Palette Play | Annie Meyers-Shyer and Joa Studholme join Ariel to talk Color in Design | Live from the Fenimore Lane Design Summit!

Summary

Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: Palette Play – A Deep Dive into Color in Design

Live from the Fenimore Lane Design Summit, May 22, 2024

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Introduction

In the vibrant episode titled "Palette Play | Annie Meyers-Shyer and Joa Studholme join Ariel to talk Color in Design | Live from the Fenimore Lane Design Summit!", host Ariel Okin engages with renowned interior design experts Annie Meyers-Shyer and Joa Studholme. Filmed live at the Fenimore Lane Design Summit held at the picturesque Mayflower Inn and Spa, the panel delves into the intricate role of color in interior design, sharing personal insights, professional strategies, and practical tips for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

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Panelist Introductions

Grace Beaulieu Hunt, Luxe Interiors and Design's Home and Design Editor, moderates the discussion, introducing the panelists:

• Annie Meyers-Shyer: Founder of Oak House, currently renovating her first home in Beverly Hills.
• Ariel Okin: Interior designer, founder and editor-in-chief of Fenimore Lane, and host of the Talk Shop podcast.
• Joa Studholme: Farrow & Ball's Color Curator and author of several color-focused publications.

Each panelist shares a glimpse into their personal style and current projects, setting the stage for an engaging conversation on color.

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The Role of Color in Design: Insights from Ariel, Annie, and Joa

Ariel Okin emphasizes the personalized use of color in her designs, aiming to create spaces that feel like personal escapes. She states, “When I'm talking about color in my own home, I typically gravitate... to soothing colors inspired by nature” (05:34).

Annie Meyers-Shyer discusses how color narrates the story of her home, tailoring different palettes to suit various rooms and their intended atmospheres. “Colors really help me sort of define what the spaces are going to be... the energy in a house, the story of a house” (06:38).

Joa Studholme highlights the emotional impact of color, asserting that it “makes a huge difference... good for the soul, actually” (06:50). She underscores her commitment to sharing color wisdom generously.

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Show & Tell: Color Inspirations

Annie’s “The Snug”

Annie showcases her renovation progress in a room she affectionately calls "The Snug." Inspired by Ramon Casas' painting A Decadent Woman, she integrates the artwork's color palette into her design choices. “If something is pleasing to your eye in nature or in a painting, you can make that happen in a room” (09:50).

Ariel’s Instagram Savs

Ariel shares her personal collection of Instagram saves, revealing a shift towards simpler, more subdued palettes. “I'm finding myself gravitating towards simpler palettes lately. Just a quieter sort of... really sagey greens and blushy pink” (12:00). This reflects her desire for less visual noise in her home amidst a bustling family life.

Joa’s Innovative Color Applications

Joa presents inventive ways to incorporate color, such as painting only parts of walls or using different finishes to create dynamic spaces. “You can use color in a million different ways... wallpaper on the ceiling” (13:36). Her approach transforms traditional color applications, adding depth and interest to interiors.

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Color Selection Process: Professional Approaches

Ariel’s Client-Centric Process

Ariel outlines her team's method of gathering client inspiration through images, which are then distilled into a creative brief. “We start with the client... we want our projects to feel as personal and tied into who they are as possible” (16:28). This collaborative approach ensures that color choices resonate with clients' lifestyles and preferences.

Joa’s Farrow & Ball Philosophy

Joa delves into Farrow & Ball's curated color palette, consisting of 132 timeless shades. She explains, “We’re not sort of trend based in any way when it comes to making colors. It’s very low key” (19:53). The company's focus on heritage and thoughtful naming conventions, such as "Stooky Blue" inspired by a Norfolk beach, reflects a deep connection to place and memory.

Annie’s Historical and Flexible Approach

Annie emphasizes respecting the historical architecture of her renovation project while maintaining flexibility through neutral bases. “I'm definitely looking to the past... and I choose a lot of neutrals because I think it gives me flexibility” (23:23). This balance allows her to preserve architectural details while adapting spaces to modern needs.

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Expert Tips on Choosing the Right Paint Color

Joa Studholme’s Top Tips:

1. Sample on the Wall: “Paint it on the wall, not just on something... look at it in the evening and during the day” (26:03).
2. Consider Architecture and Light: “Look at your architecture and look at the light” (26:03).
3. Comfort is Key: “Choose colors that you feel comfortable with” (26:03).

Ariel Okin’s Advice:

• Coordinate with Textiles and Textures: “Look at the physical samples in connection with the rest of the textiles... make sure that everything works together” (27:11).
• Think Proportionally: Ensure that colors complement each other in scale and presence within the room (27:39).

Annie Meyers-Shyer’s Recommendations:

1. Match Texture and Surface: “Paint on the texture that you’re going to be painting” (28:06).
2. View Samples Individually: “Do not line them up, look at them one by one” (28:06).
3. Choose the Right Sheen: Assess how different finishes affect the perception of color (28:06).
4. Avoid Color Matching: Instead, select colors that stand independently and enhance the space (28:06).
5. Ceiling and Trim Considerations: Use lighter shades for ceilings and coordinate trim colors effectively (28:06).

