Scandi shades
We take an exclusive look at an inspired collaboration that shows one of the UK’s top decorating brands in a whole new light
An exclusive look at Farrow & Ball’s bold ‘Nordic Edit’ of paint colours
With a list of paint names so iconic they’ve become a common part of dinner party discussions across the globe, and a palette drawn from some of the UK’s most historic buildings, not to mention its idyllic countryside, there’s little else that represents British interior design as broadly as Farrow & Ball. Just one of the reasons then, why its latest collaboration with Danish design house TapetCafe is quite the stroke of genius. Compiled by Jannik Martensen-Larsen, co-owner of the familyrun business, this innovative edit of the paint company’s quintessentially British hues presents them in a fresh, Scandinavian light.
‘At Tapet-Cafe, we’ve always used Farrow & Ball colours a little differently. For many years, I have wanted to create a palette reflective of Scandinavia, which is how “The Nordic Edit” was formed,’ says Martensen-Larsen. ‘What we traditionally see is whites and greys, but there are so many shades around us – in nature, in our colourful cities, and in the wooden houses of the Norwegian countryside, for example. With this edit, the aim was to represent the region, as well as the work of Scandinavian designers and tastemakers.’
‘Bold’, ‘intense’ and ‘courageous’ are all words Martensen-Larsen uses to describe his selection,
which comes courtesy of influences as diverse as the red roofs of Copenhagen’ s Old Town to the green tones of the city’s Dyrehaven’s deer park. ‘A shade I particularly love is “Serge”, a stunning blue that reminds me of the work of mid-century artists, and my favourite green is “Danish Lawn”, which is so striking,’ he says. On the flip side, more classic Scandi tones are still represented through shades such as ‘Light Blue’, ‘Strong White’ and ‘Hardwick White’, which are used as neutrals and on woodwork.
‘Tapet-Cafe has captured something for every home and every personality,’ says Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball. ‘Scandinavian design has had a big influence on our interior décor choices for such a long time. Jannik has created an incredible aesthetic and has a brilliant eye for colour that we hugely admire at Farrow & Ball. “The Nordic Edit” is modern and new, but at the same time has such a familiar feeling. It’s a wonderful tool for people to use at any stage of their colour journey.’ From £49.50 for 2.5 litres of Estate Emulsion ( farrow-ball.com)