2022 Colour Trends: Farrow & Ball’s Colour Expert Shares her Predictions

Babouche No.223 

In 2022 we will relish brighter colours that herald a return to normality. The cheerful and uncomplicated Babouche is the perfect tone for this task. While bold, it never feels garish or overpowering. Rooms that feature Babouche appear to be full of sunshine, especially when combined with understated School House White. The palette itself has a simple, folksy feel, but its use across the walls, bath panel and floor creates an overall look that is incredibly striking.

School House White No.291 

There is something so familiar and comforting about a painted floor – this chequerboard pattern in Stone Blue and School House White Modern Eggshell instantly transports you to the past. The nostalgic feel continues with Breakfast Room Green (in washable Modern Emulsion) on the lower walls and School House White (in the flatter Estate Emulsion) on the upper walls and ceiling. This age-old form of decorating introduces colour just below eye level to retain a light and airy atmosphere above, while also providing durability.

Breakfast Room Green No.81 

Using one colour on both walls and woodwork, such as lively Breakfast Room Green, can make a room look bigger by disguising the limits of the space. The bold use of this one colour also creates an exceptional background for art, or for furniture which can be upcycled with a lick of Modern Eggshell. The combination here of Breakfast Room Green and Stone Blue feels both arresting and familiar, while the chalky matt finish of our signature Estate Emulsion on the walls shows these colours at their very best as the light changes through the day.

Stone Blue No.86 

School House White is pared back, timeless, and familiar but has a subtle sophistication that makes it the perfect foil for stronger hues like the lively tones of Stone Blue, used here on the door in Full Gloss. The traditional values of Full Gloss are perfect for use in the home in 2022 and can be introduced sparingly and in surprising ways (perhaps on a door or a kitchen unit) to add a modern feel with a suitably vintage flavour. The strong classic tones of Incarnadine below the dado rail also introduce some excitement while retaining an element of modesty.

Incarnadine No.248

It is so heartening to see an eclectic mix of styles and colours, chosen not only for pure pleasure but as part of a great decorative hack – in this room, the overall effect is happy and bold. Headboard shapes are painted in School House White directly onto the Breakfast Room Green walls, while bold stripes have been introduced on the ceiling in rich, clean Incarnadine. Perhaps most cleverly, the ceiling stripes have been brought down onto the walls a short way, which creates an intimate tent-like feel and softens the join between wall and ceiling.