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Original poster

Farrow & Ball colour consultation

34 replies

AlwaysBizzy · 08/02/2013 11:22

I was considering using this service after recieving some direct marketing from F&B, I didn't realise they charged £175 for the service though.

Has anyone used this? If so, was it worth the price?

I'm looking to paint my hallway & I'm trying to branch out from white. In the past I've used Fired Earch paints alot as they do good off whites such as passion flower....any tips?

OP posts:

Flatbread · 08/02/2013 11:27

I personally wouldn't pay. In the past I have called F&B and gotten free advice. I usually call 3 different times and go with the advice of the person who sounds most eclerienced.

But then, I am not into colourful walls. I think walls should be in different shades of white.

Blue, green and grey are fine for shutters, but not as primary room colours, IMO.

Original poster

AlwaysBizzy · 08/02/2013 11:32

So I'm not alone in prefering white in different tones for walls. I've spent a fortune on tester pots but I always come back to white.
There is a bit of an overhead with white though, in having to touch up...I'm expecing that this will be even more the case with the hallway.
As the walls are being re-plastered I'll do a few coates in plain white anyway to soak into the new plaster...and then I'll take it from there.

OP posts:

FellatioNels0n · 08/02/2013 11:32

I don't think it's necessary really. They have an advice thing on their website where they tell you which of their 'white' shades work with which of their colour shades, and as for the rest, well knowing whether a room needs warmth, light, or can handle 'cool' or dark colour is down to analysing the light at different times of day, where it comes from etc, what you use the room for and the kind of atmostphere you are trying to create, and you can do that yourself with a bit of thought and research and googling.

Flatbread · 08/02/2013 12:08

True, touching-up is a bit of a pain. Especially in the hallway and kitchen. I find magic erasures quite effective.

Deux · 08/02/2013 17:51

I got great advice from Farrow and Ball over the phone regarding paint colours.

It helped narrow down my options.

noddyholder · 08/02/2013 19:56

Fired earth better paint

Yfronts · 10/02/2013 18:08

little green is much better paint.

LittleFrieda · 10/02/2013 20:09

LOL at someone telling you over the phone what colour to paint your room. .

Can you photograph the hallway concerned and tell us which way it faces (ie where the light comes from into the room)?

It sounds as though you've decided to paint your hall white, so why not buy tester pots in 6 F&B white shades that you think might be suitable and then see if you like them on your wall?

Flatbread · 10/02/2013 20:15

Well, there are hardly that many unique houses. For example, if you have a Georgian living room with windows facing south and west. Well, chances are the F&B specialist on the phone has seen a room like that and can advise.

LittleFrieda · 10/02/2013 20:21

Flatbread - but they can't see your lighting, your furniture, whether the ceilings are high or low (not all Georgian houses have the same size windows and the same height ceilings). And they don't know what you like.

LittleFrieda · 10/02/2013 20:24

Flatbread - and everyone's house should be unique. Though I can see that this might cease to be the case if we all accept advice over the phone about how to decorate our rooms.

RFLmum · 10/02/2013 20:26

Slipper satin is the only colour in the f&b range (its a cream basically!) that goes with every other colour in the f&b range. Just saying

SpringyReframed · 10/02/2013 20:26

I'd like to know which white to put with Lulworth blue in a south facing room and had no idea about this number so will call! Thanks for starting the topic OP

Flatbread · 10/02/2013 20:32

Agree that in some cases it might be worth paying for a colour consultation.

But how do you know that the consultant is good? And can provide value over and beyond the advice you can get with photos in a showroom or a chat on the phone?

