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Holly Cockburn

Farrow & Ball's Scallop is the ultimate pink shade for a kitchen – here's why it's about to become the next 'it' paint colour

Farrow & Ball scallop in a kitchen.

Farrow & Ball's paint shades have become famous in their own right. Many of the instantly recognisable shade names have heritage roots and have been firm favourites for many years now, but there are a few new entries that are becoming just as popular - Scallop being one of them.

The soft, pale pink hue is quickly taking the reins from Farrow & Balls' Setting Plaster and Sulking Room Pink, and its perfect home is in our kitchens.

Light pink shades have recently become somewhat of a neutral, used for drenching walls and cabinetry in a kitchen to add warmth and a subtle wash of colour. I've asked the experts exactly how to use this new shade in a kitchen and how to style it for a stylish and inviting cooking space.

Farrow & Ball Estate Scallop Matt Emulsion Paint 2.5L

A softer, more muted sister shade to Farrow & Ball's Dead Salmon, this versatile neutral shade with pink undertones is what everyone's talking about.

'Farrow & Ball's Scallop is popular because it’s the perfect neutral – subtle, warm, creamy, and ideal for a base,' explains Michael Rolland, paint expert and managing director at The Paint Shed.

Scallop comes into its own in a kitchen. Light, bright, and inviting is always the aim for a cooking space, and scallop bounces light around the room for a spacious atmosphere regardless of the size of your kitchen.

'Scallop is the perfect neutral for a kitchen colour scheme, especially one with plenty of light. Colour-drenched, this ballet-slipper pink brings cohesion to a kitchen, especially when used alongside gentle, easygoing shades and prints,' Michael adds.

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

We often see kitchens drenched in pale pink, and Scallop is the perfect shade to try this look out with. If you've felt unsure about trying out pink, opting for a pale shade will ease you in.

'Scallop is incredibly versatile. It can be used as the main event and flooded over walls, but it can be just as powerful as an added detail. On doors, window frames, or wooden furniture, it provides the perfect touch of the genteel,' Michael adds.

Using Scallop on kitchen walls will create warmth while allowing you to keep cabinets more neutral, creating a balanced look that is spacious, light enhancing yet still visually interesting.

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

Pale pink hues like Scallop are really easy to pair with a number of different shades. Neutral colour palettes are an obvious choice, while tonal shades of burgundy and red will be right on trend for 2026.

'If you’re looking for something less earthy than the perennially popular, Scallop delivers in spades, it’s gentle enough to read overly pink and dirty enough not to co me across to saccharine. See it as a pink-flecked neutral,' explains Paddy O’Donnell, Farrow & Ball's global brand ambassador.

'As with many pinks, it loves being paired with stronger colours such as browns (think Broccoli Brown), Khaki greens (Dibber) or dirty grey-ish blues like de Nimes. This pale pink happily marries with colour families but if you ant something pale and soft, try with the simplest All White for a delicious fresh look or for something bolder, team with the burnt orange Marmelo as an accent,' he recommends.

How to style Scallop in a kitchen

As Paddy explained, there are so many complementary colours to pair with Scallop, depending on your taste and intended look. Cream and brass accessories will look especially bright next to Scallop, whereas richer colours will create a more dramatic effect.

Our Place's latest colour launch, Vanilla Bean, is the perfect fit next to Scallop. Keep on show on a hob for maximum effect.

These tonal mugs will bring out the pink hues of Scallop while adding depth.

Prop wooden chopping boards up against a worktop or open shelving to complement the earthy undertones of Scallop.

Farrow & Ball has a mastermind ability to create the 'it' shades that feature in the most stylish homes - these 3 Farrow & Ball colours that are best used in small kitchens will provide plenty of inspiration for your next project.

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Our Place Perfect Pot - Vanilla Bean La Redoute Set of 2 Sintra Mugs in Reactive Glazed Stoneware Amazon Piklohas Large Wooden Chopping Board Set
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