The Easiest Way to Renovate

Farrow & Ball is a British paint and wallpaper purveyor, whose elegant colors and patterns have a way of lending a room immediate freshness and refinement. It recently opened two new uptown showrooms, where expert salespeople can help you find the right new palette for a new year. Here, Farrow & Ball director Sarah Cole offers a few simple, stylish tips for getting started.

Get on Trend
Each year Farrow & Ball releases its color trends of the year. The big idea for 2012?
Unexpected color combinations and color blocking, says Cole. Strong grays, accented with warm yellows and clean blues, offer a modern, graphic look. So do subdued blue-grays and purples paired with bright colors. Expect to see these looks showing up in the fashion and design worlds—and on the walls of some of the city’s chicest homes.

Think Big
To make a space appear larger, Cole recommends painting all the surfaces of a room—the walls, the ceiling, the woodwork—a single color, so that beginnings and ends are not so clearly defined. She also advises using cool colors, but warns against making a room feel cold with overly strong shades of blue and green. For a subtle dose of elegance, consider using a slightly darker tone on woodwork like doors and window frames.

Beyond the Pale
For the more ambitious, wallpaper is always an inspired way to spruce up a space, Cole says. But bold paint colors can have a similar effect, especially in a small room. Be brave and try one in a second bedroom or bathroom; it can create a dramatic and intimate atmosphere. Even bolder: Experiment with paint finish as well as color. Try painting a stripe of full gloss over a flatter-finish paint of the same color for an ultra-contemporary feel.

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