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Rapid Fire Q&A: Favorite Colors and Combos

In a lively rapid-fire segment, panelists share their favorite color choices and combinations:

• Best Room for Unexpected Color Use:

  • Annie: Guest room
  • Joa: Powder pantry
  • Ariel: (Supportive laughter)

• Favorite Kitchen Colors:

  • Annie: Creamy white
  • Ariel: Sagey green, specifically Farrow & Ball's "Lichen"
  • Joa: Pink gloss ceiling for a fabulous glow

• Preferred Color Combinations:

  • Annie: Green and yellow
  • Ariel: Pale blue and burgundy
  • Joa: Clay tones, deep reds, and pasta colors

• One Color for Lifelong Walls:

  • Annie: "Slipper Satin"
  • Joa: "Stirabout" – a warmer version of Slipper Satin
  • Ariel: "Wimborne Weft"

• Spirit Colors:

  • Annie: Yellow
  • Ariel: Pale blue
  • Joa: "Bamboozle" – a playful nod to her personal connection

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Conclusion and Upcoming Projects

As the summit wraps up, panelists share glimpses of their upcoming endeavors:

• Joa Studholme announces Farrow & Ball's exciting new wallpaper collections inspired by an 18th-century chateau in France, set to launch in June.

• Ariel Okin discusses her ongoing projects across the country, including installations in Cape Cod and Oyster Bay, before planning a well-deserved summer relaxation.

• Annie Meyers-Shyer reveals her anticipation for moving into her newly painted home and enhancing her outdoor living space with a planned pool area.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Talk Shop offers a rich exploration of color in interior design, blending professional expertise with personal anecdotes. Whether you're embarking on a renovation journey or seeking to refresh your living space, the insights shared by Ariel, Annie, and Joa provide valuable guidance on harnessing the transformative power of color.

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Timestamp Reference

• [00:00] – Introduction by Ariel Okin
• [05:34] – Ariel on her color preferences
• [06:38] – Annie on color’s role in her home
• [06:50] – Joa on color’s emotional impact
• [09:50] – Annie on using art to inform color schemes
• [12:00] – Ariel’s shift towards simpler palettes
• [13:36] – Joa on innovative color applications
• [16:28] – Ariel on her client-centric color process
• [19:53] – Joa on Farrow & Ball’s color philosophy
• [23:23] – Annie on historical and flexible color approach
• [26:03] – Joa’s top tips for paint selection
• [27:11] – Ariel’s advice on coordinating colors
• [28:06] – Annie’s recommendations on choosing paint
• [33:49] – [36:25] – Rapid Fire Q&A segment
• [37:52] – Conclusion and wrap-up

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For more insightful discussions and expert advice on interior design, subscribe to the Talk Shop podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or follow Ariel Okin on Instagram.

Transcript

[Ariel Okun]

Welcome to Talkshop. I'm Ariel Okun, a New York based interior designer, writer and editor looking to bring a little bit of magic into our homes every day. After years as a writer and editor in the interiors world, I founded my own editorial site, Fettermore Lane, in 2020 and the TalkShop interview series was born. Each week I delve into the personal experiences of the top interior designers and tastemakers around the globe. This week we're live from the Fenimore Lane Design Summit held this past weekend at the Mayflower Inn and Spa. And I'm joined by three fellow best in class lovers of color, Annie Meyers, Shire Farrow and Balls color consultant Joe Estudum, along with our moderator, Lux Magazine's Grace Bewley Hunt. We sit down to discuss our love of color, how we interact with it when designing a room, and then share a few tips and tricks for choosing the right color for your home. Tune in to our bright and lively discussion.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Hi, everybody. So nice to see you all. I am Grace Beaulieu Hun. I'm Luxe Interiors and Design's home and design editor and I'm so happy to be hosting today's panel on color with a few amazing experts on the subject. If anyone has a painting project like my new friends in the front row, this is the place to be. So today we're gonna be talking about palette and gathering inspiration from them. And what better venue between these gardens and the amazing interiors that are not at all color shy? It's definitely a lesson being here unto itself. So thank you so much to our friends at the Mayflower for hosting us, to our amazing friends at Farrow Ball for sponsoring today's chat, and to Fenimore Lane for creating this incredible day for all of us to enjoy. And of course, thank you to our panelists. So joining us, we have Annie Meyershire, founder of the beloved interior design sensation this Oak House. We have Ariel Oken, interior designer, editor in chief of Fenimore Lane and host of the Talkshop Design podcast. And Joa Studum, Farrow and Ball's color curator and the author of Farrow and Ball titles including Recipes for Decorating and how to Decorate. So rather than me going through their bios, I'm going to have them do it themselves. So please, ladies, one by one, say who you are, where you're from, what you do. And I made a slip and asked everybody who, what, where in our preliminary calls, and they thought it meant their outfits. So you also have to say what you're wearing today. Annie, let's start with you.

