The brand
Farrow & Ball
The heritage paint house. 140 signature colours, 35ml sample pots from £10.30, and a finish that lifts a Yorkshire stone cottage as well as it lifts a London townhouse.
Farrow & Ball has been making traditional paint from Wimborne in Dorset since 1946. The range is 140 colours, each one mixed to a recipe that uses more pigment and a higher solids content than the mainstream trade brands. The finish is a low-sheen Estate Emulsion for walls, a tougher Modern Emulsion for kitchens and bathrooms, and a high-sheen Full Gloss for woodwork and metal. We stock the full F&B range in 35ml sample pots — perfect for trialling a colour on the wall of a stripped pine bedroom before committing to a 2.5L tin.
Most of our F&B work is on stripped pine — a freshly dipped door, a refurbished Edwardian fireplace, a kitchen table brought back from the brink. The trick is to seal the bare wood first (we use one coat of F&B Wood Primer & Undercoat, tinted to the top coat), then two coats of the chosen F&B finish. On previously painted wood, sand back to a sound surface and apply one coat of primer, then two top coats.
In the shop
Stocked at the workshop.
About the brand
Common questions.
Do Farrow & Ball sample pots come in all 140 colours?
Yes — every one of the 140 current Farrow & Ball colours is available as a 35ml sample pot. We keep the full range in stock at the workshop and ship next-day. The 35ml is enough for a 1m² test patch on a wall, or a single door.
What F&B finish should I use on a kitchen wall?
Modern Emulsion. It's a tougher, more washable finish than Estate Emulsion and is rated for kitchens and bathrooms. Estate Emulsion is the more traditional low-sheen finish for bedrooms, living rooms and ceilings, but it doesn't wipe clean as well.
Is Farrow & Ball worth the price over a trade emulsion?
Honest answer: depends on the colour. For the neutrals (Ammonite, Cornforth White, Slipper Satin) the trade equivalents from Crown or Little Greene are 60% of the price and look 95% as good. For the strong colours (Hague Blue, Stiffkey Blue, Eating Room Red) F&B has a depth of pigment that the trade brands don't match. Buy a sample pot of each and decide for yourself.
Get in Touch
A quote, a phone call,or a kettle.
Tell Daniel what you're stripping (a door, a fireplace, a chair) and he'll come back to you with a price and a timing. Pre-filled message, just hit send.
Message Daniel on WhatsAppOr, the slow way
Unit 3, Crossley Mills, Honley, Holmfirth HD9 6PL. Kettle on, most days.