Renowned for its versatile palette of heritage hues, Farrow & Ball has long been the go-to destination for those in pursuit of the perfect paint color. While every shade in their extensive library has its charm, a select few ‘hero’ tones are particularly well-suited to small living rooms.
When it comes to standard living room color ideas, the choices can feel endless – but for more compact spaces, a handful of shades truly shine. Whether you’re styling a narrow lounge or an open-plan layout that seamlessly merges your kitchen with your living area, these designer-approved Farrow & Ball colors elevate architecture and make the most of every square foot.
The Best Farrow & Ball Paints For a Small Living Room
1. Jitney
Jitney gives this narrow living room a warm and inviting feel, gently enriching the space without overwhelming it.
(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)
A neutral living room might sound a little boring, but Farrow & Ball’s Jitney, a warm taupe-meets-brown, couldn’t be further from bland. While many of us are moving away from classic neutrals for this year’s living room color trends, if you’re looking to keep things simple and relaxed but want to move away from using white as a neutral, Jitney is a refreshingly richer shade that’s perfect for creating a timeless scheme in 2026.
While brown might not be an obvious 2026 color trend, Patrick O’Donnell, Brand Ambassador at Farrow & Ball, explains, ‘Browns as a color family are making a comeback and will make a beautiful, elegant statement in any room, but especially smaller rooms. Often, they add warmth and work effortlessly with pinks, greens, and blues.’
Deep enough to enrich yet pale enough not to overwhelm, Jitney brings unbeatable warmth to a small living room, providing the perfect canvas for richer pops of color in decor and furniture. Patrick adds, ‘Earth tones offer comfort and gentle warmth without creating an overpowering statement – ultimately creating a tranquil space, and Jitney is the perfect example of a mid-earth shade.’
2. Joa’s White
The perfect cream, Joa’s White provides warmth and gentle saturation in this country living room, contrastingly beautifully with the stark white ceiling.
(Image credit: Malcolm Menzie)
Undeniably one of the best cream paints on the market, Joa’s White is a classic off-white color with taupe undertones. A versatile color, it’s a shade that brings an openness to small living rooms, without straying into the overly clinical or sterile.
Interior designer Polly Ashman used the long-loved cream in a recent project. She explains, ‘This is a north-facing living room, so we didn’t want anything too heavy or cold. We wanted to keep it light and inviting and let the art, fabrics and accessories do the talking.’
While white undeniably makes smaller spaces feel larger, a cream living room is remarkably warmer and more inviting. Polly adds, ‘Joa’s White is a lovely warm neutral that is a great choice for a smaller living room as it doesn’t take over the space, it lifts the room and allows you to layer on top with either stronger colors or earthy neutrals.’
3. Setting Plaster
Setting Plaster gently enriches this small living room, providing warmth and softness that only adds to the room’s lived-in charm.
(Image credit: Poets Corner / Richard Oxford)
Loved for its softness, you’ve likely heard of Setting Plaster. A Farrow & Ball color that bridges the gap between light and warm, it’s a gentle pink that works beautifully for a neutral scheme. Able to cocoon and still uplift, it’s the perfect color for elevating and adding an inviting warmth to a small space.
Sarah Limbert, founder of Poets Corner Interiors, explains, ‘We chose Setting Plaster because we wanted the room to feel both light and fresh during the day, yet warm and cocooning in the evening, a space that could transition beautifully from morning coffee to relaxed nights in.’
Unlike bright pinks, which can feel feminine, small living rooms decorated with plaster tones feel comforting and serene. Sarah continues, ‘Setting Plaster is exceptionally well-suited to small living rooms. I often describe it as an elevated neutral as it carries more personality than beige or off-white, yet remains incredibly versatile. It never feels cold or flat, but equally, it avoids the heaviness that can sometimes make compact spaces feel smaller.’
There are colors you should never paint a small living room and colors you should, and these three timeless Farrow & Ball shades definitely fall into the latter. Neutral yet still warm and interesting, they are perfect for enriching a small space with quiet vibrancy, designed to work alongside any interior design style.
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