FiniSpec
Q&A / Brands / Is there a cheaper alternative to Farrow & Ball Studio Green…
Brands · answered by Fini

Is there a cheaper alternative to Farrow & Ball Studio Green?

2 min read
0 people found this helpful
Quick answer

Yes — COAT Brewer is the closest match at ΔE 2.6, with Crown Racing Green (ΔE 2.7) and Dulux Scottish Loch (ΔE 3) also very near. Brewer is the one I'd reach for if you want that near-black green for less.

Studio Green is one of those F&B colours that reads as black until the light catches it, then it goes deep, mossy and brilliant. It's a cracking colour — but you don't have to pay F&B money to get it.

The closest match in our database is COAT::Brewer at ΔE 2.6 (LRV 7.2). Anything under 2.5 is imperceptible to most eyes, and 2.6 is well within "you'd never spot the difference on the wall" territory. Brewer is also a low-VOC, water-based paint that sticks and levels beautifully, so it's my first pick here.

Right behind it is Crown::Racing Green at ΔE 2.7 (LRV 6.2) — a touch deeper and darker, which actually leans even closer to that brooding near-black character of the original. If you're after maximum drama, this one's lovely. And Dulux::Scottish Loch comes in at ΔE 3 (LRV 7.5), slightly lighter and the least exact of the three, but still a genuinely good shout if Dulux is what your local merchant stocks.

The "but what about" question is always finish. F&B's depth partly comes from their chalky pigment load, and budget brands in a flat matt can occasionally read marginally flatter or warmer. Get the trade tester pots, paint two A4 boards, and stand them next to a Studio Green swatch on both a north and a south wall before you commit. Dark greens shift more than people expect depending on light.

My honest steer: go COAT Brewer for the best blend of colour accuracy, low odour and price. Use it in a deep matt or eggshell — these near-black greens look their best with a slight sheen on woodwork, where the light can pick out the green undertone. On walls, keep it flat. Two coats over a grey-tinted primer if you're going over anything pale.

Colours from the answer

LRV 7
Farrow & Ball
Studio Green
LRV 7.5
Dulux
Scottish Loch
LRV 6.2
Crown
Racing Green
LRV 7.2
COAT
Brewer

Didn't quite answer it? Ask your own.