A Copenhagen Apartment Comes to Life with The Nordic Edit

Bedroom: Pantalon No.221; Living Room: Wall White No.58

For the perfect example of how to use the Nordic Edit – our Scandi-influenced collection of 24 current and archived Farrow & Ball shades – look no further than one of the cities that inspired it.

In Copenhagen, interior designer and stylist Nathalie Schwer has created a custom palette for her turn-of-the-century property, one that embraces both the bolder and the more understated elements of Scandinavian design and is exclusively made up of colours from the edit.

As part of the process, she also enlisted the assistance of Jannik Martensen-Larsen, who, as head of design house Tapet-Cafe and our collaborator on the Nordic Edit, was the ideal candidate for the task.

Both designers are keen to cure homeowners of the notion that a Scandinavian interior is always a neutral one, a sentiment that led to Jannik curating some of his all-time Farrow & Ball favourites into an easy-to-use palette designed to inspire colour confidence. The result was the Nordic Edit, which includes bold shades of mustard, teal and terracotta alongside cheerful brights and – yes, sophisticated neutrals.

“I must admit that I’m fascinated by bold colours,” says Jannik, whose inspired combinations and daring approach to colour have long characterised his work. “I truly believe colour is the code word for creating emotions and atmosphere.”

Sharing Jannik’s love of the bold, Nathalie already had a very specific goal in mind when she first picked up the Nordic Edit colour card. “When I started the collaboration with Jannik I wanted to work with colours that weren’t usually used in the Danish design scheme,” she says, “colours that have depth, allow room for contemplation and derive from the earth.”

“The powerful effect of combining a deep colour with a vibrant tone next to a subtler tone can create a remarkable and expressive look,” adds Jannik, and that’s certainly true of Nathalie’s apartment. It starts at the deep, rich Etruscan Red hallway and opens out into lighter living spaces in Hardwick White and Wall White, before veering away into the rich, welcoming tones of the India Yellow and Pantalon bedrooms.

Any final words of encouragement for the colour-shy? When it comes to bold and dark colours, says Jannik, homeowners’ worries tend to follow a common theme.

“[Most people] are afraid the rooms will seem closed and small,” he says, “but often the exact opposite happens. A dark tone can create so much drama and atmosphere that it can almost take on a look of infinity.”