INSIDE

“All of the staff are trained to do a color consultation within the showroom,” Klotz says.

“We don’t make a computerized sheet.”

Instead a client gets to see the actual paint as applied to a board.

“People do love it,” Klotz says. “That’s part of the experience.”

And it all speaks, Klotz says, to a trend in today’s world – the search for quality.

“People want artisan foods,” Klotz says. “They want something special. People want the story behind something. Our wallpaper satisfies that need.”

An interview with Sarah Cole

As the WAG editor didn’t take me up on my offer to jet off to England to do this in person, we sent our further questions over to Farrow & Ball’s director, Sarah Cole, in Dorset, who provided this in-depth look at the company:

Can you talk a bit about the history of Farrow & Ball?

“The company was founded in Dorset, on the south coast of England by paint pioneers John Farrow and Richard Ball. From small beginnings, it rapidly established a reputation for quality which won it important contracts for the supply of paint to the Admiralty and the War Office. During the post-war period, while virtually all other paint manufacturers abandoned traditional formulations and switched to cheaper acrylic paints with a high plastic content, this privately owned company stuck to its craft and continued making paint to its original formulations, using the finest raw materials.”

How has it evolved over the years?

“While our traditional recipes and production methods have changed little over the years, we have enhanced our color palette and wallpaper patterns to create a versatile range to meet all decorating needs, from classic to contemporary interiors. We are now reaching a wider audience around the world, with Farrow & Ball products available in over 50 countries. Our paint and wallpaper continues to increase in popularity with designers and consumers alike.”

What makes it stand out from the rest of the home-decor companies?

“Quite simply, it’s the depth and beauty of our colors, achieved only by using the finest ingredients. We’re best-known for our chalky matt ‘Estate Emulsion’ finish, which has unrivaled depth of color and creates the signature look of Farrow & Ball….All Farrow & Ball paints and wallpapers are made at our factory in Dorset, no matter where in the world they are purchased. 

“Paints: We use more high quality pigments and resins and no low quality ‘fillers,’ which gives our colors visibly greater depth and purity often referred to as the ‘Farrow & Ball look.’ Unlike many other manufacturers we use naturally occurring pigments, such as umbers in their purest form, and we continue to use natural ingredients such as chalk, lime putty and China clay.