These two get lumped together as "heritage" brands, but they're playing slightly different games.
Farrow & Ball is the bigger, deeper proposition — 301 colours with an unusually rich spread of greens (67 of them), 41 blues and 38 neutrals, with LRVs running from 5 right up to 92. That breadth matters more than people think. When you're trying to find a green that sits *just so* against your floor and light, having 67 options versus a dozen is the difference between a near-miss and a bang-on match. The pigment-rich finishes — that chalky depth and the way colours shift through the day — are still the benchmark. All White (the proper F&B white with no added pigment) is a cleaner backdrop than most, and something like Acid Drop shows the playful end of their range.
Craig & Rose is leaner — 110 colours, LRV 6.3 to 94.5 — but don't read that as second-rate. The strength is in neutrals (20) and whites (16), and there are some genuinely beautiful tones in there. Payne's Grey is a properly handsome deep blue-grey for a moody study or panelling, and Ottilie is a soft, characterful neutral that holds its own against anything F&B does in that lane. Pricing typically lands a touch friendlier too.
The "but what about" question: *is the F&B premium worth it?* If you've already landed on a Craig & Rose colour you love, no — buy it and crack on. The reason to choose F&B is the choice and the slightly more forgiving, even finish across their full sheen range. The reason to choose Craig & Rose is value plus a curated palette where you don't get paralysed by 300 swatches.
Practical advice: ignore the brand badge and test the actual colour. Get sample pots of your shortlist from both, paint A2 boards, and live with them for a few days in your room's light. The right colour beats the right brand every time.