Can You Colour Match Farrow & Ball Paint?

Colour matching is where a colour from another source is replicated in paint as closely as possible. 

This could be taken from wallpapers, fabrics or other materials, but very often, a paint colour - such as one from Farrow & Ball - will be requested to be replicated in a different paint brand. 

There are a few reasons why people may choose to colour match a paint colour, including looking for a cheaper alternative to the original paint. 

But can you actually match a colour and is that even the only question to ask?

Discover Farrow & Ball Colours>>

Some colour matches are better than others, but the reality is, none of them will be exactly right under every light. 

Colour matched paint can sometimes look similar to Farrow & Ball under one kind of light, for example daylight, but because they’ve used a different balance of pigments, the colour will shift under another. 

As a result, when you turn your lights on in the evening, the colour looks totally different. 

The imitations will pale in comparison. Similar to recreating a recipe using inferior ingredients in different quantities, it simply won’t be the same.

At Farrow & Ball, they only use the finest ingredients, richest pigments and refined recipes, spending up to 18 months perfecting every new colour that is created. 

It’s months of craft. 

But even in their colour-rich paint, less than 8% of a tin is the colour. 

So, it’s important to pay just as much attention to the other 92% of materials. 

The minerals, binders, resin and other ingredients creates the performance, depth and unique, extraordinary response to light. 

The way F&B shades evolve with their surroundings, becoming bespoke to you, but always unmistakably Farrow & Ball. 

Another reason why a colour match will look different to the original, is finish. 

Colour and finish go hand in hand because sheen affects colour: the same shade in gloss can look very different in matt.

That’s why F&B specifically adjust the formula for every finish to make sure the balance is exactly right and you get the colour you were expecting. 

Their colours and finishes are formulated together, so you simply can’t have one without the other.

As colour connoisseurs, Farrow & Ball know that there’s more to paint than the colour — how the paint is made, and how it performs matters just as much. 

They handcraft all their paint in Dorset, England, with 100% renewable energy, zero waste to landfill and a fully audited, ethical supply chain. 

The paint bases we use for in-can tinting in store are created with care at the Farrow & Ball factory in Dorset, England, and use exactly the same balance of high-quality ingredients as ready-mixed Farrow & Ball paints. 

These are then blended to order for you in store with a precise balance of pigments, which follow brand-secret recipes to create consistently beautiful colours every time.

The entire paint range is water based, low odour and rated A+ for indoor air quality. 

Plus, every emulsion finish is vegan friendly with the lowest possible VOC rating. 

They are a certified B Corp™ too. Other brands may try to recreate the F&B colours, but are they recreating their commitment to the planet?

Farrow & Ball are constantly refining their recipes and methods, striving for even better coverage, even longer-lasting results and even easier application. 

From ultra-matt, multi-surface Dead Flat to mould-protected Modern Emulsion for kitchens and bathrooms, there is a range of scrubbable paints that will stand up to scuffs, stains and even sticky fingers. 

Paint is tested again and again and again. The standards are so high, Farrow & Ball tests are twice as strict as the industry standard. 

So, colour matching might be close enough, but it will never be exactly the same and it will never match everything else that goes into Farrow & Ball paint including the commitment to quality, craft and sustainability. 

It's only Farrow & Ball, if it’s in a Farrow & Ball tin.

Shop Farrow & Ball online or in your local Brewers Decorator Centre.

Related

• A Deep Dive into Farrow & Ball Dead Flat®
• Farrow & Ball The Ultimate Guide
• Answering Your Questions With Farrow & Ball