Farron and Ball paint

[SunshineHQ]

AIBU to be confused by Farron and Ball paints?

Are they any good? And if they are good, are they better enough to be worth the extra cost versus say Dulux or Homebase own brand.

It seems to be a real status symbol to say that all your paintwork is F&B, which is the sort of thing that would put me off. But if there is a good technical reason, they happy to give it a try.

The only reason decorators dislike it is because it is thinner and 'splatters' a lot more than other paint.

The finish is miles better than other brands, though.

However, I think crowne paint is very good and I painted all my white walls in crowne (goes on an absolute dream and doesn't spatter) and then did accenting/bits and pieces in Farrow and Ball.

A "downpipe" painted wall looks amazing with artwork hung on it. And "elephants breath" is popular for a reason.

It's expensive but unless you're painting you're whole house in it, it's fairly reasonable.

It is pants.

Painters charge extra to use it. Poor finish

Nothing wrong with a F&B. Zoffany is much easier worked with.

I would love to see a blind paint test done with F&B and some cheaper brands. It's such a status symbol it's hard to say if the colours and finish are actually better or if it's confirmation bias.

I've used Little Green - a wider choice of colours and lovely finish.

Dumde, the paint finish is different. Although I know it's hard to believe some things are better than others when people do desperately want to put it down.

I have numerous different paint finishes in my house and love a bargain. I never buy brands and take pride in not getting sucked into marketing shit and snobby consumerism. I also worked with colours for years in a professional sence.

My farrow and ball walls are just more beautiful. I suspect some of the other premium brands have also managed to create beautiful colours with depth and texture.

Lots of people just don't notice or care about colour that much so they might as well buy crown.

(Never buy brands = always check for cheaper alternative and 99% of the time buy the cheaper)

I much prefer Little Greene, partly because the assistants in my local F&B shop were right snooty cows.

Our local paint shop make up the f&b colours but use Leyland (I think) it's probably not even legal . But the guys in the shop know their stuff.

The colours are great, but the finish is awful

We had our whole house painted in it, but had to redecorate a year later, because every time you brushed past a wall, put something near a wall, carried a suitcase down stairs, or did any sort of normal living, it left an obvious scuff mark

When we got the decorators back, we could see how much they were biting their tongue to not say 'I told you so'.

We had it re-done in Dulux and it still looked great 4 years later.

I've decorated a couple of rooms in my house with F&B paint and have never felt the need to go around telling anyone in real life about it. It's just paint - each to their own!

JKR, where does anyone on this thread go around telling people about their farrow and ball walls😂 Same as you we are just replying to the OPs question.

Just thought I'd add - my dad works in the building trade and he has chosen to decorate his own house with F&B paints so from a professional point of view he doesn't seem to have an issue with using it.

A good friend is a painter/decorater/interior designer/furniture restorer. She loves F&B. But does rate the Dulux as a decent 2nd choice. The f & b names are bloody ridiculous though.

I've done my own decorating in two houses in the last few years since the 'no emissions' rules came in for paint (2011 or 2013 I think?)
In that time we used dulux, valspar, farrow and ball and paint and paper library depending on what colour/area of the house it was.
I like paint and paper library best, but their colours are limited.
F&b good for adult rooms who will take care, as marks/scuffs are horrendous to remove. In our guest room there were huge moisturised hand streaks from one person that I just could not get out.
I really wanted to like valspar but it keeps chipping off (both walls and skirting) revealing the previous paint colour. Not a matter of preparation as other brands have not done this with the same underneath.
Dulux good for high use areas.

Every decorator I've ever had curses about using it but, as pps have said it has a different finish and a depth of colour the bog standard brands don't have. I think part of the problem is it doesn't go on easily with a roller. When I have done my own painting I always use a brush and find it goes on very well that way.

The only other paint I have liked as much is the Laura Ashley range - and it wouldn't surprise me if that was made by F&B as they are so similar.

They do scuff though so I have part of my stairs painted in eggshell rather than emulsion so it wipes off. The main part I did in bog standard white under the dado rail and F& above it which worked well.

Or a new Northern comedy duo...

I think there's a niche for Lib Dem style Northern stand up.

'A Jew, a black man and an Irishman walk into a bar....

What a fantastic example of a well integrated multiracial, multinational community.

But I really think the Farrow and Ball paint is emperor's new clothes, 'ooh look of the depth of colour' well yes, because you've had to lather on about six coats.'

Absolute worst paint I've ever used is crown solo. It was like painting with soup.

I actually worked at the farrow & ball factory aged 23, making the paint tin labels!!

The colours are great but I alway get it mixed in a trade Matt finish paint, exact same colour and finish for a 1/4 the price tag.

It's a status thing, very pathetic. I am not a fan of the chalky look either so I was never going to be a customer.

I like F&B but it is a bugger to work with.

Laura Ashley paint is great, as is Johnstone's trade though the colours are limited.

F&B is nice but I wouldn't use in high traffic areas. Defo recommend Little Greene too. Used the Mylands (for first time) marble matt in toddlers room & love it.