Ths Side of the Pond

Few things make me happier than crossovers between my culture and yours, but this week’s combo is the most bizarre I’ve seen in a while. It involves house paint, spellings and the nation’s favorite sketch show – oh, and a newspaper, because all good things need to involve newspapers.

The paint in question is a luxury brand called Farrow & Ball, which hails from my home county of Dorset and has been churning out wall coverings since 1946 that are based on historic archives and the natural world.

It’s not for the budget decorator, let’s just say. The brand works with prestigious British organiza...