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Brands · answered by Fini

Is there a cheaper alternative to Little Greene Hammock?

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Quick answer

Yes — Dulux Gentle Gold 1 is the closest match at ΔE 1, near enough imperceptible from Little Greene Hammock and a good bit cheaper. Crown Sandstone and COAT Cake Mix are both decent alternatives too.

If you love Little Greene Hammock but not the price tag, Dulux Gentle Gold 1 (LRV 60.3) is your answer. At ΔE 1 from the original, the difference is imperceptible to the eye — you'd genuinely struggle to tell them apart on a wall. For a fraction of the cost per tin, that's a no-brainer if budget is the driver.

If you'd rather stay a notch up in quality, Crown Sandstone (LRV 60.6, ΔE 2.5) is the next closest. ΔE 2.5 sits right at the edge of "very close" — there's a whisper of difference, but in real-world lighting across a whole room you'll not clock it. Crown's mid-sheen and matt emulsions wear well and roll out nicely, so it's a sensible step up from the Dulux without going full Little Greene money.

The wildcard is COAT Cake Mix (LRV 53.1, ΔE 2.6). It's a touch deeper — that lower LRV means it'll read slightly more grounded and less airy than Hammock, especially in a north-facing room where it'll lean cosier. COAT's paint is genuinely lovely stuff, low-VOC and dead easy to apply, so if you don't mind a marginally richer tone it's worth a sample.

Now — the "but what about" question. People assume a cheaper match means cheaper-looking. It doesn't. What you're paying extra for with Little Greene is pigment density, depth, and that subtle shift in different light. A ΔE 1 match like Gentle Gold 1 nails the *colour*; what you might miss is a sliver of that complex Little Greene character. For most rooms, you won't notice.

Practical advice: order sample pots of all three and paint big A3 swatches, then move them around the room across the day. Hammock-family yellows shift a lot between morning and evening light, so judge them on the wall, never the lid. If the swatch holds up morning and night, Gentle Gold 1 will save you a tidy sum.

Colours from the answer

LRV 59.7
Little Greene
Hammock
LRV 60.3
Dulux
Gentle Gold 1
LRV 60.6
Crown
Sandstone
LRV 53.1
COAT
Cake Mix

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