[Annie Meyershire]

Okay. Hi, I'm Annie Meyershire. I'm from Los Angeles, and I am renovating my first home in Beverly Hills. And it's been an unbelievable journey so far. I'm not adding 1 inch of square footage to my house, and I'm two years into the project, so it's been a thing. But I'm in the middle of a really big learning in my life, and it's been really fun. And I'm chronicling the journey on my Instagram, and I'm really happy to be here. And I am wearing Adder C and I'm just happy to be here.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

I'm loving the return of the vest, by the way. It's good. It's a good thing.

[Ariel Okun]

I am Ariel Okun. I am an interior designer. I'm the editor in chief and founder of Phantom Orlean, which put this weekend on. And I'm just really, really thrilled to be here and just honored to have these amazing women on this panel with me. And what am I wearing? I'm wearing a Tucker neck top and totem pants.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

What about the shoes?

[Ariel Okun]

Nine West.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Oh, my gosh, I swear to God. So good.

[Ariel Okun]

I found them on Shopmy.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

And Joa.

[Joa Studum]

Hi, I'm Joa and I work for Farron Ball. I'm their color curator, which means I make their colors and name their colors for my sins. And I've worked with farren ball for 28 years, which is quite scary. And I hope that you're kind of aware of the brand, but, you know, it's slightly less well known in America than it is in England. And I started the first showroom, and as Grace said, I've written a few books about colour, and I'm just very happy to be here sharing it all with you. And I am wearing a dress from India, which has no label, and much to Annie's absolute horror, I'm wearing Birkenstocks because she went and took hers off, left me mine.

[Annie Meyershire]

Birkenstocks. And I love Joa.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Perfect. Well, I'll be breaking out the Birkenstocks for the garden portion of today. So just to situate us a little, I'd love if you could each share about color and what it means in your day to day, what you think makes you an expert in it. And I have to start with Ariel, because Arielle was actually just dubbed a color star by Better Homes and Gardens magazine, like, a few days ago. So let's hear it.

[Ariel Okun]

Thank you. I mean, we use color in so many different ways in our projects, and I think it all starts for us with our clients and how they like to live and the inspiration that they bring to us because we really want all of our projects to feel extremely personal to them. When I'm talking about color in my own home, I typically gravitate, as you can tell over this weekend, to blue and green and white. I like colors that are inspired by nature and colors that feel like soothing because I really always want my home to feel like an escape and something that's very relaxing to come home to at the end of the day. But I think layering color and also the way that neutrals can be tone on tone and play with each other is one of the most fascinating things about what I get to do. So I love it.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

She sounds like an expert.

[Ariel Okun]

Yeah.

[Annie Meyershire]

Ok.

[Ariel Okun]

I don't know about that.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Annie, how about you? What does color do for you on a day to day basis?

[Annie Meyershire]

Well, I think color is helping me tell the story of my house, what I want the rooms to feel like. You know, I thought a lot about how I want the rooms to move from one to another. So my bedroom is a soothing space and light green and yellows and neutrals. And then I have two boys who are 8 and 10 and their rooms are joyous and bright. And you would never walk into their rooms and think an adult lived in there. I mean, they're going to be very red and blues and yellows. And I have a kind of a dark room, we're calling it the snug. And that room is moody. And so I just think color really helps me sort of define what the spaces are going to be. And then the rest of my house is sort of neutral, which just I think will help, you know, let me layer in whatever I want as we go. But I think colors, the energy in a house, the story of a house, at least it is for our house.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

I love that. So it's kind of like a neutral canvas and then you have these like special colorful spaces leading off that.

[Annie Meyershire]

I hope that's what I'm aiming for. Yeah.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Awesome. And Joa, I know color's a big part of your day, so it's a.

[Joa Studum]

Very, very big part of my day. And I really believe that color makes a huge, huge difference. I really think it's good for the soul, actually. And it can soothe you or it can excite you. It can make you smile. So I am immersed, as I say, every day with color. When I'm not creating new colors, I'm often in other people's homes. I'm helping them choose colors for their own home color consultancy service, which we have here as well. And rather scarily, somebody worked out that I probably decorate three and a half thousand rooms a year, and I've done it for 28 years, so that's a very scary amount. But I was talking to Annie earlier, and my big thing is about giving kind of hints and tips about how to use color and being generous. And I think the three of us probably share this same thing, that Ariel likes to share all the beautiful things she has on her website, and Annie shares all her sources, and I am determined to share as much about the use of color as I possibly can.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Well, I'm glad you're here today. So I gave everybody a homework assignment. I think the whole point of today is to get inspired by all this beauty. And I asked everybody to bring in what is inspiring them in terms of color these days. And everybody gets an A with their. With their physical materials here. So let's go down the line. Annie, please tell us about your color inspiration and why you're vibing off of it right now.

[Annie Meyershire]

So I packed in a carry on from Los Angeles. So this project and homework assignment was challenging for me. But the room that I mentioned before, which I call the Snug, I'm working with an interior designer, but I've really schemed the rooms myself, and I love the color green. And I knew I wanted green in this room. And since I'm not an interior designer, what I found as I was doing the scheme was I just kept putting green in the room. Like, I couldn't figure out how to make it more than that. And I have a bulletin board that I sit in front of at my desk. And I looked up and I had a postcard of a painting that I loved. So it's by Ramon Casas, and it's called A Decadent Woman. And I'm sure it's called that because she's just laying down. But I love this painting. And I thought about the use of color in this painting, and I brought some fabrics that I'm using in that room, and I thought I'd show you how I let this painting sort of inform my decision. So.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

And this is the snug.

