Farrow & Ball Just Released the Next It Neutral Paint Color

Farrow & Ball has a knack for naming its colors in pairs: De Nimes and Selvedge, Cord and String. Now, it has a companion for cult favorite Dead Salmon. Among the celebrated British paint and wallpaper brand’s 2025 release of nine new colors, debuting February 27, is Scallop. A lighter interpretation of its other half, the shade is inspired by the subtleties of the shellfish it’s named after, from its pale pink hue to its curved edges .

“I think Scallop, as a whole, is such a good neutral,” says creative director Charlotte Cosby. “I love it for its versatility and the fact that… it has that sort of pearlescent feel to it. It’s not as pink as Setting Plaster, and not as gray as Jitney. It works for living.” In other words, it’s bound to be a hit.

Scallop takes a cue from the natural world like many Farrow and Ball shades, but color curator Joa Studholme notes that a number of this year’s introductions were sparked by ordinary household objects. Think: A tarnished candle snuffer, the humble apron, a garden tool, and a classic dusting cloth, which have inspired smoky gray-green, rich terracotta, muddy green, and exuberant ochre, respectively. Studholme notes that this set of hues is “all about things which are quite, quite small.”

An unexpected twist is that, while each color is meant to fill a specific gap, they all ended up working together in various combinations. For example, Cosby and Studholme were thrilled to see the quince-inspired Marmelo find a complement in archival gem Broccoli Brown and Kakelugn, a light blue that takes its name from the color of Swedish fireplaces. The comforting orange shade also takes to Douter, a “love child” of Green Smoke and Inchyra Blue. “It feels like something very familiar,” Studholme says of Marmelo, which brings to mind bountiful shelves of pickles and jams. “It’s almost from the world of utility.”

And, yes, Scallop brings out the best in a number of other Farrow & Ball hues, like Reduced Green, Duster, and Etruscan Red, one of three archival colors included in this group. Along with Broccoli Brown, the trio is rounded out with the strong, energetic Sap Green. 

We felt that they really complemented this palette [and] that people wanted them now,” Studholme observes. “We sat down to make them and thought, This is ridiculous, because actually we have these.”

Cosby and Studholme offer a number of ideas for putting the palette to use. For exteriors, they both point to Reduced Green and Dibber as go-tos. The former is also a winner for kitchen cabinets and the mudroom. Douter would work well in intimate spaces like a study or powder room. “[Reduced Green and Douter] look like they’ve been there forever,” Studholme notes. Sizing, a crisp light blue reminiscent of the starch it’s named after, is an apt choice for laundry rooms; Cosby says you can practically smell how clean it is. And if you’re in the mood to color drench, the duo recommend Douter yet again, plus Naperon, Duster, and Marmelo. 

A favorite combination of Studholme’s starring Scallop? “I absolutely love if you do the bottom half of the wall in Etruscan Red and the top in Scallop. Very easy stuff, but it’s beautiful.” A testament to its future as the next it neutral.

All New Farrow & Ball Paint Colors