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Original poster

Farrow & Ball - worth it?

89 replies

Noimaginationforaun · 27/08/2023 16:25

Is Farrow and Ball worth the price point or is it better to just colour match a colour if you particularly love it? I’ve bought a couple of their books and I’m really loving them as I’m pretty clueless about where to start!

DH and I have just moved into our forever home with our LO. Our last house was very much a doer-upper. We did what we could with a very limited budget and we also knew we were going to move. Basically, we never decorated for us and more for what was on offer/what is neutral to be pleasant enough.

Anyway, now we are in our forever home and have been lucky enough to have some equity and inheritance behind us. For the first time ever, we want to actually take our time decorating and decorate for us and not just because we need everything doing as quick and as cheap as possible but equally we don’t want to waste money when it’s not worth it! We are trying to go with a ‘happy to spend the money when it’s for something that’s actually going to last’ kind of mindset!

OP posts:
StSwithinsDay · 27/08/2023 16:32

We have used F & B and also Little Greene. Very happy with both.

Original poster
Noimaginationforaun · 27/08/2023 16:39

StSwithinsDay · 27/08/2023 16:32

We have used F & B and also Little Greene. Very happy with both.

Ooo thank you! Have ordered the Little Greene colour card!

OP posts:
Saschka · 27/08/2023 16:41

My painter/decorator says no - apparently it is very watery and takes about a million coats! He asked me to get a F&B tester, and get it colour-matched with Dulux. DM says the same, it doesn’t cover well. She used it on one of her bedroom walls and it needed about 4 coats.

Nice colours though.

Rachaelrachael · 27/08/2023 16:45

I think it's worth it! I find the pigment is 'strong' and covers really well. Also find the F&B paints change shade slightly as the sun moves throughout the day

SpamFrittersYouSay · 27/08/2023 16:50

I've heard a few times now of decorators suggesting colour matching F&B paints as they're a bit too thin... hence costlier as more paint needed.

breezehead · 27/08/2023 16:50

100 percent worth it. We had several rooms painted with colour-matched paint because we didn't believe there was a difference; but one room we had painted with genuine F&B because we couldn't match the colour. The difference was huge. The way the F&B paint changed in the light throughout the day was remarkable—the paint seemed alive, while the colour-matched rooms were dead. I gradually got the colour-matched rooms redone in genuine F&B and love them. I know I sound like an advert but honestly, spend the money if you have it.

gogomoto · 27/08/2023 16:54

Paints don't vary that much whatever the brands say. I'm a veteran of full renovations and I found trade paint fine if they have the colour you want if not I've bought whatever was on special offer in the colour I wanted. My front door is f&b and to be honest I was disappointed that it needed 3 coats, I've never done more than 2 on wood before (but i liked the colour and it was on special offer!)

Money no object I would probably just use a dulux decorating centre, though I'm opting for good old magnolia for current project

Julen7 · 27/08/2023 16:55

My decorator says F&B is the worst for application and coverage

jazzyfips · 27/08/2023 16:55

another Little Greene fan here. Excellent range and great coverage. Some really nice wallpapers too.

Enthusedeggplant · 27/08/2023 16:56

If you have old walls and want as flat as possible then it’s worth every penny! I tried the colour match and I looked white side by side. Incidentally F and B is thick not at all watery and I have found it covers well.

StSwithinsDay · 27/08/2023 16:59

My painter/decorator says no - apparently it is very watery and takes about a million coats

We did ours in 2 coats.

Polkadotfleece · 27/08/2023 17:00

We had farrow and ball for lounge and found it great for coverage and looks great

Okaydonkey · 27/08/2023 17:00

No, the colours are lovely. But they are not worth it at all. I had a room painted 5 times with one colour, after the F&B undercoat and it was still patchy.
The customer service was appalling, as in non existent.
So I had spend £200+ on paint and then got the colour matched for £40 and repainted the room. Looked perfect. It was a professional decorator as well, who I have used before with great results.

I now always get colours matched.

Tattyhabits · 27/08/2023 17:03

My DH always persuaded me against F & B on grounds of cost, but whilst results with alternative paint were ok (I haven't tried Little Greene yet), I didn't get the same rush of satisfaction that I used to with F & B. Probably all completely in my head of course, but I think if I'm going to go to all the effort of redecorating and I can afford it, then it's worth the extra money. I ignored his protests last time and bought F&B Caulk Green for our entrance hall and even he agrees it's bloody lovely Wink

pamshortsbrokenbothherlegs · 27/08/2023 17:03

Decorators don't love using F&B because yes, the texture is watery and it often means more coats ie labour required. However, that "watery" texture is the reason F&B is so beloved - it creates a beautiful chalky finish that can't easily be replicated in cheaper formulations.

