Is Farrow & Ball worth it?

I spent most of the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns painting our house. It developed into something of a hobby - reading painting blogs, collecting fan decks, literally watching paint dry. The excitement never ends around here. My go-to brand is Farrow & Ball. I had a whole lengthy post on the old website called ‘Is Farrow & Ball Worth the Cost?’

TL;DR, RIP website - Yes. So worth it.

If someone happens to bring up paint, they get to hear me wax poetic. I have become this SNL sketch. Please help me. This post is not at all sponsored, but there's always the dream of free paint.

In all seriousness, it’s my go-to for a reason. In a recent post, I mentioned that painting is one of the home renovation instances when I’ll never use the budget option. Paint quality makes a tremendous difference to the overall look and feel of a home. F&B paint is more vibrant and livelier than anything else out there. Plus, the color selection is more sophisticated and more curated than other brands.

Here are some common myths about F&B, which I shall bust forthwith:

You can’t touch it up - Yes, you can, and I do it all the time. It’s a disaster around kids/pets - Estate Emulsion (their signature chalky finish) is not the best choice for certain areas of the house. That’s true. Modern Emulsion is key for high-traffic areas - our daughter’s room, the sun parlor which serves as a family room/kid art room/mudroom, and soon our upstairs hallway are all painted with Modern Emulsion. You can just color match with cheaper paint - Bahhh no. The real thing has more pigmentation and is made with natural ingredients, not synthetic ones. It’s never going to look as good. (For woodwork only, I sometimes get their paints color matched at Sherwin-Williams in Emerald Satin, not a cheap paint, and it’s worked out well. Otherwise, don’t color match.) The coverage is terrible - Au contraire. The coverage is amazing, especially if you use good quality painting equipment. I have painted large rooms and multiple rooms and had plenty of leftover paint every time. You have to do a million coats - Not if you follow the directions. Using the correct F&B primer is pretty critical.

Here’s a list of the F&B colors I’ve used in my home so far - if you’re planning to use any of these and have questions, I’d be happy to help! -Dimity (Estate Emulsion, formal living room walls) -Pink Ground (Modern Emulsion, sun parlor walls) -Pitch Blue (Modern Eggshell, china cupboard) -Yeabridge Green (Estate Emulsion, guest room walls) -Clunch (Color matched Emerald Satin, guest room woodwork) -Dayroom Yellow (Estate Emulsion, master bedroom/sitting room walls) -Wimborne White (Color matched Emerald Satin, master bedroom/sitting room woodwork) -Cinder Rose (Modern Emulsion, Child’s bedroom walls) -Great White (Estate Eggshell, Child’s bedroom woodwork) -Cabbage White (Color matched Emerald Satin, hallway woodwork)

We’re also planning to use Lulworth Blue, Cook’s Blue, and Duck Green. I’ll update once these projects are underway!