F&B paint - worth it?

[Mintae]

I’ve been told I might end up needing double the amount of paint I think I need. Is this typically true in your experience? Would rather go for the real deal than a copy because I worry it won’t be quite the same.

I think yes but it isn't a cheap option. Amount you need will vary depending on what you're painting over, type of paint etc. so I can't comment on that but our decorators love it. You'll need to factor in undercoat as well.

That said, IMO Little Greene is just as good (also not exactly cheap though!)

Thanks. Any view on Johnstones or Crown versions?

I think the Johnstone's copies are excellent, as is their paint. Just be sure you know what finish you want, F&B have two (modern and flat matte), whereas Johnstone's have many (eg vinyl matte scrubbable, regular emulsion etc).

I've just gone over some dark walls with both, the Johnstone's copy coverage was better than F&B (which needed three coats vs Johnstone's 2).

You could use a Johnstones colour-match for the first coat and F&B for the top coat. But personally I am happy with colour match.

No. Decorators dislike it. I think it's overpriced.
Little Greene is expensive but excellent quality and lovely to paint with.

Benjamin Moore is fab, but you can only buy massive testers. We’ve used little greene, F&b etc and it’s a much nicer paint.

We got Valspar that can mix the same colour for you. Not cheap but cheaper than F&B

I haven't had actual F&B paint so not sure of the quality but they have some nice colours

I still really like it, have it throughout.

I think the pigmentation in F&B is great, and I have found it quite easy to paint with - not as easy as Dulux, but got good results. Have needed two coats though, whereas can often get away with one with Dulux, Johnstones etc.

I used Little Greene in one room and it was awful - love the colours but poor coverage, took three coats and went on streaky as hell even with a LOT of care and effort - still doesn't look great but i can't afford another two tins for a fourth coat! Also, unlike all other paints I've used (cheap and expensive), you can't do touch ups with it - a patch I put over a picture hook hole in the wrong place sticks out like a sore thumb.

It’s the matt chalky finish and subdued effect that I reckon is worth it

I prefer it tbh.

I think it is worth it yes. It reacts to light like no other paint Ive seen and the colours are just so lovely.

I have a mix of beautiful soft neutral shades (Amonite, Cornforth White, Skimming Stone and Just White) and I love watching them change throughout the day, as the light alters.

A word of warning though, the flat matt finish is a nightmare to maintain so you’ll be touching up a lot.

I did a 19ft 6 x 12.6ft bedroom one wall has a huge patio door and window so not much to paint as it sounds in Wevet. I needed 10 litres and 3 coats. Also did undercoat. Expensive project but it looks beautiful, you can tell the difference when I look at my other rooms done in Dulux the dulux looks cheap compared to it. It also changes in the light, I love it. I would use it again even though it ended up so pricey. I used the modern emulsion.

I was told by a very experienced pro that touching up F&B flat Matt was next to impossible- you’d be able to see the areas you’d touched up. He said it really needs to be applied using the wet edge technique- ie bloody hard work.

I agree that the depth of colour is hard to beat though. Did a living room in mouses back and it was stunning, but two coats only just about did it with lots of care. My mum referred to it as mouses gone which made us all laugh.

Been using Johnston’s colour matched recently and it’s easier to work with, slightly better coverage for a given amount.

100% yes. I don’t find it any more difficult to paint with than other brands, and I’d always give walls two coats anyway.

I think you can absolutely tell the difference between Valspar matching and the real deal. I have been using De Nimes recently and I searched the hashtag on Instagram and noticed the difference between the two instantly. I’m sure Valspar colour matched paint is only about £15 cheaper as well, not enough to be worth it in my opinion.

For the total flat chalky look, Johnstone's new Matt vinyl is brilliant

I absolutely think it’s worth it. I’ve not experienced the coverage problems described above, but I’ve mainly used some of their lighter colours over white/ cream etc so that might explain it.

When you see a few of their colours next to each other you can see just how much effort F&B put into developing their range, as they all work together. To be honest, that’s what makes me a little reluctant to colour match. So many people on this forum get all excited about saving a few pounds by colour matching, which I do understand, but if we all did that, how could a company like F&B possibly survive long term?

Everyone always posts decorators hate it but this has not been my experience at all. Even I didn't find it difficult to paint with when I did my own painting.

Plus unless you are going to buy Little Greene or similar, nothing else is going to look remotely like it.

Agree with other people on this thread. F&B looks stunning, unlike any other paint. It's a pleasure to paint with and doesn't need more coats than other paints BUT (and it's a huge but) it marks really easily and you can't touch it up properly.

I love f&b paint. My house is really old (1700s) and it just looks beautiful on the old plaster. It covers lumps and bumps and is so easy to touch up if needed. I saw someone say earlier that it is impossible to do this but I do it all the time as I have the chalk finish and two little kids running up and down hallways and putting mucky marks everywhere. I would say prep work is important. Always white wash if using a light colour. People make the mistake of not doing this and having to do more than two coats. The only time I’ve ever had to do more coats was when I didn’t whitewash it before changing colour. Cost me a fortune as I had to do 4 coats! I don’t use f&b undercoat mind, I just use a basic white emulsion. I now just give it a once over with a fresh coat when I need to

I love F&B colours, but the quality is surprisingly disappointing and it's not very durable or wipeable.

If you can find a Dulux or crown in a colour you love you should go with that, however you may find you just can't get the exact shade without turning to F&B.

I've done my living room with Farrow and Ball modern emulsion. It's very easy to wipe clean and maintain even though it's a high traffic area with lots of little sticky dirty fingers touching it daily. So easy in fact that I'm now doing my hall/stairs and landing in the same finish.
I'm very pleased with the quality of finish and it really doesn't work out hugely more expensive than a decent brand colour match.

My favourite brand is Zoffany.
But I’ve rooms painted in Zoffany, dulux, f&b, little Greene - I think you should go with a colour you love or goes with your scheme rather than worrying too much about the brand.

This is what F&B do so well though - aside from the marketing, and the genuine quality of the colours - it's the edit, the fact you aren't faced with the impossibility of choosing from a zillion colours. Last time my mum did some decorating she told me wonderingly about the paint company she'd found which had 1500 colours and promptly painted her dining room and bathroom in completely different but equally horrible shades. Makes me want to weep every time I visit.

But with F&B, and to a lesser extent the other upmarket paint brands, they've done the selection for you. So it's safe. How badly wrong can you really go with whichever shade of greige you pick out from the F&B chart? I say that with F&B all over the walls in my house obviously.

We have it in our Hall and Kitchen and DH reckons it goes on well but we chose the modern emulsion as it has a slight sheen so more wipeable. It was a good compromise as we got the colour we wanted and it was easier to keep clean than the very matt finish