Best alternatives to Farrow & Ball paint that are stylish but budget-friendly

Dupe of: F&B Brinjal in Dead Flat finish, 2.5L - £79 

Brinjal, the Hindi translation for aubergine, was one of the shades used in the National Portrait Gallery’s recent restoration.

If you’re looking for a similar shade with an easier-to-swallow price tag, Lick has you covered. Its DUMBO paint, a dark purple with blue undertones, is the result of a collab with Soho House (the member’s club NYC outpost is awash with the hue), meaning you’ll still have plenty of bragging rights when guests come over.

It comes in matt and eggshell finishes, so if you’re dreaming of colour-drenching a space, there are formulas to see to every surface.

Dupe of: F&B Romesco in Dead Flat finish, 2.5L - £79

No prizes for guessing the origin of F&B's paint name; it's all about the Spanish sauce. The bright, passionate hue is ideal for highlighting details like window frames, skirting boards and dado rails but if you want the same effect for less, chalk paint specialist Frenchic has it in the bag.

Its flamboyant Flamenco hue is a close copy. Made with a water-based formula, it dries with an ultra-matte finish and can be scrubbed to keep it clean.

Dupe of: F&B Red Earth in Dead Flat finish, 2.5L - £79

Inspired by light, terracotta-hued soil (and not Mars as one might initially think), Red Earth offers an understated elegance to everything from ceilings and walls to doors and fences. 

Save yourself a pretty penny or two by turning to COAT which counts the shade Baked amongst its ranks. The aged red tone has a little grey and the matt finish comes in Scrub Class 1, making it perfect for use in high-traffic areas of the home.

We’ve priced COAT’s Flat Matt finish, but you can also find the hue in soft sheen, eggshell, floor, clay and exterior paint finishes, making it easy to go to town on the whole house inside and out.

Dupe of: F&B Sulking Room in Modern Emulsion finish, 2.5L - £63 (Homebase)

Derived from the French ‘bouder’, to sulk, this paint is amongst the most popular in Farrow & Ball’s canon and can be used on interior walls and ceilings across the home - even kitchens and bathrooms.

Dulux’s Pressed Petal is a convincing doppelgänger if a touch brighter than its pricier peer. Still, for saving, we’d find a way to live with it. 

The washable paint is stain and mould-resistant, making it ideal for moisture-prone areas like the bathroom and kitchen. Two coats will give you the best colour pay-off, so take your time with it and the results will speak for themselves.

Dupe of: F&B Elephant's Breath in Modern Emulsion finish, 2.5L - £63

An example that’s frequently rolled out when discussing Farrow & Ball’s wild paint names is Elephant’s Breath. Banish thoughts of less-than-fragrant Dumbos; the grey taupe mix is an inoffensive neutral that promises to add warmth and light to any space. Choose Modern Emulsion to makeover moisture-prone areas like the bathroom.

Dulux’s Easycare range can be applied to walls and ceilings and comes in muted hues. Its Soft Stone shade looks an exact match for Elephant’s Breath and is currently £41 cheaper for the same volume.

Dupe of: F&B Breakfast Room in Estate Emulsion finish, 2.5L - £57.50

This stunning shade is textbook F&B; elegant, pared back, and heritage-inspired. A similar tone is Valspar’s Night Vision which offers full-throttle HD colour at a decent discount. Made with a water base, it’s easy to keep clean and can be applied to both plasterboard and drywall. Best of all it dries quickly so you won’t have to wait long to get a second coat on.

Dupe of: F&B Acid Drop in Modern Emulsion, 2.5L - £63

Straying from the usual F&B script comes this electric citrus hue warmed with a tint of yellow. It can be used on walls for an arresting stop-and-stare effect or daubed in sections to create a feature wall.

Little Greene Paint's Pale Lime is a dead ringer for F&B's option. While pretty expensive itself, the shade in the Absolute Matt Emulsion finish will still see you pocket a modest saving of £5.50.

Dupe of: F&B Bancha in Modern Eggshell finish, 2.5L - £85

Whether for mid-century schemes or cosy cottage retreats, you can't beat a good olive green. F&B's version is called Bancha, named for Japanese tea leaves, and the hue offers the same calming vibes as the drink might. Well, until you look at the price of a 2.5L tin of the Modern Eggshell finish, that is.

Get the same effect without making that vein in your forehead throb by picking up Light Moss at Dunelm instead. The durable formula is touch-dry in less than two hours and is antibacterial, low odour and low VOC, making it perfect for home with children and pets.

Dupe of: F&B Lulworth Blue in Dead Flat finish, 2.5L - £79

When the sun shines on a little pocket of the Dorset coast, it turns the sea beneath it a pretty shade of blue. That’s the inspiration behind F&B’s Lulworth Blue. Calming, coastal, a serene dream; you could describe COAT's Lie-In hue as the same.

The seaside shade means it's made for sprucing up bathrooms and bedrooms in an appropriate finish, but try it in the hall or lounge for an unexpected yet refreshing burst of colour - especially if you do the ceilings too. COAT's colour has a hint of grey in the mix, adding drama.

Dupe of: F&B Serge in Dead Flat finish, 2.5L - £79

Echoing the shade of the original jeans, Farrow & Ball recommends this indigo blue for entertaining spaces like the dining room. It comes in a range of other finishes, including exterior eggshell to revitalise outside spaces, but the thwacking price point can be off-putting. 

If you’re sticking to interiors, Crown does a convincing alternative in Midnight Navy that can cover walls, ceilings, wood and metal in one tin. Super tough once dried, it’s so easy to clean that it got the Mumsnet seal of approval too.