Even though people are getting more adventurous with colour in their homes, neutrals are still the go-to shades, especially when it comes to wall paint colours. As Farrow & Ball is one of the most (if not the most) sought-after paint brands I was curious to know which are the most popular Farrow & Ball neutral paint shades – so I asked the experts.
While some of the answers fell into the category of ‘traditional’ neutrals - the shades that you would likely associate with the term such as off-white and cream - there was one particular paint idea that stood out from the rest as Patrick O’Donnell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball, named a surprising shade as one of the brand’s most popular neutrals. And that’s Setting Plaster, one of the paint colours most interior experts swear by.
Why is Setting Plaster one of Farrow & Ball's most popular neutrals?
‘Most of us think of a neutral as an off-white, something with a little more character that leans towards pale greys or brown-ish whites,’ Patrick explains. ‘However, colours can be neutrals too. Especially our classic Setting Plaster, the warmest of earthy pinks. This colour is brilliant at bringing delicate warmth to a poorly lit space or “bleaches” out rather beautifully in a bright and sunny room, so has true versatility in its uses!’
While pink as a neutral is on one hand unusual, on the other hand it makes sense for a few different reasons. For one, earthy shades (including earthy pinks like this one) are one of the biggest colour and paint trends of 2025. And more ‘colourful’ shades like green and brown are even replacing beige as the go-to neutral this year. Not to mention that Setting Plaster is one of Farrow & Ball's most popular 2025 shades overall.
But if you’d still prefer to go down the more conventional route of neutral tones, these are some of the other popular Farrow & Ball shades that fulfill that brief.
Elephant’s Breath
Elephant’s Breath is not only one of the best Farrow & Ball shades experts recommend for decorating a small room – it’s also a very popular all-round neutral, described as a warm grey. That’s right – even though the popularity of grey is increasingly fading, it largely goes for grey shades with cool undertones. Warm greys can still look super chic and contemporary.
‘In 2025, demand for neutral shades shows no signs of slowing down,’ says Michael Rolland, managing director at The Paint Shed, a stockist. ‘Among Farrow and Ball customers, the most sought-after shade is currently Elephant's Breath.’
He adds, ‘I would recommend colour drenching in spaces such as the kitchen or living room to create a cohesive backdrop. Once you’ve got a unified colour, you can then inject layers of personality through different accent pieces.’
Skimming Stone
Skimming Stone is another one of Farrow & Ball’s most popular shades overall. But this off-white colour with grey and beige undertones is more of a traditional, versatile neutral shade, which is perhaps why it’s so widely loved.
You can use Skimming Stone in the kitchen, but it also makes for an excellent small hallway idea to visually expand the tiny entryway. And the same goes for a small living room.
‘A very bright white in a small living room will make it feel cold and unwelcoming – a bit prison cell-like,’ says Jo Lane, interior designer and founder of See Your Place. ‘I would suggest instead a light warm neutral like Farrow & Ball's Skimming Stone to brighten a small space but keep it soft.’
Off-White
Off-White is one of the original Farrow & Ball colours and one of the first white shades the brand came out with. So it’s no surprise customers today still love it. It sits within a broader palette of Traditional Neutrals which is the go-to for Patrick at Farrow & Ball.
‘If sticking to the classic route of neutrals, we at Farrow & Ball have grouped them into six tonal families and I always return to our Traditional Neutral palette of Slipper Satin, Lime White, Off-White and Old White. The latter two are my favourites, they have this lovely underlying green note that is enlivened by a dose of yellow and both are wonderfully sophisticated and very easy to layer with bolder colours either in paint or textiles,’ he says.
Decorating with neutrals comes with the benefit of ease as they go with everything and they create the perfect background for smaller pops of colour and other statements.
But even if you’re not planning on sticking with a simple neutral, these shades also make for the perfect holding paint colour. A holding paint colour is when you move into a new home and you can’t stand the existing wall colour, so while deciding on your future colour scheme, opt for one of these gorgeous neutral colours to ease your mind and eyes as you settle on a more daring colour scheme.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.