Fort Thomas Resident Now Selling Gorgeous Paint & Paper From Across the Pond

Fort Thomas resident Thomas Jackson in front of his Farrow & Ball display at his storefront, Bloodline Merchants.

Last year we wrote about Thomas Jackson, who recently moved with his family from England to Fort Thomas, KY. With him he brought enough antiques to fill a 4,600-square-foot shop across the river in his storefront, Bloodline Merchants (4855 Eastern Ave.). 

The store has been the go-to source for folks interested in unique, reasonably priced antiques, many of which are found at the Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair, held every two months northwest of London, and the Lincolnshire Antiques & Home Show in the East Midlands. Recently, Jackson has begun offering a new product from across the pond: Farrow & Ball paint and paper.

The next closest Farrow & Ball stockist is in Chicago.

Made in Dorset, England, since 1946, this richly pigmented paint and handcrafted wall paper has long been coveted for interiors, exteriors and small projects. And until now, the closest stockist to those living in northern Kentucky and Cincinnati was Chicago. But today, Fort Thomas homeowners can browse paint samples and books filled with pages of wallpaper designs in person. 

The paint responds dramatically to light ...

... and is richly pigmented.

Farrow & Ball's water-based paint comes in 132 colors. It's low odor, thoroughly tested and responds dramatically to different light. As the day progresses, and light shifts, fires are lit or bulbs are turned on, varying undertones show up adding complexity to a project or room. The handcrafted wallpaper is made with Farrow & Ball's paint, using traditional printing methods. 

A book of paper samples at Bloodline Merchants.

The experience of choosing and purchasing a Farrow & Ball paint color or paper is quite different from that of a can picked up at the local big-box home store. A trip to Bloodline Merchants often involves a cup or coffee or tea, and a conversation in a leather Chesterfield armchair. Customers can browse color cards in person, rearranging them to see what colors match, and how they respond to different types of light. Large books filled with wallpaper samples are available to browse as well. Once a customer narrows down their choices, small containers of paint samples can be purchased for further consideration. 

Farrow & Ball in a room.

Farrow & Ball paper is handcrafted using Farrow & Ball paint.

The paper is often used for smaller projects, too.

During a recent trip to Bloodline, customers came in expressing their delight that the Farrow & Ball paper and paint line was finally available in a storefront close to home. Professional painters who have spent years working on the interiors and exteriors of high-end homes have been flocking to the store. And while some people buy the paint to transform a room, Jackson says smaller projects have proved just as impactful. He spoke of a customer's front door and another's stool. Carefully chosen color can dramatically improve a space.

This is an advertisement. 

Jackson has entered into several other collaborations and partnerships, including one with tailor Trevor Furbay Bespoke Tailors, located in Mariemont, Ohio. Jackson has provided Furbay with Bloodline Merchants furnishings, which Furbay uses to display clothing and accessories. The furnishings can be purchased at the tailor's location. Furbay's counter was recently painted with Bloodline Merchants-sourced Farrow & Ball paint, in high-gloss Hague Blue.

Like the furnishings, the paint and paper is the perfect complement to historical and modern homes alike, such as those found throughout Fort Thomas. To learn more about Farrow & Ball, view the paint and paper in rooms, and to see videos of how it's made, visit here. You can find Bloodline Merchants online here and here.