Picking a paint brand is its own little nightmare, isn’t it? Farrow and Ball, Dulux, Valspar, Little Greene Paint Company, Craig and Rose, they all promise the perfect finish, and you’re left wondering whether the expensive ones are genuinely better or whether you’re paying extra for a nicer tin.
After sixteen years of designing homes (and painting five renovations of my own), I can tell you not all paints are created equal, and my favourite by a mile is the Little Greene Paint Company. This is my honest guide to the brand: the history, the colours I come back to, whether it’s durable enough for family life, and whether it’s worth the money.
Little Greene sits in my supplier directory alongside every other brand I buy from, stockist links included.
The Little Greene Paint Company: A Quick History
Little Greene was founded in the 1940s by two painters who wanted better quality paint than they could buy. It’s still an independent, family-run British company, it’s eco-friendly, and its archive catalogues 300 years of paint and wallpaper. That heritage is why the colours feel like they belong in real houses rather than a showroom.
What colours does Little Greene Paint Company offer?
Around 2,000 premixed colours, which surprises people. The usual objection to designer paint is “there’s hardly any choice”, and it simply isn’t true, you just won’t see the full range on the standard card. The Colours of England chart is my go-to, with the Grey and Green collections close behind.
Visit a proper stockist and you’ll see the lot. Mine is William Robinson interiors, in Nottingham, established 1882 and still run by William today. There isn’t much he doesn’t know about paint, and he’s thoroughly lovely too.
The most popular Little Greene Colours
French Grey is the queen of the collection, and you’ll see why the moment it’s on a wall. After that: Hicks Blue, Slaked Lime, Portland Stone and Aquamarine. And my go-to neutral whites, Shirting and Loft White, should always get a mention.
The colour scales (the bit that makes choosing easier)
Each colour belongs to a graduated family, grouped in columns by undertone, so lighter and darker versions of the same colour sit together. If you’ve ever tried to find “the same colour but a bit softer” for a ceiling or woodwork, this system does it for you, and it’s the easiest way I know to build a scheme that harmonises without guesswork.
Is Little Greene paint durable?
Yes, genuinely. The water-based paints stand up to daily life, and if you need proper toughness (hallways, landings, anywhere with children or a dog), the Intelligent finishes are the ones to ask for: Little Greene make them to be washable and 15 times more durable than ordinary paints. Crayon on the wall stops being a disaster.
Is Little Greene Paint Company worth the investment?
My honest answer is yes, and not because of snobbery. Little Greene contains around 40% more pigment than ordinary paint, which means richer colour and fewer coats, and once you do the cost per square metre rather than the price per tin, the gap to cheap paint mostly disappears. I’ve done that maths properly, with real prices, in my guide to whether Farrow and Ball is worth the money.
Farrow and Ball or Little Greene: which would I pick?
The question I get asked constantly, and I’ll give you the short answer straight: Little Greene, and it’s the finishes that settle it. I adore Farrow and Ball’s muted palette, but their formulation has changed over the years and the Estate Emulsion marks and can’t be easily cleaned, while Little Greene’s Intelligent finishes are washable and properly hard-wearing. Add the colour scales system and the sheer size of the collection (around 2,000 shades against F&B’s tightly edited card) and it’s not close for me. The full comparison, coverage maths, prices and all, is in my Farrow and Ball verdict.
Does B&Q stock Little Greene Paint Company?
No. You can have it colour matched, but in the tests we’ve done the match isn’t exact, and with a colour you’ll live with for years, nearly right is a slow kind of annoying. Buy the real thing from a stockist.
Get The Little Greene Colour Card
Grab your Little Greene colour chart here. Orders through the retailer often ship next day (going direct to Little Greene can take 5 to 7), and you’re supporting an independent while you’re at it.
Want 15% off Little Greene?
Members of my Home Design Vault save 15% on Little Greene, and get trade pricing at hundreds of other sought-after brands, alongside done-for-you room designs and a design team in their corner.
Little Greene is a brilliant choice for anyone who wants high-quality, durable, eco-friendly paint from a British independent. If you have questions, or you’ve used it and loved it (or haven’t), tell me in the comments.
Know the brand, still can’t pick the colour?
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