Paintbrushes at the ready: Farrow & Ball launches new paint shades for 2018 including hot pink, denim blue and the richest red yet

Popular British paint brand Farrow & Ball has launched its first new colours in two years.

The nine autumnal shades range from a hot exotic pink and a deep burgundy red to an earthy denim blue and a soft off-white.

On sale in shops and online from today, the colours are inspired by culture, history and heritage.

Paean Black, a red-based Georgian black, nods to the colour of old leather hymnals, while the muted Sulking Room Pink evokes the colours used in boudoirs, named after the French 'bouder', meaning 'to sulk'.

Baroque-style Preference Red is the company's richest red yet, sober green Bancha takes its name from Japanese tea leaves and the cheery pink Rangwali is inspired by the powder thrown with joy at India's Holi Festival of Colours.

Joa Studholme, Farrow & Ball's colour curator, explained that the creation of new colours starts in "at a kitchen table with paint-filled ramekins which are constantly mixed and remixed for weeks".

"Our new hues tend to fall into three very broad brackets," she said. "The first is trend-led colours that feel relevant and will nourish the contemporary home. Jitney is a wonderful example of this, with brown-based tones that mark the move away from cooler greys.

"The second is existing shades that might need a very slight tweak for today's market — Sulking Room Pink is an updated take on Smoked Trout, for example.

"Finally, some of our most popular hues just beg to have lighter or darker accents, such as School House white which is the lightest colour in the contemporary neutral group."

Made in Dorset, Farrow & Ball’s paints are eco-friendly, don’t smell of chemicals and are water-based, meaning they can be easily applied before drying in just two hours.

The richly-pigmented colours are designed to sit well alone or as part of a carefully considered complementary colour scheme.

They also respond brilliantly to varying light conditions, making them a longstanding favourite of interior designers.

London-based interior designer Katharine Pooley is a big fan and recently used classic shade Mouse's Back to redecorate the shepherd's hut in her garden.

"These new colours play into the modern neutral and pink trends," she said.

"School House White would be lovely for bedrooms and bathrooms, but for those who prefer more colour, I'd opt for Sulking Room Pink and add coordinating accessories such as throws.

"I also like the blue shade De Nimes, which would work well in a country-style kitchen when used to paint the cabinets and shelving."

Sophie Paterson, an interior designer working in London and Surrey, is most drawn to Preference Red, Sulking Room Pink and sandy neutral Jitney.

"Designers across the industry, regardless of their aesthetic, are embracing more colour, and these strong but usable warm caramel tones and berry hues are perfect," she says.

"My personal favourite is Jitney, which I would combine with contrasting bright white detailing on architrave, skirting and or even stucco moulding to make the colour really pop."

The new paints will replace nine existing Farrow & Ball shades to retain the brand's signature 132-colour palette.

The colours retiring from the colour chart but still available to buy from the archive collection are: Clunch, Archive, Smoked Trout, Book Room Red, Yellow Cake, Ringwold Ground, Tunsgate Green, Drawing Room Blue and Black Blue.