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Brands · answered by Fini

Is there a cheaper alternative to Paint & Paper Library Kigali?

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Quick answer

The closest cheaper match to Paint & Paper Library Kigali is Dulux Azure Fusion 1, at ΔE 2.3 — that's a very close match you'd struggle to tell apart on the wall.

If you love Kigali — that deep, inky near-black green — but balk at the price, Dulux Azure Fusion 1 is the one to reach for. It comes in at ΔE 2.3 from the original (LRV 5.4), which is well inside the "very close" threshold. On a wall, side by side, you'd genuinely struggle to tell them apart, and you'll pay a good chunk less per tin.

The other contenders aren't in the same league for accuracy. COAT::The Drink (LRV 7.4) lands at ΔE 4.4 — visibly lighter and a touch different in undertone, though still a handsome deep green in its own right. Crown::Racing Green (LRV 6.2) is further off again at ΔE 6.2, so it reads as a different colour rather than a dupe. If you want a true like-for-like Kigali, Azure Fusion 1 is the answer.

The "but what about" here: with any deep green this dark, sheen and primer matter as much as the colour itself. At an LRV in the single figures, the finish does a lot of the heavy lifting — a flat matt swallows light and looks moody and velvety, while an eggshell or satin bounces it back and can flatten the depth. Match the original's finish if you're chasing the exact look.

Practical advice: deep colours like this often need an extra coat to bury patchiness, and a grey or tinted undercoat will save you a third coat. Order a sample pot of Azure Fusion 1, paint a big A2 patch, and live with it through the day — north-facing rooms will pull these greens cooler and inkier, south-facing will warm them up. Get the prep and finish right and the cheaper tin will look every bit as good as the original.

Colours from the answer

LRV 5.2
Paint & Paper Library
Kigali
LRV 5.4
Dulux
Azure Fusion 1
LRV 6.2
Crown
Racing Green
LRV 7.4
COAT
The Drink

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