A confident sense of color comes naturally to Southerners, one that in turn finds expression in Southern interiors and architecture, from the unapologetic (and electric!) aqua walls of the Greenbrier in West Virginia to the storied hue of the diminutive “pink house” in Charleston, South Carolina.
The trait is certainly present in the work of the design icon Kelly Wearstler, who was born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and recently became the first American interior designer in Farrow & Ball’s seventy-five-year history to be tapped to create a collection for the storied British paint brand.
Nearly two years in the making, all eight paints in the palette were inspired by landscapes around Wearstler’s coastal home base of Malibu, California. “My favorite natural place in the world is the beach,” Wearstler says, “and you can see it in the collection, from the “Sand” color to the hue “Hazy,” which is like the fog over the coast during my morning runs.” Both are no doubt reminiscent, too, of the familiar seaside vistas of her Southern childhood.
Beyond a sense of place, Wearstler wanted to tap into the emotional qualities of color. “I believe we’re always in need of it,” she says. “In design it’s such a wonderful way to tell a story and make you feel good.” For example, when Wearstler dreamed up the bold yellow “Citrona” hue for the collection, she wanted it to symbolize optimism and a fresh start. “I think that’s an idea we can all agree on right now.”
All eight paints in Wearstler’s collection are available now as test swatches and by the gallon on farrowandball.com.
