This Is What The Colour Of Your Room Says About You

As the days get shorter, colder and – let’s face it – pretty bleak, it can feel like the beauty of the natural world is far, far away. Eighty-three percent of us live in urban areas and even if you're lucky enough to have a garden, when you live in a town or city, you often want to feel a connection to nature in your home. 

Sure, houseplants are great – the big banana leaf you bought at the local market, the slightly sad-looking peace lily you inherited from a colleague, the ancient succulent that has somehow survived almost total neglect – but what about the rest of your decor, from soft furnishings to wall colours? 

That’s where Farrow & Ball’s beautiful new range of shades, Colour By Nature, inspired exclusively by the natural world, comes in. Launched this autumn in partnership with the Natural History Museum, not only does the collection help you bring more natural beauty into your home, it also uses an eco-friendly water base that’s kind to the environment and safe to use in every room of your house. We’re on board with anything that celebrates nature’s beauty without exploiting it.

The collection was originally inspired by Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours – a groundbreaking 18th century guidebook by Patrick Syme, who wanted to capture the colours found in the world’s animal, plant and mineral kingdoms. No small feat in the late 1700s. Even Darwin used it on some of his expeditions – and an early copy of this incredible book is held in the Natural History Museum’s rare book library.
 
But listen, we’re not here for history lessons; we want to talk about choosing the right colours for you and your home. Because those Pinterest boards you have saved look great with their clever lighting and professional photography – but how do you transform your own space into something unique and frickin’ fabulous, without a team of stylists? 
 
Enter Colour by Nature, and our very handy guide with our favourites from the range. Read on for everything you need to know to nail your interiors, from the mood each colour will evoke to suggestions of where to use it, as well as complementary colours and furniture...