Living room paint recommendations

[PantaloonMad]

I want my living room painted and chose a dulux colour.

I sent the paint I thought I wanted to use to my painter decorator and he’s said it’s rubbish paint, needs lots of coats and is not durable.

https://www.dulux.co.uk/en/products/dulux-matt/cccId_1915110?size=2.5L

has anyone got any recommendations for reasonably priced but good quality paints? I’ve never done any decorating before (first home)

Does the decorator have a preferred paint? Many of them do.

Dulux is perfectly fine in the trade version, so this is likely just preference. If you want Dulux, just go to Brewers or somewhere like that and get it mixed. The version in B&Q etc is a bit crappy, but serviceable enough.

I’ve mostly used ordinary Dulux and not had any problems with it. I suppose it depends on how much wear and tear your walls are going to get, and whether you will be redecorating quite often. Go for the trade one if you like, but it is more expensive especially if you want a mixed colour - a 5 litre tin, which you would probably need to put two coats on a normal sized living room, will cost you £90 vs about £65 for the non-trade version.

I understand that Johnstone’s paint is the decorator’s choice.

Ask him what paint he likes to use and get it colour matched. We usually go to Johnstone's but one decorator preferred one of the B&Q paints

Get another decorator?

Absolutely this. I go to the Johnstone's Decorator Centre & they have all the brands' codes. They'll advise which paint is good for your needs.

They are also the best match for Farrow & Ball (exact in my opinion) but waaaaay more durable, if F&B is your thing and much less £££

My decorator prefers dulux.. l used to buy Johnstone.. just had my bedroom painted.. hall/ stairs and spare bedroom on Monday.
I do suppose it depends on decorator and the finish on your walls. My bedrooms blown vinyl and hall just plaster.
Photos enclosed.
Lovely finish. Dulux Macaroon mint..

Johnstone paint is absolute shit. Our decorator insisted upon Johnson's white paint and it went cream within 18 months. I had to have it done again. I think a lot of paint places give decorators credit on Johnson's paint so the decorator can use it then pay for it at end of month after they have been paid. That was why our first decorator insisted upon it.

Leyland is also a trade choice to use

Farrow and Ball is expensive but the finish is so worth it. And needs fewer coats.

We used that exact paint a while ago. The issue is not Dulux but the matt finish. It is a bit flaky and chips easily. You could colour match it with Johnstone's. Or try the same colour in eggshell or silk finish if they have those.

Or go for B&Q's GoodHome range - the paint goes on really beautifully. Tijuana is a lovely neutral - a bit lighter than your choice but a good colour. And they have other similar beige neutrals, like Cancun. Worth a look.

For the higher end paints I massively rate Paint & Paper Library. Way better than Farrow & Ball. Gorgeous colours and the paint is like whipped cream. Really thick and easy to apply.

I honestly never find this to be true. Have used it a couple of times. It's very streaky, needs several coats and chips easily. And the colours are no nicer than other, less expensive brands, though they do stay stable for years. I've had cheaper paints mixed for me that change colour as they age.

The best paint ever imo is Paint & Paper Library. It's what I expected F&B to be like.

We used dulux trade colour matched to F&B's India yellow. It was pretty good and went on well. B&Q's paint is awful and literally peeled off the wall!

I disagree. We used Farrow and Ball at our last-but-one house (which was quite large with lots of huge rooms so we got through tons of paint!) - everything from Setting Plaster through India Yellow to Brinjal. The colours are lovely, but the coverage is not great, imo, and in a lot of cases (the darker colours, especially, so Brinjal and Inchyra Blue for starters) need at least three coats. However, we've used F&B Green Smoke exterior eggshell on the doors/windows at two houses and had no issues with this finish.

Because we like the colours and the chalky finish (and haven't had success with colour matching), we've stuck with F&B in a couple of rooms in our current house - Yeabridge Green and De Nimes. But, having experimented a bit with Little Greene at our last house, we're using more of that and our new favourite brand Edward Bulmer which is £££ but goes on like an absolute dream.

We've got this very paint in that colour in our living room and I bloody love it. We did the painting ourselves and don't agree that it doesn't give good coverage etc. It was absolutely fine. I've cleaned it by the doorway where it was getting marks where people came in and brushed against the wall, it has cleaned up okay and seems acceptably durable? We have only put two coats on and it has not chipped or worn.

It's up to you what paint you use in your house. If that's what you want, why shouldn't you have it? You're paying for it!

I recently bought paint and wanted a normal Dulux colour that you get in B&Q, but I found the tester paint seemed really thin and watery - whereas I loved the thickness and opacity of Dulux Heritage velvet matt paint (which you can't get at B&Q). I ended up ordering the Dulux Heritage paint but colour matched to the normal Dulux colour that I liked https://www.decoratingcentreonline.co.uk/products/dulux-heritage-matt-emulsion-colours

It's a bit more expensive than regular Dulux (£72 for 5 litres, compared with the £42 in your link) but cheaper than Dulux Trade Diamond Matt, which is the other option I looked at. It went on really well and looks lovely - perhaps an option to ask your decorator about?

Why don't you try painting a room yourself with the paint that you want and see how it looks after a year?

How old is the property?
ie.. if old go for breathable paint
in which case
earthborn
or farrow and ball
expensive though

Absolutely agree. I think the exact opposite, that you need MORE coats. I did my bedroom in Stiffkey Blue- which I love- and it took 3 coats & i can still see the odd area I'm not delighted about.

Did the bathroom recently & got Dropcloth colour matched in Johnstones to their amazing bathroom paint. Delighted.

I do love F& B colours, but there are many more just as lovely. Like PP have said, look at Dulux Heritage, Paint & Paper Library and Lick (went on a DREAM last year in my porch).

Must look at Edward Bulmer now too.

Oh, & my front door has been in Little Green for 5 years- Scotland, so takes a battering- and it's been fabulous.

How did you find the coverage with Little Green on joinery
and
can you see the stroke marks on completion

Ive been thinking about using them for a while but still unsure

apologies for gatecrashing OP

Order a paint chary from Cotswold Hue. Great paint.

Coverage was excellent, it went a long way. So much so, I had enough in the pot to rub down & recoat 2 years later. I used the oil based paint & the same colour undercoat, also oil but not gloss.

I suppose you can see a few brush-marks, not many, but I have an old, original door, so it doesn't matter so much (part of the character?). I used decent quality brushes, but perhaps for next time I'll buy their brushes & see if that means no brush marks at all.

I'll use the brand again for sure when I next need to do the door.

I love Coat Paint. I've used it many times and would use it again. The coverage is incredible. I paint rooms myself with a sprayer and I'm always impressed with the quality.

Definitely sounds like they’re worth a try then
Thanks