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Brands · answered by Fini

Is there a cheaper alternative to Paint & Paper Library Hunter Dunn?

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Quick answer

The closest cheaper match is Dulux Woodland Fern 1 at ΔE 3.4, with COAT's Ditch the Tie a close second at ΔE 3.6. Both are close rather than identical — you'd see the difference side by side — but they carry the same deep forest character for a good bit less per litre.

Hunter Dunn is a gorgeous deep, slightly grey-leaning forest green — the kind of colour that does cracking work on panelling, a study, or a moody kitchen. But Paint & Paper Library sits at the premium end, so I understand wanting a closer-to-earth price.

Your best bet is Dulux Woodland Fern 1 (LRV 7), which lands at ΔE 3.4 from the original. Fair warning on that figure: it's not imperceptible — anything under 1 is — and it sits past the very-close line too, so put the two side by side and you'd pick them apart. On its own wall, though, in your own light, it carries the same deep, grey-leaning forest character, and that's the honest deal at this price. Dulux Trade in a good eggshell or matt will give you durability and a cost that's a fair bit kinder.

If you fancy something with eco credentials and lovely depth, COAT's Ditch the Tie (LRV 8.1) sits at ΔE 3.6 — practically neck and neck with the Dulux. COAT's water-based, low-VOC finishes are a pleasure to roll and the colour holds up beautifully in low light.

I'd steer you away from Crown's Woodland Wanderer (LRV 10.7) for matching purposes — at ΔE 7 it drifts noticeably lighter and greener, so it reads as a different colour rather than a dupe. Lovely green in its own right, just not a Hunter Dunn stand-in.

The usual caveat: a deep green this saturated lives or dies by the finish and the light. North-facing rooms will pull it cooler and moodier; warm artificial light softens it. Whichever you choose, get a proper sample pot, paint two coats on lining paper, and move it round the room before committing — deep greens shift more than people expect.

And prime well if you're going over anything patchy. A coat of a tinted grey primer under a dark green saves you a third coat and gives you a richer, more even result.

Colours from the answer

LRV 8.3
Paint & Paper Library
Hunter Dunn
LRV 7
Dulux
Woodland Fern 1
LRV 10.7
Crown
Woodland Wanderer
LRV 8.1
COAT
Ditch the Tie

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