Is Farrow and ball paint worth it?

[Hurraahhnaptime]

I'm starting to paint rooms in my house and looking at the Farrow and ball paint chart. Is this paint worth the extra cost? They talk about depth of colour and high pigment content. Sounds appealing but the cost! Or are other brands just as good? Has anyone found it cheaper anywhere?

[Afternooncatnap]

My p&d said not. He advised me to pick colour from f&b chart as they have the best range, then he had colour mixed up in a different make.

[NameChange30]

We did find the Earthborn colours looked a lot darker on the walls, so we bought millions of test pots (spent a fortune just on that!) and ended up going for the lighter shades.

[NameChange30]

"Anyone researched eco-paints?"

Yes my DH researched obsessively (for the same reasons as you; environment and health). We used Earthborn because it has good eco credentials but also has lovely colours and is relatively easy to get hold of (some paint shops stock it). There are other eco brands but they are available online only and I didn't like the colours as much.

We also used Little Greene when I wanted a very specific colour (LG have lots and lots of colours they can mix for you). The eco credentials aren't quite as good as Earthborn but still better than F&B and other more mainstream brands.

[Misslemon01]

Yes absolutely! The colours are much more subtle and consistent than say Dulux, and looks just gorgeous, especially in a period property

[Hurraahhnaptime]

I've decided after lots of research to go with an eco-friendly paint both thinking about the environment and our health. I read f&b is low VOC but similar eco-credentials to standard paint. Anyone researched eco-paints?

[NotMeNoNo]

I've used a few paints over the years. I really like F&B, little Greene, Dulux trade, Fired earth, Brewers Albany is not bad. I've had mixed results with Crown. The nastiest are cheap own brands and the Valspar from B&Q.

I think F&B Estate is a lovely velvety finish but isn't very durable and they don't claim it is. Most people won't spot the difference with a colour match unless it was side by side.

Also since F&B became a thing in the 90s all the other brands have improved their colors and neutrals massively.

We did out a whole house in F&B paints but it was was before we had DC or a dog!

[GaryBarlowsTaxReturn]

I would definitely go with f&b op. I never understand the claims that it's hard to use; it's just paint and it dries like a dream. In my house I've used dimity, downpipe, arsenic and babouche and they all look amazing still a few years on. The room I used Dulux in looks awful. I've most recently used little greene for the first time & for the cost (I think it's more expensive than f&b) the coverage is poorer than f&b). It's the first room we've needed to do 3 coats in.

[lizzieoak]

I painted Farrow and Ball Mouse’s Back (years ago - is that what the colour was called? A sort of mushroom colour) over billiard table green and it covered in one coat. I did 2, just to be sure, but it was impressive. 12 years later still looks great. And no paint stink either.

[MrBennOfFestiveRoad]

F&B modern emulsion is good in pale colours but not so in darker colours. We used a dark red colour modern emulsion, it's pretty shiny and shows up marks in the plaster that didn't notice with the matt paint that was there before. I wouldn't use it again, which is a pity because I love some of the dark blues but using the estate emulsion won't work with two small children.

[JW13]

@Hurraahhnaptime we use the Johnstones colour matching service and have been really pleased. Much cheaper and the finish is virtually identical. We tried it last year on the recommendation of a decorator - pavillion grey, plummett, brassica and callaluna - and all look great and have a lovely finish. Estate agents/builders all think its F&B. We’re now painting other rooms due to a re-wire and have gone for Johnstones again, although this time Little Greene colours as I prefer them to F&B. Again, the project manager has been astounded at how good they look and how well they’re going on the walls. If we hadn’t gone with Johnstones I’d have gone Little Greene over F&B.

[Orangebird69]

A friend of mine is a professional painter and decorater and loves it. Rates Dulux next if her clients don't want to fork out for F&B.

[PrimalLass]

I love the F&B finish and it is just not the same when colour matched.

I’d forgotten about Mylands so must give them a go.