[Annie Meyershire]

This is the Snug. Okay. So this is my sofa fabric, this Claremont that I brought.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

It's beautiful.

[Annie Meyershire]

I have a chair and ottoman in the same room. I'm using this beautiful sort of rose tarlo fabric. And then I have this, which is sort of representative of the book that's also in the room.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

It's really pretty.

[Annie Meyershire]

So the lesson that I sort of took away here is, you know, I'm not an expert, but what I do know is I know what's pleasing to my eye. And so I loved this painting. I loved the colors in it.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

The whole mood is very snug.

[Annie Meyershire]

It's very snug, Right? This is gonna be me in the snug when the project's over. But what I really feel is that if something is pleasing to your eye in nature or in a painting, you can make that happen in a room. You know, if you're looking at a lake and there's a blue sky and an orange boat and it has a yellow flag on it or whatever it is, if that looks good to you, there's a way to bring that into your room. And so I love this painting and I'll always think of it when I come into this room. I'm sorry it's makeshift, but it was the inspiration for me and I think. I hope it works out.

[Joa Studum]

We'll see.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

What color did you choose on your walls?

[Annie Meyershire]

Well, I need to talk to Joa, but so far, so far it's stony ground, which is a faron ball color. But the reason I've chosen that color is because the room is open to another room. And so I have to make sure that it doesn't just become like a. It has to work in the room next to it. Yeah. And so stony ground, I mean, is a really beautiful. How would you describe it?

[Joa Studum]

Well, it's a. Yes, it's in there. It's a neutral, which has a very, very little amount of red in its ground. So it has a warmth to it. And it's exactly what it sounds like. It's stony. Yes. Oh, I can get it out and show you.

[Annie Meyershire]

Yeah, it' it's stony. And we have a paint ship and the whole room is paneled with a built in sofa. And so the sofa will be the green. And this is my girl. That's it.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

I think it's really great to remember that. It sounds simple, but just picking an image you really love, a piece of art can inform the whole palette of your shoes.

[Annie Meyershire]

For sure.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

There's stony ground.

[Annie Meyershire]

I felt like it was the background color of my fabric.

[Ariel Okun]

I also like the highlight color.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Yeah, beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing, Annie.

[Annie Meyershire]

Thank you.

[Ariel Okun]

I love that.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Ariel, let's move down to you. What do you have for show and tell today?

[Ariel Okun]

I wish I had physical samples. This is, like, so fun.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

It's fun.

[Annie Meyershire]

I love it.

[Ariel Okun]

I screenshotted Basically, this is my personal Instagram saves. So this is always like a barometer of what I'm gravitating toward.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Maybe we can pass these things around.

[Ariel Okun]

Yeah, we can pass around for sure. Right now, I was actually just talking about this with Annie, but I'm finding myself grabbing, gravitating towards simpler palettes lately. Just a quieter sort of like really sagey greens and like a blushy pink and just really nice creamy whites. And then like a ticking stripe is in here. And then I also have like an unidentifiable man in a really well rolled up white button down, like things.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Such a good look.

[Ariel Okun]

I just think it's like a vibe. But this is sort of my personal barometer for what I am inspired by at that moment in time. And right now I think I'm interested in paring things back a little bit. You know, we're known for a deft use of color, so we love colorful interiors. But we also. Our base palette is always generally neutral. And then we layer in color in the way of textiles or Suzanne's or, you know, a layering rug over a sisal, things like that. So, yeah, I'm excited. I can pass this around.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Where do you think that need for clean is coming from? Have you been doing a lot of color recently and this is kind of an antidote?

[Ariel Okun]

No, I think it's in my personal life. I think because my kids are getting bigger and their stuff is just everywhere. I'm looking for less visual noise in my house because I have so much like there's like puzzle pieces on the floor and there's like Legos and so.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

I think just dreaming of cleanliness.

[Ariel Okun]

Yes, basically.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Thank you for sharing, Ariel. And we'll send around her grid.

[Ariel Okun]

Yeah.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

And Joa, what did you bring in first? You have a whole chair for your show and tell.

[Joa Studum]

Just little bits and pieces. Well, you know, I love colour, obviously I love colour, but at the moment, the thing I'm really interested in is how to use colour. And I think that all the rules seem to have gone out of the window. So painting your walls from the top of your baseboards to your ceiling, you don't need to do that. You can use colour in a million different ways. So I just got three examples here which are quite full of colour or you might not approve. But one of the things I do a lot is if you have a reveal to a different room is to just to paint this little detail here in green so you can see, so that it just creates a little moment, a little memory in your house, or as I was saying, you don't need to take the color all the way up the wall. I will often stop the color halfway or three quarters of the way up the wall. And you can see here it's actually taken over the door as well. So it's just creating a kind of really interesting little space. Pro. Probably far too much color for you guys, but the other thing is that I play with finishes a lot. So in this particular house, we have got gloss and dead flat on the same wall, just kind of cutting through, and it just creates that little bit of sort of sparkle at the bottom of the room. And also super durable, because the gloss, if you're bashing suitcases against it, and it just creates something kind of really interesting. And the same comes too, with wallpaper. You don't necessarily just use it on the walls. We're putting wallpaper on the ceiling a lot. And you'll see that all the way through this hotel. You'll see wallpapers on the ceiling.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

What's that? Which hotel is that?

