Since humble beginnings in rural Dorset, we have set ourselves aside from other paint companies by creating a product of quality, using only the finest quality ingredients and rich pigments.

Our founders, John Farrow and Richard Ball, went against the trend of the 40s, shunning acrylic paints. Instead, they invested in making paint using age-old production methods, with natural minerals and high levels of rich pigment we continue to use today.

All of our paints and wallpapers are made using meticulous, traditional methods, ensuring our paint has its signature depth and rich pigment and our wallpapers their tactile texture. Every person, from the craftsmen making the paint and wallpaper, to the Colour Consultants advising people on colour in their home, contributes to maintaining Farrow & Ball’s high standards.

Maintaining the quality standards of our paint and wallpaper time and time again is as important as the mixing and printing itself. We are meticulous in our production and quality control, ensuring that every pot of paint has its signature depth and richness and our wallpapers retain their uniquely tactile texture.

The way we create paint and wallpaper is certainly not conventional – there is true alchemy to our paints. In its infancy, all the integral components – chalk, china clay, titanium dioxide to name a few – are mixed to create a base paint. The pigments needed to create Farrow & Ball’s signature depth of colour are then measured and added in exactly the right amount. From there the batch of paint is mixed together, ensuring the pigments are thoroughly dispersed to ensure every tin in that batch is exactly the same colour, before being tinned.

When it comes to wallpapers, most are made using ink, but not ours. All our wallpapers are made using our own environmentally friendly water based paints. Each wallpaper design has a unique texture which is achieved by using a hand brushing technique to apply the background colour. This, coupled with the application of the pattern using another layer of paint, creates wallpaper of great distinction and beauty.

We are proud to say that we still use the traditional crafting methods such as using the finest quality ingredients and rich pigments in our paint and traditional block and trough methods to print our wallpaper. Our machinery has been updated along the way to ensure efficient production but all our products are still made at our factory in Dorset.