These are Farrow & Ball’s most calming paint colours – the 4 soothing shades to embrace in the new year for a relaxing home

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time for a reset, especially of our homes. The Christmas period tends to be the busiest time of the year, so a little calm in January is a welcome change. And what better way to inject a little sense of relaxation and calm into your space than with a soothing paint shade? That’s why I asked Farrow & Ball’s colour expert to recommend the most calming Farrow & Ball paint colours.

These paint ideas are the perfect tools to create a relaxing home, especially now as we find ourselves at the start of a new year. Farrow & Ball is an authority in the world of interiors, paint and colour, so what better brand to turn to for a new soothing shade for your abode?

‘Colour psychology can offer a fascinating insight into how particular colour families and shades can impact our mood or emotional response,’ says Patrick O’Donnell, Farrow & Ball brand ambassador. ‘There are several groups that colour psychologists always suggest to imbue calm – greens and blues chief among them with their affinity to the natural world.’

So it’s no surprise that this list includes both blue and green shades among others. And incidentally enough, blue shades are also one of the biggest colour trends of 2026.

1. Light Blue

Not all Farrow & Ball paint colours come with quirky names like Charlotte’s Locks or Raw Tomatillo. Some simply describe exactly what they are, as is the case with Light Blue which Patrick at Farrow & Ball chose as one of the most calming paint shades.

‘Light blue is our most nuanced of blues that hovers between blue, green and grey, depending on the light. This lends an elegant and incredibly restful backdrop to every room, from tranquil living spaces through to a calming bedroom scheme. For an easy, traditional look, team with Slipper Satin on your woodwork, or to add a more modern approach, consider pairing with our dark Studio Green, to bring out the subtle colour notes in Light Blue,’ he explains.

2. Pink Ground

It’s not just blue and green shades that can create a calming atmosphere in a space. Soft, earthy pinks like Farrow & Ball’s Pink Ground are very much up there, too.

‘The delicate, ethereal notes of earthy pinks are beautifully calming, none more so than the soft tones of Pink Ground for relaxation and serenity. This shade will work in any room, from the most flattering wall colour of your bathroom to an elegant living room or warm-blushed hallway,’ Patrick says.

Setting Plaster, one of Farrow & Ball’s most popular shades in 2025, is another one of the brand’s colours that can create this effect, only a shade darker than Pink Ground.

3. Mizzle

As for the aforementioned greens, Patrick highlights the soft Mizzle shade as one of the best choices for a soothing space. It’s a very light shade of green with a grey undertone, a lighter version of the more popular Pigeon shade, named after a mix of mist and drizzle often seen in the West Country evening sky.

‘Mizzle is a calming pale mint that feels incredibly soothing, but thoroughly modern. It will team really well with stronger colours such as our bolder Pigeon or even the charcoal notes of Off-Black on kitchen cabinetry with Mizzle as your wall colour to temper the boldness of your kitchen units,’ Patrick suggests.

4. Sap Green

‘Although calming colours tend to lean towards more muted, soft tones that are gentle on the eye, they can also encompass deeper, darker shades that will create a cocooning and comforting feel,’ Patrick starts.

That’s one of the reasons he recommends Sap Green, one of Farrow & Ball’s 12 new shades launched last year, as the perfect calming colour to use in your home.

‘Not only will a rich, earthy green like Sap Green help impart the mood of relaxation, but it will create a lovely link to the outdoors. Use in a sitting room used at night for a cosy, protective feel. Try decorating on both the walls and the ceiling for a fully immersive experience, this will help blur the boundaries of a room with limited space, too,’ Patrick says.

Are you looking to give your home a more calming and relaxing feel in 2026? If so, what Farrow & Ball colour would you choose to help you do that?