There are so many decisions when it comes to selecting paint. Not only what color do you go with, but what finish works best for your home, and then what brand do I go with? Do you go with whatever is available at your hardware store? Do you go to a mid-level paint brand like Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams, do you go with any of the new direct-to-consumer online paint companies or do you splurge and go high-end with Farrow & Ball. During our home renovation, we had to take all of the walls down to the studs and then get fresh new walls put up. It was very time-consuming and expensive! Having to do all of that work meant that I didn’t want to scrimp when it came to the paint. I wanted a paint brand that had amazing depth in its color, excellent coverage, durability, and if possible zero paint smell. A unicorn in the paint world? Some might think so, but Farrow & Ball checks off all of those boxes!

Is Farrow & Ball Paint Worth It?

Farrow & Ball is a UK-based company that makes the dreamiest paint. They create water-based, eco-friendly paint in an array of finishes. For our house, we went with their Modern Emulsion finish because it’s washable and wipeable. As a mom of two spirited boys that don’t always pay attention to walls when dragging their backpacks upstairs, this was totally needed in my home. It uses high-quality minerals and strong binders to create a finish that is scratch and scuff-resistant! What makes it even more unique is that typically wipeable paint finishes have a higher sheen to them. The Modern Emulsion finish is a matte finish that helps the depth of the colors really come through!

What originally drew me to the brand was their paint color selection. The brand has been around since the early 1940s and their color options are timeless! They do an amazing job of creating paint colors that would be at home in an 18th-century estate and also work perfectly in any 21st century home. When we were looking for our new home I wanted something from the early 1900s. That didn’t happen! Our home was built in 1947 and I jumped for joy finding out it was before the 1950s and not too new for my liking! Even though the house needed a complete overall I still wanted it to look like an older home with all of the charm and character. So, selecting paint colors from a company that prides itself on timeless colors that would have worked in Downtown Abbey but also look chic in the current day was a big win!

I bet you are wondering why oh why does the paint cost so much? It’s around $120 a gallon compared to the $30 a gallon you would pay at a home improvement store and then $50-$80 a gallon you would pay at Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams.

Here is why:

-Higher pigmentation rate. It has 30% pigmentation that other paint brands

-Real pigment versus Synthetic pigment. Cheaper paint brands use synthetic pigment which doesn’t have as much depth or subtle undertones as a real pigment. You are left with one-dimensional paint colors that can fall flat. 

-No plastic filler: Cheaper paints use plastic filler. F&B uses china clay, chalk, and titanium dioxide.  

-Eco-friendly, LOW VOC, and the majority of their paint lines are vegan. 

Why do some painters dislike F&B?

Well, it’s simple. It’s more work to apply it. In order to get the awesome color depth and finish you need to use F&B primer and then two coats of F&B paint. If you have a very rich and dark color you might even need 3 coats. In the long run, it is worth it to the homeowner to have the proper finish done, but for painters, it can take more time and a cheaper paint could get the job done faster. Don’t even get me started on paint and primers in one. I hate them! I once used a brand that is very popular in home improvement stores and their primer in one paint took me 7 coats to get it actually looking good. Never again!

Do I think Farrow & Ball is worth it?

Honestly, yes and for me, it’s all about the beautiful colors. It was so simple to pick out the colors for my own home. I ordered sample pots, two different colors per room and within 30 mins I quickly made the decision. It was like having an interior designer like myself already do the work for you. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the colors! The fact that the components of the paint are higher quality, Low voc, etc is just icing on the cake!