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Q&A / Brands / Is there a cheaper alternative to Farrow & Ball Pointing?…
Brands · answered by Fini

Is there a cheaper alternative to Farrow & Ball Pointing?

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Quick answer

Yes — Dulux Fine Cream is a near-perfect match at ΔE 0.7, and Crown Cream White is right behind at ΔE 0.9. Both cost a fraction of F&B and you'll struggle to tell them apart on the wall.

Pointing is one of F&B's most-loved off-whites — a soft, warm cream that reads as a proper white without ever going cold or clinical. The good news is it dupes beautifully.

The closest match is Dulux Fine Cream at ΔE 0.7 — that's imperceptible, mate. Anything under ΔE 1 is a difference your eye genuinely can't pick up in normal light. It's slightly brighter too (LRV 88.8 vs Pointing's softer reflectance), so it'll bounce a touch more light around a darker room, which is no bad thing.

Right behind it is Crown Cream White at ΔE 0.9 (LRV 85.8). Also imperceptible, and Crown's trade availability makes it easy to get in bulk if you're doing a whole house. Either of these gets you Pointing for a fraction of the cost.

If you'd rather stay in the premium-pigment world but want better coverage and a bit more eco-credentials, COAT Safe Play sits at ΔE 1.7 (LRV 81.8). That's still very close — under 2.5 is what I'd call a confident match — though it's a hair deeper and softer than the Dulux. COAT isn't bargain-basement, but it's keener than F&B and the paint itself is genuinely good.

The "but what about" question: people worry the cheaper paint won't *look* like Farrow & Ball. The colour will be bang on — what you're actually paying extra for with F&B is the depth of pigment and the chalky finish in their Estate Emulsion. If finish matters to you, spec the Dulux or Crown in a flat matt and you're 95% of the way there for a third of the price.

Grab testers of Fine Cream and Cream White, paint them next to your Pointing sample, and view in daylight and lamplight. You'll see how little there is in it.

Colours from the answer

LRV 86
Farrow & Ball
Pointing
LRV 88.8
Dulux
Fine Cream
LRV 85.8
Crown
Cream White
LRV 81.8
COAT
Safe Play

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