The experts at Farrow & Ball do more than create the richly pigmented paint colours that will be brightening up our properties in the year ahead – they predict their popularity, too.

Read on to find out from Joa Studholme, Farrow & Ball Colour Curator, which five colours will be big news for 2022.

School House White No.291

What Farrow & Ball says: “Pared back, timeless and familiar without the cool undertones of the more contemporary neutral groups, this soft off white is reminiscent of the colour used in old schoolhouses.”

How to use it in 2022: For a new way to do neutrals this year, Joa recommends considering the other surfaces in a room just as you would the walls. “There is something so familiar and comforting about a painted floor,” she says, “and a chequerboard pattern in Stone Blue and School House White Modern Eggshell instantly transports you to the past.”

Babouche No.223

What Farrow & Ball says: “Babouche takes its name from the distinctive colour of leather slippers worn in Morocco. It has a cheerful brightness that will intensify when used in large areas.”

How to use it in 2022: “This year, we’ll relish brighter colours that herald a return to normality,” says Joa, “and the cheerful and uncomplicated Babouche is the perfect tone for this task.” To get the full sun-drenched effect, try Babouche on all walls with touches of fresh School House White elsewhere.

Breakfast Room Green No.81

What Farrow & Ball says: “Breakfast Room Green is the most cheerful of all our greens, remaining lively in both bright sunlight and softer candlelight.”

How to use it in 2022: Go all-in! “Using lively Breakfast Room Green on both walls and woodwork can make a room look bigger by disguising the limits of the space,” says Joa, “while the chalky matt finish of Estate Emulsion on the walls shows the colour at its very best as the light changes through the day.”

Stone Blue No.86

What Farrow & Ball says: “Stone Blue’s lively and saturated colour can be used alongside warmer tones such as Pelt to create an inviting vintage look, or the cooler Mole's Breath for a cleaner, more contemporary feel.”

How to use it in 2022: On woodwork – and yes, that includes interior doors. “The lively tones of Stone Blue in Full Gloss are the perfect foil to a laid-back neutral wall colour like School House White,” says Joa. “We’re welcoming more traditional finishes like Full Gloss back this year, especially when they’re used in more unexpected ways, such as on doors and kitchen units.”

Incarnadine No.248

What Farrow & Ball says: “Incarnadine is unashamedly classic and glamorous. It can be used to sumptuous effect in halls, when offset with Tanner’s Brown on woodwork, or to feel more edgy and graphic when paired with a bright white.”

How to use it in 2022: To bring a touch of joy to any scheme. “Rich, clean Incarnadine can be used to create bold stripes with School House White,” says Joa, “creating a beautifully bold and happy touch for the ceiling in a child’s room. You can also use it just under a dado rail with a neutral colour above.”

Browse the full range of Farrow & Ball paint colours