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Brands · answered by Fini

Is there a cheaper alternative to Paint & Paper Library Stone I?

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Quick answer

Yes — Dulux Fine Cream is the closest cheaper match at ΔE 0.7, which is imperceptible to the eye. Crown Collector's White also runs it close at ΔE 1.

Stone I is one of Paint & Paper Library's lovely soft off-whites, but you're paying premium money for it. The good news: there's a near-perfect dupe for considerably less.

Dulux Fine Cream is your answer. At ΔE 0.7 from the original it's an imperceptible difference — under ΔE 1 means your eye genuinely can't separate the two on a wall. It sits at LRV 88.8, so it's a properly light, bouncy off-white that'll lift a room without going stark. For most people redecorating a hallway, landing or living room, this is the sensible swap. Dulux is widely stocked, mixed in trade centres everywhere, and a fraction of the P&PL price.

If you'd rather stay clear of the big-box brands, Crown Collector's White is the next best thing at ΔE 1 (LRV 86.9). Still very close, still cheaper than P&PL, and Crown's matt emulsion has a nice flat finish that suits these chalky whites.

I'd steer you away from COAT No Offence as a like-for-like here — it lands at ΔE 2.8, which is past the "very close" threshold. It's a cracking paint (low-VOC, lovely application) but No Offence reads brighter and cleaner — its LRV is 99.3, near pure white — so it'll lose the soft, slightly warm character that makes Stone I worth having in the first place.

The usual caveat: the dupe matches the colour, not the finish or feel. P&PL's emulsion has a particular depth and a low-sheen quality that the data can't capture. If the room is a showpiece and the finish matters as much as the hue, get a tester of Fine Cream and the real thing side by side before you commit.

For everywhere else? Buy the Fine Cream, pocket the difference, and nobody will ever know.

Colours from the answer

LRV 89.4
Paint & Paper Library
Stone I
LRV 88.8
Dulux
Fine Cream
LRV 86.9
Crown
Collector's White
LRV 99.3
COAT
No Offence

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