Farrow And Ball Shop Review

Where is it?

270 Deansgate

Manchester

M3 4JB

www.farrow-ball.com

History:

Established over 60 years ago in the south coast of England, John Farrow and Richard Ball have established a reputation for being 'the last remaining traditional paint and wallpaper manufacturers in Britain.' Their success has welcomed the opening of showrooms in Paris, Milan, LA and New York, followed by their most recently opened store in Manchester.

What do they sell?

Farrow and Ball pride themselves on producing traditional and historical wallpaper and paints with an ethical conscience.  It could be said that their ethical stance has something to do with their high prices. The Farrow and Ball paint uses natural ingredients such as linseed oil and China clay, and their wallpaper is made using environmentally friendly water based paints.

Who shops there?

There's no denying the collection luxurious quality, so anybody who can afford to pay the price tag will do. You can’t however help but feel the popularity of the stores lies with middle-aged housewives and their disposable incomes. With wallpaper retailing at around £65 per roll, it's definitely not for the faint hearted. Test pots of paint are available at a cheaper price of £3.50 per pot, so it's worth testing before committing to the full price. Although Farrow and Ball provide a vast array of colours, the price alone can be quite off putting and that’s without mentioning the comical colour descriptions. Personal favourites include 'arsenic', 'dead salmon', and 'Charlottes lock' - none of which show any relevance to what the colour may actually be.

Why shop there?

For those fed up with the twenty shades of white paint at B&Q, Farrow and Ball provides a larger selection of colours in both wallpaper and paints. The paints are a much higher quality than high street brands ensuring that less is more. The paints are also less toxic due to their natural ingredients.

Future:

No other retailer in Manchester can promise the high quality service that Farrow and Ball can offer. The showroom alone provides enough information and inspiration needed to decorate even the smallest of apartments.

Verdict:

A much needed addition to Deansgate, and a great alternative to the generically named paints other retailers have to offer. And even if it is above budget, it’s a worthy trip for inspiration alone.