[Joa Studum]

Oh, no, no, in this hotel.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Oh, in this hotel.

[Joa Studum]

This is in a hotel. This is in a house. We're using one of our new pan on papers, which I'll tell you about. But yes, the use of gloss is my really thing I absolutely love. Bella wants me to show you brush outwards here. I'll do is on the same wall is just do the bottom half of the wall in glass and the top in a flat. And it just creates something really magical. You often don't notice it to start with, and then you, wow, what's that?

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

I imagine it's so impactful when the.

[Joa Studum]

Light is coming in, but it's subtle but impactful as well.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Wow, love that. I'd like to see that in real time to go paint something later. Okay. So I basically have a targeted question for each of you, and then one for all of you, and then we're going to do some rapid fire. So, Ariel, my question for you is actually talking more about kind of what Annie was getting at, which is where does it all begin? So as a professional designer and a color star, no less, when you are. When you are dealing with a palette, like, where do you start? I know it's probably different client to client, but in general, do you have a process for approaching a palette when you are starting from scratch?

[Ariel Okun]

Yes. So the way that we handle new projects is we ask every client to send us at least 10 images that are really speaking to them and what they want their home to feel like, and we start there, and then we turn those into a creative brief where we pull imagery and mood boards for every single room in the house before we even start sourcing. And in that creative brief meeting, it's a really great way for us to get an information download where we can make sure that we know which images the clients are responding to the most and which palettes they really are gravitating toward. And one of our clients is here today in the back. And it's really helpful for us because it lets us know what palette to hone in on. And also, how are the rooms being used as well, because I think that's really important in terms of finish for color and in terms of how is this all going to work in terms of how you're actually living in your home? Because I think that's the most important. So it really, for us, always starts with the client, because we want our projects to feel as personal and tied into who they are as possible.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

And then once you have your colors, like, how do you make it come together? Like, I've made so many mistakes. This is why I'm in neutrals and live in a white house. Because it's, like, it's harder than you think. I've, like, made a lot of mistakes. Like, how do you make it not match but come together? Is there a trick you can share?

[Ariel Okun]

Comfortable taking risks? Because I think color is so personal that it has to feel good to you. And anybody could be like, oh, I think that clashes. Or that's not for me. And I think if it feels personal to you and feels good for your home, then that's what should be your sort of, like, guiding North Star. When we do our fabric pulls, we basically take, like, three days. We go to the D and D. We go to 200 lux. We go to James showroom. We get all of our samples. This would overwhelm so many people. We throw them, like, on our big scheming table in the office, and I just sort of, like, play with them for hours. And that's sort of where we. That's how we do it.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Oh, I like that. So just get all the physical colors.

[Ariel Okun]

And just, like, we get everything, and we go room by room. And then. And then we narrow it down, and we get them onto, like, acrylic trays for the clients. And then I also. When I'm scheming, I'm looking at the floor plan. Like, we start with the floor plan before we do textiles and finishes. So I think you need to start with a floor plan so that you know what the room is going to look like and how it's going to flow. And then you can get into your textiles and your color and your pattern. And that helps me envision, okay, where's this, like, I like this pattern, but where is it going to live? And when you see the floor plan, it helps you envision it in your mind before, you know, you could think that a really great block print would be great on a huge, wide scale sofa, but it actually, in practice, might not.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Absolutely. I love that. So hire Ariel. Or if you want to mimic it and feel like a designer, like, get your samples all together, get an acrylic tray for each room, and, like, pretend you're Ariel. Okay. So, Jo, I'd like to go down to you, and we have to ask about color because it's just like, you own that word. And, you know, Farron Ball's colors are just so distinct. I just feel like they really are so, like, above and beyond, to be honest. And I'd love to hear a little bit more about, you know, the color philosophy of Faron Ball and your brand DNA and what makes it different.

[Joa Studum]

Well, I mean, it's a company. We've been making paint for 75 years. I haven't been there for 75 years, but it feels like it sometimes. And we've really got kind of heritage running through our veins, and we're very proud of our historic roots. But obviously, when we're making colors, we're very conscious that they should fit in the contemporary home at the same time. And we've always kept a very tight palette, curated palette. We only have 132 colors at any time on that card. So it's really trying to help you to not have a million things to look at. And we only make new colors when we feel the need. You know, we're not saying we have to bring out new colors every two years or whatever, but when we feel that the color needs to be shared with the world, that's when we do it. So we're not sort of trend based in any way when it comes to making colors. It's very low fi. I sit at my kitchen table with a whole load of ramekins and teaspoons and just mix colors. And, you know, people imagine that it should be done in a sort of laboratory, but it really is literally done. When my kids were little, they were there stirring away, or I would pay them to clean the ramekins as well. We probably do. As far as the names are concerned, sometimes it's Kind of like say what you see. So this is setting plaster. And it was. I made this color because somebody painted over a plaster wall, which I wanted to keep. And so it. It just looks like setting plaster. But then sometimes you have something like. This is called Stooky Blue. It spelt S, T, I, double F, K, E, Y. And it's a very faramble thing that you pronounce things differently to how they're spelt. But this was a. It's a beach in Norfolk in the north of England, and my kids used to play there. And it has strange mud and they would come out and their feet and hands would be this color. So that was why I named this, you know, that I took the inspiration. The inspiration. Inspiration came from the mud.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

So the names are very personal to you? Often.

