Discussion
Is it worth it?
We've just decorated our toilet's using standard Dulux mix paint and the results are decent enough, it was applied with a paint pad on that horrible 'new build' wall and whilst it wasn't the easiest to get an even coat is looking ok and the colour is what we expected.
For the hallway and living room I want a far higher quality finish, a paint with a real tactile quality to it as well as a real depth to it, I've been looking at Farrow & Ball amongst others.
Apart from liking a colour that the company does is it worth extra money over regular paint? I don't mind paying for quality but only if it is genuine and not paying for the name.
We've just decorated our toilet's using standard Dulux mix paint and the results are decent enough, it was applied with a paint pad on that horrible 'new build' wall and whilst it wasn't the easiest to get an even coat is looking ok and the colour is what we expected.
For the hallway and living room I want a far higher quality finish, a paint with a real tactile quality to it as well as a real depth to it, I've been looking at Farrow & Ball amongst others.
Apart from liking a colour that the company does is it worth extra money over regular paint? I don't mind paying for quality but only if it is genuine and not paying for the name.
V8mate said:
Farrow & Ball make genuinely good paint. Beware some of the 'luxury' paints offered by the DIY chains though; big premium with less of a return.
Farrow and Ball paint is so overpriced its not funny and you wont hear any decorator say a good word about it.If you must have Farrow and Ball colours then get Johnstones or Dulux to convert the Farrow and Ball codes.
I'd say really going to town on the prep work, getting it all perfect first, is where the depth and stuff comes from, rather than one coat of paint. Think like a custom car sprayer and do a couple of white 'under' coats first. Then decent shortpile roller, nice and slow. Wouldn't bother with posh paint either - my worst painting experience was with expensive paint that went on like p!ss. Stick with the branded cheap stuff.
Eggle said:
I'm with Plotty on this. My wife is a decorator and hates the stuff. Bad covering, fades in any light and inconstant.
She gets a Dulux mix of the same colour and it is far better.
Yup same for my decorator - been in the trade for 40 years now.She gets a Dulux mix of the same colour and it is far better.
Though I would use F&B on wood.
Plotloss said:
Farrow and Ball paint is so overpriced its not funny and you wont hear any decorator say a good word about it.
My mum's hubby & the decorators I had in recently say plenty of good things about F&B when used for the right jobBoth have been in the trade long enough to figure out what works for them.
We have painted our place in F&B 'estate' emulsion and it gives a far 'deeper matt' finish than any other paint we have used in the past, and if your shallow like me it gives you a nice feeling every time you think about the fact you have F & B on your walls (horribly superfical i know, but f
k it, you are what you are 
).
However
Dont use the 'modern' emulsion stuff, we have painted our kitchen and bathroom in it, and it doesnt give a consistent finish, very patchy and so doesnt look good at all. Avoid.
k it, you are what you are ).However
Dont use the 'modern' emulsion stuff, we have painted our kitchen and bathroom in it, and it doesnt give a consistent finish, very patchy and so doesnt look good at all. Avoid.
I've never used F & B, so I don't know what they are like.
I have used a wide variety of different types of 'modern emulsion' over the years. I have found that it is well worth paying for quality paint. I've used all sorts of stuff from DIY sheds and in general I've found that they cover less well, and are less dense matt finishes than Dulux. For the last few years, I've only used the big fluffy dog.
This all started a few years ago when I was using a professional decorator to do some work. On the matter of colours, we were looking at the F&B stuff. Basically, he said he'd only use Dulux, I could buy it if I wanted, he wasn't making on the paint, he just didn't want to use F&B. We got the colours made up at the Dulux Decorator Centre in Banbury.
Now that's only one guy's opinion, so I really wonder if there is a difference in quality of finish and ease of use.
I have used a wide variety of different types of 'modern emulsion' over the years. I have found that it is well worth paying for quality paint. I've used all sorts of stuff from DIY sheds and in general I've found that they cover less well, and are less dense matt finishes than Dulux. For the last few years, I've only used the big fluffy dog.
This all started a few years ago when I was using a professional decorator to do some work. On the matter of colours, we were looking at the F&B stuff. Basically, he said he'd only use Dulux, I could buy it if I wanted, he wasn't making on the paint, he just didn't want to use F&B. We got the colours made up at the Dulux Decorator Centre in Banbury.
Now that's only one guy's opinion, so I really wonder if there is a difference in quality of finish and ease of use.
I have a company that paints huge expanses of museum walls mostly Dulux Colour Dimensions mix, or, if the building's listed, we have specific paints mixed or we're told where we can get them.
We've used F & B's on a few jobs over the years and we've found that on small expanses it's o.k. not much between that and the generic modern paints, but if you're putting it in a hallway or somewhere where people will inadvertently brush passed the wall, the F & B paint starts to get a powder white residue and the scuffs don't come out unless the walls repainted. I was told: "It's the chalk base they use that comes through." Can't vouch for that, but we end up repainting more 'high end, hand made' paint than any other.
If it were I, Dulux Col. Dim, paint every time.
Mark.
We've used F & B's on a few jobs over the years and we've found that on small expanses it's o.k. not much between that and the generic modern paints, but if you're putting it in a hallway or somewhere where people will inadvertently brush passed the wall, the F & B paint starts to get a powder white residue and the scuffs don't come out unless the walls repainted. I was told: "It's the chalk base they use that comes through." Can't vouch for that, but we end up repainting more 'high end, hand made' paint than any other.
If it were I, Dulux Col. Dim, paint every time.
Mark.
raf_gti said:
From the responses so far it looks like a big thumbs down for the posh stuff.
As it is a new build we are decorating what is the best way to prep for re-decorating?
For the hallway I'm after a durable finish as well as a quality one.
It's for a 'new build'? Why didn't you say so? You've got people here talking about painting museums and my experience was painting English Heritage properties.As it is a new build we are decorating what is the best way to prep for re-decorating?
For the hallway I'm after a durable finish as well as a quality one.
If it's just a plasterboard box, Wickes trade emulsion is fine
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