Farrow and Ball paint: is it that much better?

[ToughButterCup]

A whisper in my ear about  Farrow and Ball  paint  being better than all the rest....  

 

Is it?

It's 'ouch-that-hurt' more expensive than the competition......

[Stones]

Depends how you define better...depth of colour, chalkiness, colour range, coverage etc

[Construction Channel]

Every decorator I know hates the stuff. I have never understood why anyone would want to pay so much for the name on a paint can. The decorator we currently use uses a dulux alternative iirc and he said it’s better in almost every way. 

[jack]

Exactly the same from the guy who did our decorating. The colours can be matched by many other paints. The "chalkiness" obviously isn't there, but apparently it's a nightmare, because the moment you touch, scuff, or wash it, you get a patch that looks different from the rest.

[Stones]

Chalkiness was the only 'positive' difference I could see, but that's only relevant if that is a primary requirement of your colour / decor scheme. Even then, I wouldn't have been able to justify the price premium.

[divorcingjack]

Leyland trade have the F&B colour codes and will match EXACTLY. The whole of our last house was in knock-off F&B and looked great. They do an ultra-matt finish as well, which although not quite as chalky as true F&B, has no shine to it whatsoever. 

 

[Construction Channel]

I think F&B is one of the only paints allowed for use on listed/ heritage work. Which is why they can charge what they like. But between you and me. Our old decorator used to keep one can just for this purpose. He just kept filling it up with cheaper, easier to use alternatives. 

[lizzie]

In my previous house the entire place was decorated in F&B. Its not only the chalkiness its the depth of pigment and how the colours change in the light you are paying for. The copies cannot match it in any way, at one point I tried the copies in Johnstone and Dulux no-one who knows would mistake it for true F&B.

 

Decorators universally hate it because it needs more care and coats to get an even finish.

 

In my new house I am going for Dulux Trade Ulramatt tinted to my preferred shade....not a F&B copy colour. Having had F&B in all its glory I said never again. It is a nightmare to keep looking perfect and I am a perfectionist so every little mark drove me nuts and cost me fortunes in redecoration. We are a 2 adult household no kids so didnt have any real wear and tear but still every little mark shows.

 

If you want F&B in a wipeable finish go for the modern emulsion not the flat estate emulsion.  It was not for me its the hint of shine in the modern I dislike I want the flattest  flat matt.

 

One F&B product I would and will use in preference to main stream paints is their eggshell for wood.  Its brilliant.

 

Nice alternative to F&B if you want to pay the premium for designer paint that is a bit more robust is Little Green. I love Craig and Rose paint but its even more difficult than F&B to keep perfect.

 

Join the million discussion boards on Mumsnet about F&B and the pros and cons and the best copy colours. Hours of fun!

 

 

 

 

[Ian]

3 hours ago, recoveringacademic said:

A whisper in my ear about  Farrow and Ball  paint  being better than all the rest....  

 

Is it?

It's 'ouch-that-hurt' more expensive than the competition......

We did one large double height feature wall in matt F&B and it was okay although it marks a lot compared to all the other walls which we did with matt Dulux 'Endurance'....and yes, the F&B is v expensive.

 

The paint that impressed me the most however in terms of ease of use was Dulux water based "Satinwood" in a mid sheen for all the (pre-primed) skirting boards and architraves. It was so much easier to use than traditional oil based gloss paints and brushes wash out cleanly in warm soapy water.

Edited January 24, 2018 by Ian

[Temp]

Our kitchen cabinets were painted with F&B 10 years ago. The area behind the handle on the fridge started to wear away very quickly. I would hope they have improved since. 

[MikeSharp01]

We have used F&B before and don't now because it is just the pain described above. For my part I have recently been amazed by how good the Dulux weathershield 6 coat system is - which although needing 6 coats is a joy to work with, two of sealer, two of undercoat and two topcoat. It is not cheap but it goes one very well, covers very well, has a six year guarantee and is available in any colour!

 

[Ferdinand]

In the past I have colour marched Farrow and Ball at Johnstones Decorating Centre .. adqeuate For a non-magnolia requirement for a renovation.

 

 Now I would still do the colour match (though the names of whites have now reached psychedelia .. my latest was Natural Calico, which is nothing like natural calcico), but it could have been about 40 names all of which are nearly the same off-white with an x tint.

 

But I seem to have detected quite some variation in mixed paint prices. I think Valspar looks promising.

 

ONe key req for me is now that paints be sprayable.

 

Edited January 26, 2018 by Ferdinand

[lizzie]

Natural Calico was my go to colour for all my rentals. Its a great colour, one of the expensive dulux heritage colours with some fancy white name is in fact the exact same colour mix as natural calico.....as told to me by brewers decorators merchants. 

Never tried any spray paint always used the old fashioned way with rollers and brushes.

 

Have you registered at local Dulux decorator centre. Great trade prices and Nectar points and when they run their special promotions you often find 20% off vouchers available....and they deliver the paint to you free of charge.

 

With the trade discounts, nectar points and the money off vouchers way cheaper than B&Q valspar and much better paint too. Plus proper vat receipt for reclaim.