[Joa Studum]

Not me particularly, but sometimes they are. That one is. Or my sort of classic. Sometimes the colour comes first. This is a colour called wevet. And you're probably all thinking, but it's just white. In fact, it has a little tiny bit of grey in it. Very special colour. And when I was making it, I kept on saying I wanted something which you could see straight through. You didn't almost weren't kind of aware of the color. It was so easy to live with. And so then we tried to think of what equated to that. And wevet means spider's web. So it is like the colour of a spider's web. So sometimes the inspiration comes first, sometimes the colour comes first. But we really consider our names. They're as important as the colours themselves.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Wonderful. I will never forget Moles breath. I got a chip of that in the mail. Oh, yeah? Are those inspired by what you're looking at?

[Joa Studum]

Salmon is nothing to do with the fish.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Amazing. So, Annie, I would like to talk about history and color with you because you are renovating this amazing historic home. And, I mean, I think you mentioned you're kind of just diving into your paint journey. What are your thoughts? Are you looking to the past and. Or are you really trying to bring in, like, a modern edge with your palette? Like, what's your direction and what have you learned so far?

[Annie Meyershire]

Well, I'm definitely not trying to bring in a modern edge. I would say I think that I'm looking to the house first to sort of inform the decision. So the house has a tremendous amount of interior architecture, wall paneling, details, wainscoting and just a lot of millwork in the house. So I want that to be a star. So I'm very thoughtful about How I'm using sheen and color when it comes to those pieces. I also, you know, in general, just stay away from trends. So with our. We put in oak floors, and I worked tirelessly on the color and trying to see what would really be in this house if it was built today. And much to the dismay of my flooring guys, we did it many times, and when we got it, I just knew we had it. And it was interesting. When the flooring, when the stain was done, it was like we turned a construction site into a home. The color made it a home. And so I am definitely looking to the past in terms of what would really be here and then. And I also choose a lot of neutrals because I think it gives me flexibility. I have probably four sofas in the house. All but one are either neutral or white. And I have natural. Like, all my floor rugs are abacas. But then I can put something colorful over it, or I can put color in the pillows, and it gives me flexibility. As my tastes evolve and change that, I can change those things. So I'm definitely looking to the past, but also trying to just have flexibility because doing a house is a big deal, and it costs a lot of money, and I don't want to have regret, and so. But I also want to walk into a room and feel inspired. So it's an interesting dance, but I.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Think we've done it amazing. So I'd like everybody to leave with a really meaty takeaway when it comes to painting, because painting is terrible. Sometimes it's really hard. It's hard to get the right color. It's hard to physically do it. I can share my way of kind of addressing the best color. And I have to make a plug for a sister brand of our company. But like Samplize, they do these large format peel and sticks that are actually paint, which can be amazing. Like, that's the one thing, like, that I really have found. Like, I have to paint it on a wall.

[Joa Studum]

I mean, this is real paint.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

So, yeah, it's amazing. And I would love if you could share, like, your one go to trick for getting the color right. Like, what's your process? Do you paint a bunch of boards? Do you come back in high sun, low sun?

[Joa Studum]

That's what you do.

[Annie Meyershire]

Yeah.

[Joa Studum]

I mean, the big thing is to sample color and is to get it on the wall. Not if you buy a little pot, don't paint it on the wall, but paint it on something. You can move it into different positions, look at it in the evening, and look at it during the day. If it's a room you only use at night, shut the curtains, light the candles. It will all make a really big difference. But the big thing for me is there are three things to think about. Look at your architecture and look at the light. But also choose colors that you feel comfortable with. Just because everybody's telling you you have to use plaster pinks at the moment, perhaps that's not your thing. You know, just do something which you really feel comfortable with and make a list at the beginning of all the ingredients you have in the room. So you've got the baseboards, you've got the walls, you've got maybe have crown moulding, you've got doors and architraves and anything you can paint, because those are like little ingredients in a recipe and you've got to put the right colors on all of them to get the kind of the proper dish, as it were. So that's what I always do is write a list.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Write a list of all the architectural features.

[Joa Studum]

Yep.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

And try them all. That's great advice. How about you, Ariel?

[Ariel Okun]

I think also look at the physical samples in connection with the rest of the textiles that will be in the room and the textures that will be in the room. So look at it with your carpet sample and the other fabric samples that are going in there. If you have metal finishes or if you're using a powder coated light fixture, like, get a sample of that just to really make sure that everything works together and that the palette all talks to each other. I think that's important in terms of, like having the physical samples with you.