[lashy]

Love it. No problems here and we've used lots of the estate emulsion throughout our home.
We've used the Modern Emulsion (Cornforth White) in our bathroom - the F&B website advised it as most suitable for rooms where moisture would be an issue. The finish is really good and I would say the 'sheen' is rather subtle.
It has been such good paint that I'm now considering using a Modern Emulsion to repaint our hall and stairs - it is currently Dulux Natural Hessian - a really lovely colour but some recent touch-ups stand out like a sore thumb and so wipe ability of the modern emulsion is really appealing!

[victoire1208]

Absolutely not. I often stare at the patchy, nothing like the swatch wall seething.

[Humptynumpty02]

I got Johnstones to mix me up a tin of Elephants Breath, it's was total rubbish, nowhere near the real colour and only cost a fiver less than the real thing. It's true what they say, buy cheap, but twice.

[Cocoloco75]

I love the F&B colours and constantly pore over the chart. I was concerned by many reviews complaining about needing several coats and marks, chips etc. So after reading a number of threads on decorator/diy forums, I decided to go to a johnstones decorating centre and got them to mix up my chosen f&b colours in their own paint, I think it was called coverplus vinyl matt which is wipeable.

They don't need a chart to copy from as they have all the f&b colour codes on their machine already (they mix their colours a lot!!!) so you just tell them what you want and they make it.

I am delighted with the results and the colours change with the differing light during the day or direction of each wall, just like the real stuff does and our decorator was happy with the coverage of the paint and only required 2 coats in all rooms.

I don't care if it's not the real F&B as it was cheaper (not massively to be fair but we were decorating nearly all of a 5 bed house so needed a lot of paint) and I love how our rooms have turned out and had lots of compliments on the colours.

[dontcallmelen]

I think F&B is over hyped, they have really good marketing little Greene is more durable, but I’m not keen on a lot of the colours.
The best paint for depth of colour, coverage & durability is Mylands it’s manufactured in London & the Matt paint is brilliant, it has crushed marble in it, so extremely hard wearing unlike F&B imo, price wise it’s on a par with F&B etc, You can buy it on line or through Brewers decorating centres, I throughly recommend it also decorators love it.

[MarshaBrady0]

I’d say modern emulsion in the kitchen and hallways / as you go up the stairs.

We did it in the last place and it worked well. About to start with new place now and choosing all the colours.

[LightastheBreeze]

We have modern emulsion in the kitchen, it is not too sheeny and does wipe, we are going to do the hall in the modern emulsion also as the kitchen paint looks nice

[Shadowboy]

We love it. Much more depth if colour and people do notice - we do get people commenting on the paint. It’s all classic colours that don’t date. However, its needs proper prep and application. It’s totally with it. Crown and Duluth always look brash in colour on walls.

[Humptynumpty02]

The sheen is definitely noticeable on the modern emulsion, it's not overly shiny though.

[NameChange30]

We have Earthborn Lifestyle and Little Greene Intelligent Matt (the durable, washable finishes from each brand) in our hall/stairs/landing and DS's room.

[Hurraahhnaptime]

I have a toddler so I live with lots of mess and marks!

[dietstartstomorrowok]

Estate Emulsion 5% sheen, Modern Emulsion 20% sheen I think. Both look very flat and chalky, which is what I want. Use Modern Emulsion everywhere. Does it mark? Depends how you live.....

[Humptynumpty02]

To those saying the finish is poor and it's difficult to paint, honestly can't be doing it correctly. I think it paints really easy and is very forgiving in that when it dries the finish is superb.

I totally agree however the estate emulsion can mark easily and its not wipeable so don't use it in high traffic areas like hallways etc. We've just used the modern emulsion in kids bedroom and not a single mark to date, wears well so far.

The best feature imo is the way it changes colour in different light, we have Hardwick White in a bedroom and it's green during the day when the sun is shining through and grey at night, it's mesmerising.