Edited January 26, 2018 by lizzie
post before finished

[Nickfromwales]

3 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

But I seem to have detected quite some variation in mixed paint prices. I think Valspar looks promising.

Have they sorted the issue with it smelling awful ( cat pee ) after application ?

[Ferdinand]

39 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Have they sorted the issue with it smelling awful ( cat pee ) after application ?

 

I believe so.

 

But of course they would take it back.

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, lizzie said:

Natural Calico was my go to colour for all my rentals. Its a great colour, one of the expensive dulux heritage colours with some fancy white name is in fact the exact same colour mix as natural calico.....as told to me by brewers decorators merchants. 

Never tried any spray paint always used the old fashioned way with rollers and brushes.

 

Have you registered at local Dulux decorator centre. Great trade prices and Nectar points and when they run their special promotions you often find 20% off vouchers available....and they deliver the paint to you free of charge.

 

With the trade discounts, nectar points and the money off vouchers way cheaper than B&Q valspar and much better paint too. Plus proper vat receipt for reclaim.

 

EVery time and I try a use Dulux I end up swearing that I will never again touch them with a bargepole. 

 

THat also happened this time, since they said it would spray and it didn't not do.

 

The White I chose ... fairly sure it was Natural Calico - was chosen as it was in  all the ranges (easycase, kitchen, bathroom, scrubbable etc) but also part of the limited range that were half price at Wickes (beat Dulux centre prices with an egg whisk).

 

But in the end it would not spray so we ended up with 6-7 days of rollering rather than 1 day of spraying. SO it is back to the bargepole....

 

Ferdinand

[lizzie]

14 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

EVery time and I try a use Dulux I end up swearing that I will never again touch them with a bargepole. 

 

THat also happened this time, since they said it would spray and it didn't not do.

 

The White I chose ... fairly sure it was Natural Calico - was chosen as it was in  all the ranges (easycase, kitchen, bathroom, scrubbable etc) but also part of the limited range that were half price at Wickes (beat Dulux centre prices with an egg whisk).

 

But in the end it would not spray so we ended up with 6-7 days of rollering rather than 1 day of spraying. SO it is back to the bargepole....

 

Ferdinand

Ah thats a pain you need a thin paint for spraying presumably so you have to add water if its a thicker paint. Have you tried the Brewers own brand trade - Albany I think it is called. Have used it as a misting base layer on the new plaster as it was really good value on offer. Must have a got a very good deal from our Dulux  centre on my mixed colour top coat it was cheaper by far than anyone else. TBH I think Valspar is not a great paint having tried it in one of my rentals I would need the bargepole for it.

[Ferdinand]

3 hours ago, lizzie said:

Ah thats a pain you need a thin paint for spraying presumably so you have to add water if its a thicker paint. Have you tried the Brewers own brand trade - Albany I think it is called. Have used it as a misting base layer on the new plaster as it was really good value on offer. Must have a got a very good deal from our Dulux  centre on my mixed colour top coat it was cheaper by far than anyone else. TBH I think Valspar is not a great paint having tried it in one of my rentals I would need the bargepole for it.

 

It is quite a tricky issue, and there us a thread somewhere about airless paint spray information and advice. This is airless not air-driven.

 

You cannot just dilute and spray, but when you get the right setup you can spray 150sqm to 200sqm per hour of wall. For new plaster or a renovate full skim, that is transformative of efficiency.

 

Leyland Trade Contract worked fine, but by the time I was into finish Coates I had £150 of wrong stuff.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Ferdinand

[lizzie]

oh dear

[jamiehamy]

We've used F&B for the whole house. I've been painting for years, as has my father for years longer than me. We are both agreed - it's a much better paint to apply. In terms of finish its vastly superior to anything Duluz or Valspar can offer. It' quite inexplicable. We have 3 walls in the main living room Ammonite which we thought would go well in the bathroom wall. Looks a totally different colour when applied in the bathroom. The Dimpse in the entrance changes with the light during the day. The Peignoir in the other living room wall you would swear is a different colour to the same paint in the dining area. It's bizarre, it's probably unscientific but in my opinion, it's worth it. We have a Valspar paint on the kitchen and it's pretty much the same colour no matter when. It has no depth or character. And the F&B eggshell for the skirting and door frames? Best paint I've ever used, goes on like a dream and looks lovely. You may get colour matches but that's only one dimension of the whole equation. 

[jamiehamy]

. 

[Ferdinand]

4 hours ago, lizzie said:

oh dear

 

Yep. You always lose some .. and I lost this aspect of this one.OTOH I if fix the issue it is a considerable time saver or quality adder next time, which is worth having.

 

Ferdinand

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, jamiehamy said:

. 

 

Potential solutions

 

1 Fewer worms.

2 Larger can.

 

F

[Cresswelle]

I’ve used graham and brown recently and it’s lovely paint. I preferred it to f & b

[PeterW]

Still swear by Wickes even though had a can of the Tough and Washable white go “off” when it was left. Coverage is very good too, two coats over Super Leytex on all new plastered walls.