Hands up if you’ve ever had your house decorated and strategically placed a couple of empty tins of Farrow & Ball Dead Salmon on the doorstep so the neighbours appreciate your excellent taste.
It happens a lot, says Henry Prideaux, a London-based interior designer who agrees that a certain kind of paint brand, ‘can appeal for a variety of reasons, whether it is for its environmental credentials, ease of use, or value for money. Sometimes though, it’s a case of keeping up with the Joneses and impressing your friends by using the best and most expensive.’
At £52 for a 2.5L tin, it’s clear that Farrow & Ball has become a dictum for a certain kind of smug.
However, the hegemony of the Dorset-based company, established by John Farrow, a chemist, and Richard Ball, an engineer, in 1946, is being challenged by upstart paint brands. There are brands out there that appeal to both traditionalists and millennials. The
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