fay001 · 01/06/2013 14:59

I have just used this service and found it invaluable. This was largely because the house is a 3 storey period building, open plan on the top floor with large expanse of bare stone, which on grey days is quite gloomy..lovely on sunny days. The open plan, while great in many ways has at times made co ordinating living kitchen and dining areas a challenge, this leads down wide stairs to a very large hallway.Another set of stairs leads to lower floor and smaller hall with bedrooms off. Overall the house was looking 'bitty'. The consultant comes with larger individual colour samples, which makes seeing the sometimes quite small differences shade more apparent. In this case a 3 colour palette (ceiling, walls and paint) was chosen for top floor and staying in the same "family " of colours changes were made on the next floor...and the stairs leading to bottom floor and smaller hallway. The bedrooms were treated slightly differently, but the finished palette looked very cohesive. 8 rooms were covered and there was time to look at front door and garage. This was a 2 hour consultation, but given the scale of the task..with the cost of decorators and paint (deep breath! ) I consider it a good investment..though I was a bit nervous initially as the cost did seem a bit steep and with no discount off the huge quantity of paint needed. We have started with the top ceiling and it is already a huge improvement and reflects the character of the building so much better. Those with an eye for colour would perhaps not need this service. For those not so sure I can recommend it.

Pannacotta · 01/06/2013 16:22

I think you are better off finding a local interior person who will come to your house and offer advice on colours for far less.
I also agree that F Earth and L Greene are better paints, though the FB colour range is pretty good.

goosemum · 06/05/2014 20:41

Hi, I know this thread is dead but as I often end up reading dead threads, for what it's worth I just spent 1 1/2 hours with a farrow and ball colour consultant and thought it was excellent. I'm normally pretty confident with colour but she pushed me from my comfort zone, and made suggestions I would never have thought of but totally work. She also managed to cover 8 rooms in that time- they work by the hour not the room. Im not sure it would have been such good value for 1 room only just walls but we found if really helpful.

Beaverfeaver2 · 07/05/2014 10:34

Ooooh, what colours have you gone for?

Magdalen78 · 23/02/2016 21:23

I have recently had a colour consultancy by Farrow and Ball for my lounge. I had it painted today and it's awful. I do feel incredibly disappointed as it cost me £195 as well as the paint and decorator fee. I have now lost faith in painting the other 3 rooms that were advised at the same time.
Has anybody else had a similar experience and complained?

BinaryFinary · 23/02/2016 23:23

What colour have you used? Have you seen it in daylight? What is it about it that you don't like?

DeeLite · 24/02/2016 11:14

I used to be a huge F&B fan as they gave brilliant advice in-store and I used them each time I re-decorated so our old house was painted in various shades of F&B from top to bottom and inside and out. They used to ask me to bring in photos and carpet samples etc so they would have all the background info they needed to advise.

We're now doing up a new house and I went in for advice to the same person at the same F&B store and was really diappointed to find that she was really unhelpful and had no opinions or advice whatsoever e.g. we were going to have our kitchen units done in Stiffkey Blue and I was asking her what tones of white would work with it and what we should have in the hall etc. I couldn't understand why her attitude had changed so much until she pulled out a consultancy card and offered to come around and tell me what to do for £175 for an hour's work .

DH was so annoyed by this that he's found a similar shade by Little Greene (Hicks Blue if anyone's interested) so we're going to do the whole house in Little Greene to spite F&B for being so unhelpful.

But, to answer your question, I think the advice would be good. Their consultants are brilliant but I was just too annoyed that the advice I used to get for free is no longer on offer.

Thanks OP for giving me the opportunity to get this off my chest .

ChocHaloTop · 23/10/2022 06:13

I know this is a zombie thread but am thinking of using this service and wondered if anyone has had it more recently and can provide a view? Also, do you have to go on and use F&B paint following the consultation, or could you take the colour suggestions and match them to a cheaper alternative brand? I can't see how they could tie you in to further purchases but interested to know how it works.

Ihavekids · 23/10/2022 11:34

I used it recently and found it valuable. Consultant came up with ideas that I wouldn't have and the whole house worked together. They were able to advise how much paint would be needed and what types etc. I was clueless so found this helpful. Obviously only worth it if you have the money to spare. I'd recommend, although I do get mocked for doing it 😉

Ihavekids · 23/10/2022 11:36

Sorry meant to say it doesn't tie you into any purchases but they can send your order straight to a store if you want. I colour matched a few of the whiter colors to save but the deeper colors I'd definitely recommend using f&b, they really are beautiful on the walls.

pashmina696 · 23/10/2022 16:00

I also used it recently and did it online for one hour, covered 5 rooms - i ordered the paint myself from brewers. Worth every penny!

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