Earthy Tones – Farrow & Ball 2021 Colour Trends

We continue to spend more time indoors than usual at the moment due to the pandemic we are facing and many of us are craving a greater connection with nature – when we are lucky enough to get out and about in it, but when we come home again.

A fantastic way to embrace calming properties within our homes is through the colour, whether that’s natural greens, clean blues or earthy tones.

With these earthy tones from Farrow & Ball, they are introducing warmer tones, which adds personality and elegance while still feeling comfortable.

In 2021, subtle brown-based tones like Jitney and Dead Salmon are the go-to neutrals, offering a laid back alternative to white and grey (which is popular). Jitney is the perfect base colour to build on, particularly in a kitchen, where you can layer other earth colours on the top units and islands.

If you are seeking for more of intense colour, the beautiful bold India Yellow offers a strong and moody ochre shade, but the earthy undertone will still keep things feeling grounded.

Jitney

Jitney from Farrow & Ball is a relaxed brown based neutral. This earthy colour sits somewhere between the more traditional Oxford Stone and greyer Elephant’s Breath. It is an incredibly uplifting colour and reminds us of lazy days by the sea – hence sharing its name with the bus that whisks New Yorkers out of the hot city to the similarly coloured sandy beaches of the Hamptons.

Dead Salmon

Dead Salmon from Farrow & Ball is an aged salmon pink where the subtle shade whose name refers to the flat or ‘dead’ finish of an aged pink painting at Kedleston Hall in 1805. This particular colour has a magical quality to it as everyone sees it differently. Either a strong mushroom steeped in history, or a warming buff neutral, this deep salmon pink creates the most subtle and serene of environments suitable as a backdrop in candlelit rooms.

India Yellow

India Yellow from Farrow & Ball is a strong and moody yellow famously named after the pigment collected from the urine of cows fed on a special diet of mango leaves. This yellow hue creates a really cosy and surprising un-yellow space when contrasted with a dark tone like Tanner’s Brown. Use in moderation in small rooms where its moody intensity may be a little overwhelming.

Complementary colours

Pair your earthy tones with one or more of these hand-picked complementary shades.

Slipper Satin

Slipper Satin from Farrow & Ball is a chalky off-white where it takes its name from the delicate colour of silk used in traditional ballet slippers. Without cool blue undertones, Slipper Satin often reads as a pale grey chalk which makes for a perfect neutral on walls with darker Old White woodwork. Pair with other shades from the Traditional Neutrals for a subtle and sophisticated scheme.

Within this kitchen design, we designed and built for our client in Stock, Essex our client chose two contemporary hues to produce a two-tone colour scheme. Slipper Satin was hand-painted onto the main run of cabinets in this handmade kitchen. This delicate colour looks wonderful on our classic shaker style complemented with brass hardware and the sleek look of the professional appliances by Sub-Zero Wolf.

Off-White

Off-White from Farrow & Ball is a chalky mid-tone that is one of the original colours from the palette – an uncomplicated name for a timeless classic. Off-White sits within the Traditional Neutrals and works perfectly with Old White, Slipper Satin and Lime White. The underlying green within gives the off-white colour an unsurpassed softness, creating a chalky and traditional wall colour or a sophisticated woodwork tone. It is also great for use on floors, bouncing light onto the walls while retaining a soft, warm feel.

Card Room Green

Card Room Green from Farrow & Ball is a masculine grey green named after the study like rooms much favoured in the Victorian period and is unapologetic in its masculine feel. It really comes alive when contrasted with a warm neutral like Off-White or set against the darker Studi Green, but feels more contemporary when used with no contrasts at all.

Card Room Green was hand-painted onto the kitchen island in our Stock, Essex project. This island certainly comes alive when contrasted with the pale grey chalk known as Slipper Satin.

Mahogany

Mahogany from Farrow & Ball is a dark and rich brown which takes its name from the dark red wood used by master cabinet makers like Thomas Chippendale. This inviting rich hue is packed with warm tones that give a unique depth of colour. The almost burnt brown pigments create a welcoming retreat which envelopes the room in an earthy darkness. It is often used with Dead Salmon to enhance historic art and antique furniture.

If you would like to know more on these earthy tones from Farrow & Ball and how we can incorporate them into your kitchen layout contact us today – we look forward to hearing from you.