Six Ways with Farrow & Ball Wallpaper
We all know wallpaper is a big commitment, but the payoff is oh-so worth it. Wallpapers – especially our handcrafted designs, which are printed with our own Farrow & Ball paint – can add texture and interest to any room, so look for designs that will stand the test of time, from delicate small motifs that add subtle interest to large-scale prints that deliver drama, glamour, or both in equal measure.
Small prints and subtle designs
We have a wonderful selection of small prints and delicate stripe dragged papers at Farrow & Ball, and they are such useful decorating tools to create a soft backdrop to a room, elevating a plain wall from something flat and lifeless to a more nuanced character.
For a rural retreat, we have the delicate Uppark, a pretty but not twee floral that would sit beautifully in a bedroom. Try BP 553 and add a contemporary flourish by painting your woodwork in Calke Green Estate Eggshell, keeping the ceiling simple in All White Estate Emulsion.
Graphic elements
Tempted to go bold? Try some sharp geometrics. Statement prints – such as Arcade with its curvaceous deco motif, or the interlocking linear form of Enigma – will add drama to any room, whether you choose to paper just one wall or all four.
Here we have the striking Enigma BP 5509, which has Paean Black as its ground colour with a gold metallic print. While a bold choice, it acts as a wonderful foil for the minimalist setting and doesn’t swamp the otherwise sparsely curated room. Team with Great White Estate Emulsion for your ceiling colour – a clean white with a slightly blackened pink note.
Glamorous Designs
We all need a little glamour in our lives, and what better way to get a hit than to use a glistening metallic? One of our most popular designs, Lotus, has been given a facelift in a choice of metallic prints.
Lotus BP 2071, seen here, is a daring combination of De Nimes and a bespoke copper metallic print. It brings bags of retro chic to this living room – you just need Bianca Jagger’s white tuxedo, a mirror ball and a disco playlist, and the mood is set (roller skates optional…)
Large print damasks
Damask designs are enduringly elegant and still going strong 200 years after first appearing in interior designs. We offer three in our main collection: large-print classic Silvergate, the more finely detailed Orangerie, and our linear St Antoine.
Seen here in BP 910, the latter plays a key role in this elegant hallway. It’s teamed with our classic Old White Estate Emulsion under the chair rail and a clever but discreet use of Railings Estate Eggshell on part of the skirting, which grounds the print beautifully.
Get creative
Don’t just think of wallpaper for your four wall – have fun and think outside the box. In this fabulously modern apartment in Turin, our Tented Stripe design has been used in the hallway and cleverly echoed in the bedroom beyond, which uses our Broad Stripe design in the archived colourway BP 1330. For a dramatic design statement, it has artfully been applied to the ceiling as well as the walls.
Hegemone BP 5705 seen inside the Studio Green dresser
Don’t waste a scrap
If you have any wallpaper left over from a project, don’t let it collect dust in a cupboard – there are many uses you can consider for a random half-roll currently lying redundant.
A couple of examples here show how wallpaper can act as a clever motif in a glass fronted cupboard (artfully illustrated by Tourbillon BP 4807) or, even more wonderful, create a focal point behind your bed with a decorative faux headboard. This one is Silvergate BP 852.
Four widths of paper should be all you need for most beds, so get out your pencil and scissors and throw caution to the wind.
Related Articles
Expect the Unexpected: The Power of Colour and Finish
Forgotten Farmhouse to Home Sweet Home
The Wallpapers of Carte Blanche
