How To Sample

Farrow and Ball Sample Pots with colour card and paint brushFarrow and Ball Sample Pots with colour card and paint brush

Whatever’s on the cards this season, whether you’ll be Rocking Around the Christmas Tree or having more of a Silent Night, our festive decorating tips have got you covered.

Finding your perfect palette is both the joy and the challenge of every decorating project. Luckily, our samples are here to help.  
 
With sample pots for our signature shades and paint swatches for our Archive and limited-edition collections , you can try every Farrow & Ball colour to find your favourite. They’re all 100% true to colour so you can see exactly how a shade will come to life in your space.  
 
Here are our top tips for making the most of your samples.  


1. Paint Your Sample Pot Onto Paper  

Apply two coats of your sample onto thick paper or card — the bigger the better — and let it dry. Ideally you want to do this at least twice, so you have multiple pieces to play with. 
 
If you’ve ordered a paint swatch, you can skip this stage as we’ve already done it for you. 

Painting a Farrow and Ball sample onto paperPainting a Farrow and Ball sample onto paper

2. Position Your Samples

Carefully place the sheets around the space you’re decorating. You want to spread them out in different areas so you can see how the colour looks in different surroundings.  
 
If you’re trying to choose between a few different colours, don’t put them directly next to each other like a patchwork quilt. This makes it difficult to see how a shade will truly look when used by itself in the space. 

Hanging paper painted in a Farrow and ball sample potHanging paper painted in a Farrow and ball sample pot

Walls: Great White No.2006Door Frame and Skirting: Churlish Green No.251


3. Ponder Throughout The Day

This isn’t a snap decision. Check your samples over the course of a day or two to see how the colour looks in different lights.  
 
If you’re decorating a dining room, snug or another space you plan to use in the evening, try closing the curtains, turning on a lamp and perhaps even lighting a candle to see the colours in low light.

Painted Farrow and Ball Samples on wallPainted Farrow and Ball Samples on wall

4. Look At The Big Picture

Don’t forget to consider your room as a whole. If you’re painting a wall, how does the colour work with your ceiling and trim? And how does it look alongside your furniture, artwork and soft furnishings?  

painted farrow and ball samples on wallpainted farrow and ball samples on wall

The Significance of Sightlines

Sightlines are key because every room in a home works together to tell a collective story. So, look at the rooms that connect to your space and what colours they feature. Then decide do you want to create a sense of flow with similar shades throughout or would you like this space to feel distinctly different? It’s entirely up to you. 

Walls painted in Farrow and Ball Sap Green and Pink Cup in Hallway and BathroomWalls painted in Farrow and Ball Sap Green and Pink Cup in Hallway and Bathroom

Need a little help?

Our expert Colour Consultants are on hand to help find stunning schemes for every space, so you can wave goodbye to décor dilemmas.

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