Nest by Tamara Holiday Design Book Review Series: Part 4, Farrow & Ball DECORATING WITH COLOUR by Ros Byam Shaw

It's almost Christmas!
Still shopping?  
Check out this book and
a perfect gift for your family and friends who love 
design or architecture 

Today's review,

 just four days before Christmas, is about 

 this richly coloured book --

 Farrow & Ball Decorating with Colour 

by Ros Byam Shaw

You can buy the 

hardcover book at Farrow & Ball

 exterior trim and door painted 
Farrow & Ball Green Smoke;
beneath windows in Off-Black.

I may have mentioned the lovely ladies from Farrow & Ball's team were in town a few weeks ago and treated me to a chic lunch at my new favorite restaurant, Harlow!  In addition to seeing some of their fabulous new colors, and a sneak peek at new wallpapers making their debut in January, they gifted me this delightful book.  Adding it to my holiday review recommendations was a "no brainer" and Farrow & Ball paints are rich, historic, hold depth, and well, I love them.  I have used them on kitchen cabinets, trim, walls, a chair and more. Another important feature (take note decorators), is this paint is refreshingly easy to work with.  When I had to transform a chair for a charity event last year, I easily painted the vintage find with no fuss.
  

my chair for charity using Farrow & Ball paint...

With color Pitch Blue No. 220, I transformed this chair for an auction organized by the International Furnishing Design Association in NYC.  I decoupaged antique shell prints onto the rushed back of this vintage Baker chair, then utilized Robert Allen fabric and @TrimQueen's orange trim, custom Spoonflower fabric I made from the shell prints added to a Robert Allen fabric to create the lumbar pillow.  

The book is written by Ros Byam Shaw, a former editor at the toney, The World of Interiors.  The photographs are gorgeous and by Jan Baldwin.  Ros highlights 18 different projects where F&B paints and wallpapers are used, and what a plethora of views, from a factory in Paris to a villa in Southern Germany.  I like the format, which is chock-filled with advice on decorating with colour and the features are divided into three categories, which makes it easy as well: Classical, Country and Contemporary.   There are plenty of  illustrations on how to use these paints, while incorporating their rich historical palette into a modern day perspective, which I personally find inspiring.  

Check out three of my favorite sneak peeks...

(because we don't want to give away the whole story)

This home is featured in the Classic section.  The villa is on the outskirts of a medieval town in Southern Germany.  Although is is rooted in old world traditions, it retains a modernity to it.  The dining and living room wallpaper makes the space, the walls and trim painted color Farrow & Ball Wimborne White.  The edited space feels modern yet classic. the teal blue lamps (I think these are Vaughn?), the ethereal Farrow & Ball wallpaper is my favorite print, Lotus BP2007.   

I love the use of wallpaper in Scheme 20 (have you noticed I love wallpaper - and it's because of how it completely transforms spaces).This is an entrance hall in 
St. Antoine BP 910 Railing by Farrow & Ball 

In the attic of a former Parisian hotel on a quiet side street near to Pace des Vosges, Notre Dame is this painted all white gem.  Mostly white with the exception of the back wall which is Farrow & Ball London Clay, the end result is striking and well edited, clean and modern.  This apartment, a "pied a terre" for the owners who say it feels like they are living in the inverted hull of a ship with it's unusual lofted interiors.  The design and colours of this home highlight the extraordinary space.  

After reading this book well into the night 

I am heading off to bed with dreams of Europe and 

rich, historic homes with a modern twist.

Happy Holidays

Happy Nesting

XO Tamara