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How it reads
Light Blue No. 22 is one of Farrow & Ball's oldest colours. The brand says this silvery blue got its name because it was the lightest blue in its first collection of colours, and that it becomes a little more silver in tone when used in shaded areas.
It is less a sky blue than a soft blue-grey with a hint of green. Farrow & Ball names School House White as its complementary white, which keeps the pairing gentle and traditional.
What Light Blue is
Light Blue is a heritage Farrow & Ball colour. The brand says it was named because it was the lightest blue in its first collection, and calls it a silvery blue.
It is a soft blue-grey rather than a clear blue, and colour writers consistently note a hint of green in it.
How it behaves in light
Farrow & Ball says it becomes a little more silver in tone in shaded areas. Kaitlin Madden finds that cooler light emphasises its gray side, while warmth brings out the green and blue notes.
Cathy of The Grit and Polish describes it as more silver in interior halls and artificial light, and bluer in strong daylight. Real Homes says it will lift darker rooms, especially north-facing ones.
Where to use it
The Anja Michals Design rooms on this page are bedrooms: a cosy, wrapped space with patterned textiles, where Light Blue reads soft and quiet rather than bright.
Its silvery quality suits bedrooms and halls, where the mood should stay calm whatever the light.
What it sits next to
Farrow & Ball's complementary white is School House White No. 291. The brand also shows it with Blackened, and with deeper partners such as Mouse's Back and Hague Blue.
Parma Gray is the usual comparison: crisper, cooler and less green, per Kaitlin Madden. On this site, compare it with Kittiwake and De Nimes.
Compare
Settled, side by side
Questions
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