[Joa Studum]

And also looking at things proportionally, I think really, really helps because if you're thinking, oh, I'm going to use this on the walls and this on the millwork, that's crazy because you actually, proportionally, you have far less of one than the other and that really affects it. Exactly as you're saying with the fabrics.

[Ariel Okun]

It's true.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

So do not make paint decisions independent of other things. Like you have to be thinking about the full mix of texture. That's a good tip too. Annie, what's yours?

[Annie Meyershire]

I have more than one.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Okay.

[Annie Meyershire]

Because I'm in the middle of painting. So here are my tips. I would say make sure, once you narrow it down, paint on the texture that you're going to be painting. So if you're painting millwork, look at it on millwork. If you're going to be painting on drywall, look at it on drywall. I would also say if you have Multiple samples. Do not line them up. Look at them one by one. Jo.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Absolutely not.

[Annie Meyershire]

Do not line them up, because one will start to read pink. And it's because of something else. My painter did this thing where he would put blue tape on the wall and then paint the sample in the blue tape. Like, rip that blue tape off, because the blue tape will inform the color. Pull up that pink ram board. The things in the room will inform the color. So really try to look at it in the light. It's really going to be in. Also, I think once you decide you love the color, get the right sheen. You know, don't pick the color. I'm going to use, you know, estate emulsion, but really it's going to be modern emulsion. You got to see it in its real form. I know it's expensive to buy a gallon, but it's so much less expensive than redoing the room. I would also say, do not color match. Your painter's gonna be like, I love Sherwin Williams, and I want to use like, okay, but don't color match, because they won't get it. They're like, we do it all the time. It doesn't matter. Do it all the time somewhere else. Don't do it. Like, just really. I mean, I think all the paint brands are amazing, but I wouldn't color match anything. My other tips would be, I like, personally the ceiling to be a little bit lighter than the walls. I like the wall and the crown to be the same color. And a tip that I learned recently is you can just sort of take your wall color and divide it in half with white for your ceiling. Pretty. Or you could go three quarters white, one quarter your color. And the other tip I would have is keep going.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Literally, there's.

[Annie Meyershire]

I was working on a pain schedule this morning, so I'm in it. It's like when you have a baby, how you have all the tips and then someone asks you about a nap, and you're like, I don't. I don't remember anything. So I have it all. Top of mind. But what I was going to say was, I think brush strokes are important on wood. And if your painter gives you a hard time like mine did, we agree that he can roll the first coat. But I want to see the brush strokes. It makes sense in my house. And so find out from your paint company. How will the paint dry? Will it set really quickly? Is it going to allow for the brushstrokes? Sort of have those conversations.

[Joa Studum]

And to appease your painter, you can brush it on and then. So roll it on and then brush it off. Yeah. I mean, even the last coat you can roll on and then you brush over it. You might like to have two people.

[Annie Meyershire]

I think that. Okay, those are my tips.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

So before we move on to our lightning round, I just want to get a sense of what's coming up next for each of you. Joa, I know we have some amazing new wallpapers. I know it's a big year for wallpaper at Farrow and Ball. Just tell us what's coming down the pike, what we can watch for from you.

[Joa Studum]

Well, we have creative director went, found this amazing chateau, 18th century chateau in the Loire in France, and discovered these loads and loads of patterns of wallpapers which we have made. I can show you some of them here. Been interpreted in amazing colours. And the fantastic thing about Farambore wallpaper is it's made from our paint. So you can always do a seamless scheme because you can always take the color from the beautiful from the pattern all the time.

[Ariel Okun]

With this, which is for instance.

[Joa Studum]

Yes. With closet.

[Ariel Okun]

So you can do any color.

[Joa Studum]

And this is bansha, which has been used here. Or you know, if you're doing something. See, I needed my table. Oh, no, I've used that one already. Hold on. You could do something very, very neutral here. This is. I love this paper because when you walk away from it, you can barely see the pattern. It just becomes like not a flat wall anymore.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Oh, yes, super subtle.

[Joa Studum]

And this, this paper was just found in a linen. So it's been amazing. And Charlie, our creative directors have just reimagined each of them and we've also gone into our archives and we've got new colorways of old papers coming as well, which is really, really exciting. So. Yeah, lots. It's our year for wallpaper. We can't wait. We've been making wallpaper for a very long time, so our big push is this year.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

So exciting. When can we actually see the images of it in context in this new chateau?

[Joa Studum]

They launch in June.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Amazing.

[Joa Studum]

So very, very soon. Yep.

[Ariel Okun]

Fabulous.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

And what about you, Ms. Ariel? What's next after summit?

[Ariel Okun]

Oh, my God, I don't know. I'm looking forward to relaxing this summit.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

That sounds nice.

[Ariel Okun]

We're working on eight projects all around the country right now. We have a big Cape Cod install in May and then we have a big photo shoot in Oyster Bay in May. And then I'm really looking, looking forward to taking a second to relax this summer.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

I wish that for you. You deserve It. Thank you. Annie, what about you? We have paint coming up, but what are the other big house things?