So yes, the colours are gorgeous but can be replicated by colour matching with cheaper brands, but the overall depth of colour, finish and changeable quality of the shades is special because that's due to the formula. Whether it's "worth it" depends entirely on where you want to use it and budget.

I'm a designer and usually specify projects using F&B, but often we value engineer down to colour-matching down the line! In my own home, I use a mix.

Snittle · 27/08/2023 17:04

Very surprised at the posts here. We do all our own painting and only buy F&B because it’s been the easiest (by far) we have found to paint with. I’ve not tried the online brands like Lick or Little Greene but hear they’re also good.

I also don’t think the colour matches are anywhere near as good as the depth of colour you get with the original… I got suckered by buying a house that already had F&B and now have slowly redecorated with it.

caramacyears · 27/08/2023 17:05

gogomoto · 27/08/2023 16:54

Paints don't vary that much whatever the brands say. I'm a veteran of full renovations and I found trade paint fine if they have the colour you want if not I've bought whatever was on special offer in the colour I wanted. My front door is f&b and to be honest I was disappointed that it needed 3 coats, I've never done more than 2 on wood before (but i liked the colour and it was on special offer!)

Money no object I would probably just use a dulux decorating centre, though I'm opting for good old magnolia for current project

Magnolia never fails. A warm neutral background makes it so easy to change colour schemes over time (One time designer)

upsidedownandturnaround · 27/08/2023 17:05

I don't think so, it looks beautiful but it chips really easily which would put me off using again

WobblyLondoner · 27/08/2023 17:09

Snittle · 27/08/2023 17:04

Very surprised at the posts here. We do all our own painting and only buy F&B because it’s been the easiest (by far) we have found to paint with. I’ve not tried the online brands like Lick or Little Greene but hear they’re also good.

I also don’t think the colour matches are anywhere near as good as the depth of colour you get with the original… I got suckered by buying a house that already had F&B and now have slowly redecorated with it.

Another fan here. I think it has a depth of colour that you do not get with reproductions of the same colour. We paint our walls ourselves (ie not hiring someone) and F&B has the added advantage of smelling gorgeous - none of that horrible smell you get afterwards with many other paints.

Mountainsandlakes · 27/08/2023 17:10

We've always colours matched. A neighbour did her external woodwork with F & B. It took loads of coats and really wasn't worth it.

Here's what the professionals think:

www.thedecoratorsforum.com/professional-decorators-review-farrow-and-ball-emulsion/

Elodie09 · 27/08/2023 17:13

My husband does our painting and really rates the paint as he always gets a great result with it.
I love their shades so much and agree with others that it changes during the day more than other brands. Such a lovely, soft sort of" chalky "finish on the walls.
If you can afford it I think it is really worth it. Ooh, just remembered , we painted our naff pine fireplace surround in a black from F & B, took 3 coats but it was fab when finished and lasted really well.

BeCuriousNotJudgemental · 27/08/2023 17:34

upsidedownandturnaround · 27/08/2023 17:05

I don't think so, it looks beautiful but it chips really easily which would put me off using again

Agree! Had many rooms done 18 months ago and so very many marks on walls after just a few months - gorgeous depth of colour but already looks like it’s years old. Our decorator did two coats.

Touching marks up were a nightmare, didn’t blend in - I won’t use again despite the so very lovely colour !

FuzzyPuffling · 27/08/2023 17:39

Little Greene and Mylands are streets ahead in the coverage/quality stakes, but F&B colours are more "grungy" if that's the effect you are after.

confusedlots · 27/08/2023 17:42

I don't think it's worth it, we have colour matched F&B colours in 2 of our rooms and they look great!

Lightningrain · 27/08/2023 17:49

I think it’s better than Dulux for application but it marks easily and you can’t touch it up without it appearing obvious.

The best of both worlds IMO is Crown colour match. It’s much better quality than Dulux, you can touch up any marks and I get the scrubbable so it’s easy to clean. The difference isn’t noticeable to most people compared to F&B (I have F&B in a couple of low traffic parts of the house and others have said they can’t see the difference in the finish between that and the Crown). I don’t think I’d get F&B again as it’s not worth the cost for me.