Yes, for most people Farrow & Ball is worth it, provided you choose the right finish for the room and use it as intended. The colours have a depth and a way of changing with the light that is hard to find elsewhere, and the flat finishes are genuinely beautiful. Where people are sometimes disappointed is when a soft, chalky emulsion goes into a busy hallway, or when the primer step is skipped.
We stock Farrow & Ball and mix it to order every day, alongside Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library. That gives us a fairly clear view of where it earns its price, where another paint might suit you better, and how to get the most from every tin.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Inchyra Blue (289)
Where it shines
The first thing is colour. Farrow & Ball describe their paint as packed with quality minerals, coverage-enhancing pigments and resin, and the result is colour that seems to move with the day. Inchyra Blue (289) is a good example: a deep blue-grey that can read as more blue, more grey or even green depending on the light.
The second is finish. Estate Emulsion is a soft, chalky matt with a 2% sheen that gently masks small imperfections in plaster. It is the look most people have in mind when they ask for the brand by name.
The third is the system around the colour. Each shade has a recommended primer and undercoat in a matching tone and a suggested complementary white, which takes a good deal of guesswork out of a scheme. Farrow & Ball also state that all of their paint goes through twelve quality checks before it leaves their manufacturing site.
Where it falls short
No paint is right for everything, and it is fairer to say so plainly.
- The chalkiest finish is the gentlest. Estate Emulsion is designed for low-traffic walls and ceilings. In a hallway or a family kitchen, one of the tougher finishes is the better choice.
- It works best as a system. Farrow & Ball recommend one coat of primer and undercoat followed by two topcoats. That is an extra product and an extra coat compared with a self-priming paint.
- The colours are sensitive to light. It is part of their charm, but it means a colour chosen from a screen or a showroom can surprise you at home. Always try a sample pot on the wall first.
Best finishes for value
Choosing the right finish is the simplest way to make the spend worthwhile.
- Modern Emulsion (7% sheen). Farrow & Ball describe it as washable and protected against mould. Our pick for kitchens, bathrooms and busy rooms.
- Dead Flat (2% sheen). Washable and suitable for walls, woodwork and metal, so one tin can cover walls and skirting in the same colour and finish.
- Flat Eggshell (20% sheen). Rated Class 1 scrubbable by Farrow & Ball, it has replaced their Estate Eggshell for woodwork, cabinetry and furniture.
- Estate Emulsion (2% sheen). Keep it for bedrooms, sitting rooms and dining rooms, where its softness can be enjoyed rather than tested.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: India Yellow (66)
Colour matching reality
It is common to be offered a Farrow & Ball colour matched in another brand's paint, and it is easy to see the appeal. The difficulty is that a match is built from different pigments. Farrow & Ball point out that a match can look very close in one light, then shift under another, such as artificial light in the evening, because the balance of pigments is not the same. They also adjust each formula for its finish, as sheen always affects how a colour appears.
So if the colour you love is India Yellow (66) or Setting Plaster (231), we would always recommend the genuine paint. It is the only way to be sure the wall looks like the sample you fell for.
When to choose something else
Sometimes the better answer is a different brand altogether, chosen for its own colours and strengths rather than as a stand-in.
- For furniture, laminate and tricky surfaces, Little Greene's Intelligent range has the primer built into the paint and goes onto melamine, uPVC and tiles. Our guide to painting IKEA furniture shows how.
- For hard-working walls in a flat look, Paint & Paper Library's Architects' Matt is self-priming and washable, and suitable inside and out.
- For tonal schemes, Paint & Paper Library's Architectural Colours come in families numbered I to V by strength, so walls, woodwork and ceiling can be graduated shades of the same colour.
Photo Credit: Paint & Paper Library; Colour Used: Deep Water Green (599)
Questions we are often asked
Do I really need the Farrow & Ball primer?
Farrow & Ball recommend it for the best finish and depth of colour, and each colour has a suggested primer tone. On a deep colour such as Hague Blue (30), they recommend their Dark Tones primer and undercoat.
How many coats will I need?
Two topcoats over primer is the recommendation, though a very strong colour change can need more.
Is Estate Emulsion washable?
It is intended for low-traffic rooms. If walls need regular cleaning, choose Modern Emulsion or Dead Flat instead.