[Annie Meyershire]

Just moving. That's all I have on my docket. That's it. Moving.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Okay, then you have to share the one room you're the most excited about for your home.

[Annie Meyershire]

Well, it's sort of a room I'm most excited for the exterior of my house. It's part of the reason we moved. And living in Los Angeles is really about the indoor outdoor living. And the whole back of my house opens to my backyard, and we're gonna have a pool, and I just envision sort of enjoying that space outside. Sounds dream if I ever get there.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

What's nice that I can say this is like a summer kickoff. Like, everyone has nice, fun, beautiful things coming up. We love that. So to wrap things up, let's do some rapid fire Q and A. These only require one word answers. We'll go down the line. Annie, what is the best room for an unexpected use of color?

[Annie Meyershire]

Guest room.

[Joa Studum]

Powder pantry. Ooh, I'd love to make you smile.

[Ariel Okun]

Yeah, I love that.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

People love all white kitchens, but it's actually a great place to use color. What is your favorite color to use in the kitchen?

[Annie Meyershire]

Creamy white.

[Ariel Okun]

We do like to do a sagey green. Like lichen is a great fire and ball color for a kitchen.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

We just did lichen in the kitchen.

[Ariel Okun]

Yeah, lichen in the kitchen.

[Joa Studum]

Love it.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

That's the editor, Joaquin.

[Joa Studum]

I like to do a pink gloss ceiling in the kitchen. It just gives that fabulous glow.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Yes. Pink makes everybody look really pretty too.

[Ariel Okun]

It does.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Color combination. You are loving now.

[Annie Meyershire]

Color combination. Green and yellow like that wallpaper. Yeah.

[Ariel Okun]

Pale blue and burgundy. Borrowed light is my favorite faron ball color. My dining room ceiling is high gloss and borrowed light. It's my favorite color, but I love borrowed light. It's a really pretty, like, sky blue, gray blue. It's so pretty.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

We're doing a whole color story for our fall issue on ox blood and ice. I feel like those colors are really everywhere. Pale, pale blue.

[Ariel Okun]

I just think it's such a pretty combination.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

It's so beautiful. It feels so fresh right now.

[Ariel Okun]

Yes.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

And, Joa, what's your color combo at the moment?

[Joa Studum]

All over the clay tones at the moment. So, you know, deep, dark reds and pasta colors. Basically beautiful things which feel very warm.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

If you could only use one color for the rest of your lives on your walls, what would it be, Annie?

[Annie Meyershire]

Easy Slipper satin.

[Joa Studum]

You stole mine.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

No way.

[Ariel Okun]

Wimborne weight.

[Joa Studum]

Okay. I would use stirabout, which Is a version of slipper satin. Well, version. It's slippers. It has exactly the same color quality, but it is much warmer. It's got this lovely little bit of red behind it, and it glows, and it's total heaven. And it's in my bedroom, which I will get back to in England tomorrow.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Can't wait. Okay, last but not least, and it doesn't have to be an exact paint color, but just a color in general. People have spirit animals. What is your spirit color?

[Annie Meyershire]

Yellow.

[Ariel Okun]

Pale blue, I think I have to.

[Joa Studum]

Go for furry bamboozle.

[Ariel Okun]

Love it.

[Joa Studum]

But I was tempted to talk about to say dead salmon, but that it felt a bit sad that that was my spirit animal. No, I tasted certainly, I think bamboozle.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Yeah, bamboozle.

[Joa Studum]

Bamboozle.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Beautiful.

[Joa Studum]

But I would only use it probably inside a closet or in a very sort of small amount.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Good in a pantry.

[Joa Studum]

Good in a pantry.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Well, thank you, ladies. Thank you to our pros. Thank you guys so much for coming. We do have about five minutes if anybody has a question they want to ask.

[Annie Meyershire]

So I have a 200-year-old colonial revival that needs lots of TLC, and the ceilings are not very high. I find myself wanting to paint everything the same color. And then I'm like, am I?

[Ariel Okun]

Yes.

[Annie Meyershire]

Yeah. But then I'm like, am I doing this in every room? Like, when do you know when to have contrast with trim versus when to just, you know, embrace the selvedge?

[Joa Studum]

Well, I mean, I think that it's so counterintuitive, but if you put the same color on your ceiling as your walls, the ceiling height goes up because you can't see where one starts and the other one stops and the other starts. And so it's like, oh, no, I can't put color on my ceiling. But you really, really don't notice it. And the ceiling height will just go up. And I think I personally would decorate room by room. I mean, I always am very conscious of a flow through a house, but you don't have to use the same trim color through a house. You know, I just would play to, you know, the advantages of whatever that room is giving you, basically.

[Grace Beaulieu Hunt]

Well, thank you all so much for coming out. Thank you to our amazing panelists. Thank you to the Mayflower and to Farrow and Ball. Thank you, guys. Enjoy the day.

[Ariel Okun]

That's a wrap for this week's episode of Talk Shop. Thank you for listening. We'll be back next week with more thoughtful discussions and amazing guests. Make sure you follow on Apple podcasts and on Spotify. So you never miss an episode. And of course, follow me at Ariel Oaken. See you next week.