a time when acrylic paints with fewer pigments and with added plastics were spreading fast, Farrow & Ball stuck to their original recipes and age-old methods.
More than 10 years ago, Farrow & Ball decided, for environmental reasons, to move their entire range of oil based paints to eco-friendly water based finishes with low VOC (volatile organic compounds).
Farrow & Ball curated by Liberty… match made in Dorset & London
I absolutely love this original edit of Farrow & Ball Archive paint colours complemented with Liberty Interiors Fabrics from The Modern Collector range. There are 15 combinations of colour and print to feast your eyes on, designed to create timeless looks for a new generation of homes. I’ve picked out my own particular favourites and also made some mood boards with easy ideas for getting the look. So, let’s get on with it and have a look shall we?
The Edit
Pick #1 Chine Green, No 35 with Liberty Zennor Arbour linen in Plaster Pink
Chine Green is an earthy shade that takes its name from the gorges or ‘chines’ near F&B’s home on the Dorset coast. Used on cabinets or walls, it creates the feel of a working kitchen in an old country house. Used outdoors it makes for a subtle woodwork colour, mirroring the green of foliage and garden surroundings. Here it adds drama and depth and pairs beautifully with Zennor Arbour linen fabric in Plaster Pink from Liberty London.
Zennor Arbour was created in the Liberty Fabrics design studio, formed from original pencil sketches of flowers that build into a widely branching rose tree. The design is printed onto Liberty Ladbroke linen – a beautiful heavyweight base with excellent drape.
Products featured in the moodboard
Farrow & Ball Chine Green paint
Zennor Arbour linen fabric in Plaster Pink from Liberty London
Speckled dinnerware in Blush Pink from Cox & Cox
Glass teardrop pendant light, Cox & Cox
Pick #2 Smoked Trout No 60 with Liberty Persian Voyage fabric, Pewter
Smoked Trout is a warm taupe shade and a Farrow & Ball classic. Depending on the light, Smoked Trout can vary from a dark mushroom to dustier red. It has depth, warmth and a touch of romance. I love how it looks paired with beautiful Persian Voyage Liberty linen fabric in Pewter. Inspired by a collection of mid-19th century hand-painted shawl designs from the Liberty archive, Persian Voyage is printed on Landsdowne Linen, with a fine weave and fabulous drape.
Products featured in the moodboard
Farrow & Ball Smoked Trout paint
Liberty Persian Voyage linen fabric in Pewter
Vintage Tulip Table & Chairs from Etsy
Tea Room mug from Anthropologie
Handmade brown clay plates from Etsy
Handmade brown clay bird from Etsy
Pick #3 Sloe Blue No 87 with Liberty Felix Raison linen, Lichen Bright
Sitting between Farrow & Ball favourites Inchyra Blue and Oval Room Blue, it’s easy to see why Liberty included Sloe Blue as part of their edit. Part of the Archive Collection, Sloe Blue is a black-based shade that works well in contemporary living interiors as well as on exterior paintwork. I love how it works with Liberty Felix Raison, Lichen Bright printed on heavy weight linen with a beautiful drape and texture. A large-scale paisley print, the design is inspired by a paisley shawl in the Liberty archives, dating from the 1850s. The vivid fresh Lichen colour is inspired by Liberty’s early textiles of the Arts and Crafts era.
What I love about this decorating scheme is how it manages to feel rustic, vintage and contemporary all at the same time.
Products featured in the moodboard
Liberty of London Felix Raison linen in Lichen Bright
Syrus stools, teal and copper from MADE
Antique wooden chopping boards
Black and copper wall light from Etsy
A background video
Here’s a short video to give you a bit more background behind this collaboration. Hope you have found something to inspire you from my ideas.
To browse the full Farrow & Ball Liberty collaboration click here
You might also like:
cottage living rooms inspiration
Skimming Stone Farrow and Ball
How to decorate with green paint colours
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