To describe Farrow & Ball as a paint manufacturer is to call Hermès a maker of handbags. With the subtle touch of a luxury label, the British company has recast a common household item as a status symbol; its products’ names are whispered with almost religious reverence. Mole’s Breath. Purbeck Stone. De Nimes. I’ve used them all, but the last is a personal favorite, a Regency blue so called for Nîmes, France, the city where denim was invented. Color, as the F&B faithful know, is the house signature, so it made sense when creative director Charlotte Crosby reached out to fashion designer Christopher John Rogers for the line’s second guest collaboration. Rogers, an exuberant, unapologetic colorist, worked with the Dorset-based brand for a year and a half to develop a collection titled Carte Blanche that channels the gusto of his Louisiana upbringing. You won’t have a hard time identifying his 12 shades and three wallpapers. Just pay close attention to the names on the fan deck. Roasted Macadamia. Pea Flower Tea. Raw Tomatillo. Here, he answers our signature Creative Questionnaire.
How do you prepare yourself to be creative?
By trying to relax into it. Creativity isn’t something you can force. I also think just being open to the next inspirational thing in real time is paramount. Taking it in, and pulling it out when the time feels right.
What time of day do you prefer to work, and what one element is necessary to your process?
I’m usually really productive in the morning. I love to get all of my priority work done between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. I usually need alone time to think.
What place is most conducive for working?
My office—with the door closed!
What do you most often do to procrastinate?
Make jokes with my team, watch old fashion shows that I used to be obsessed with, or RuPaul’s Drag Race conspiracy theories on YouTube.
Who’s your favorite collaborator?
It changes all the time. We’re currently in the process of decorating our conference room in our Au Lait and Macadamia Stripe paper from the collaboration, and I can’t stop thinking about how effortless this collaboration with Farrow & Ball was. Charlotte has been an amazing teammate on this, and I think we’ve brought out the best in each other in the process!
Charlotte Crosby and Christopher John Rogers
What have you learned from a failure?
I’ve learned to trust my instincts and voice my opinion when I feel that something is wrong or could be better. If you do the thing you want to do, you can be happy that you went for it regardless of the outcome.
It’s said that genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. What is that ratio like for you?
For me it’s 25 percent inspiration and 75 percent perspiration. Hard work (and clever work) is important, but if you have something novel and sincere to say, that’s even better.
This story appears in the October 2023 issue of Town & Country under the headline “Forget Everything You Think You Know About Paint.” SUBSCRIBE NOW