The best places to buy paint – I've done the research, and these are the 9 paint brands I'd recommend as a Room Decor editor

There are many brands of paint available on the market – so many that even I'm still discovering new ones, and as a Room Decor Editor, I talk about and look at ALOT of different paints day in, day out. But between myself and the rest of the decorating-savvy Ideal Home team, we have more experience with paint and painting than most. So to help you choose the best for you and your project, I’ve put together a guide to where to buy paint.

I’ve enlisted the help of the Ideal Home editors to share their favourite go-to brands when it comes to paint ideas and why they like them so much, as well as including my own top paint picks – so whether you’re looking for the best white paint or are looking to try some creative and fun paint trends, these are the places to shop for supplies.

Top retailers to buy paint

While you can buy most brands’ paints directly from their websites or even physical stores, there are, of course, retailers that stock several different paint brands - along with other decorating necessities and more - which can make your shopping experience much easier. These are the paint retailers that I would recommend above all others.

• B&Q: Everyone’s go-to place for all things home improvement; this is where you can get Valspar colour matching and paint mixing done
• Amazon: If you need your paint with next-day delivery, this is the place to go; not to mention, they can deliver all your other paint supplies just as quick
• Wickes: They have various paint brands on their shelves, as well as their own very affordable paint range; I also find their pricing on other brands is often the best
• The Paint Shed: This place stocks several brands you can’t get everywhere, such as Benjamin Moore and Little Greene; I also find their paint finding quiz really helpful

Top paint brands

1. Farrow & Ball

I couldn’t have started this list any other way than with Farrow & Ball. Celebrating 80 years in business this year, Farrow & Ball is the market leader and authority in the paint and interiors space that everyone looks up to. Boasting a carefully curated collection of exactly 132 paint shades, there is something for everyone.

Ideal Home’s Print Deputy Editor, Ginevra Benedetti is a loyal Farrow & Ball fan having used four different shades across her home, while our Editor in Chief, Heather Young has painted her living room in the famous near-black Railings shade.

Jenny McFarlane, Senior Digital Editor at Ideal Home, adds, ‘Farrow & Ball shades are always my go-to as they are soft and gentle which is the relaxing vibe I try to create in the house.’

My top pick

2. Dulux

While the likes of Farrow & Ball offer a very tight and curated range of colours, Dulux has taken the opposite approach, boasting over 1200 shades in its regular range. That number is almost incomprehensible, especially when you consider that this doesn’t include their Dulux Trade professional range and the high-end Dulux Heritage.

So whatever colour you need, you’re sure to find it at Dulux. Another reason why so many people love Dulux is that it’s reasonably priced. I currently have Dulux paint on my walls - specifically the Dulux White Mist in a matt finish, available at B&Q - and painting the walls with it couldn’t have been easier. I had a small leak last year which stained one of the walls in my flat so I had to repaint that section – it took about three coats so I’d say it’s not the most pigmented paint out there. But at the same time, it’s white paint covering up a yellow stain so it’s to be expected that it will take a few coats.

My top pick

3. Lick

London-based paint brand Lick is fairly young, started in 2019, but it’s quickly become one loved by interior designers and homeowners alike. I’m a big fan of Lick and even though the company’s curated colour range so far includes ‘only’ 100 shades, I always find exactly what I’m looking for, no matter what colour I’m after.

The brand focuses on a matt paint finish, offering both regular matt and ultra flat matt. But there’s also the option of eggshell as that is the better and more durable finish for anything from skirting boards to doors and window frames. And that’s exactly why I’ve opted for the eggshell finish when using Lick’s Blue 08 across my home’s skirting boards and doors which really pop in contrast to my white walls.

Lick offers colour consultations with their director of interior design, Tash Bradley, as well as a few other colour specialists which I took advantage of when looking for the perfect blue for my home. And I can highly recommend the experience.

My top pick

4. Little Greene

Little Greene is another highly respected paint brand loved by many interior designers, experts and Ideal Home editors alike. Offering over 190 colours, the brand’s range features some very bold and highly pigmented shades - like the bright pink Leather that Richard E. Grant used to paint his snug - as well as soft tones like the Masquerade pink that our Deputy Digital Editor, Rebecca Knight used in her living room. And the coverage is well-known to be excellent; however, it comes at a higher cost.

‘I loved buying from Little Greene,’ Rebecca says. ‘The samples turned up with a mini paintbrush and a tea sachet for pondering your choice! The delivery of the main paint pot was also super fast and in great packaging. But I'd take the paint calculator's recommendations for how much paint you need with a pinch of salt if you're not the best painter like me. The Intelligent paint goes on so nicely, I only needed two coats with no primer. It's also quick drying, which is a game-changer for weekend painting projects.’

Amy Lockwood, Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor, who’s another Little Greene fan, continues, ‘I love Little Greene paint. The colours are great as they offer more muted and easier-to-live-with shades than a lot of brands, and the paint consistency is so creamy and thick. It’s lovely to use and covers really well.’

My top pick

5. Frenchic

If sustainability is something you care about and you like a matt paint finish, you’re going to love Frenchic. Made with a water-based formulation with low traces of harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds), this chalk and mineral paint is also self-priming and self-sealing – so there’s no need to purchase a separate primer or sealant.

Most of the Ideal Home team, myself included, have used the Al Fresco and Lazy Range, perfect for upcycling furniture or home features such as skirting boards, doors or kitchen cabinets.

‘I’ve used Frenchic on my kitchen cabinets,’ Rebecca says. ‘The paint is great and really forgiving if you're not great at painting (like me), but the tins are quite small for big projects, and the delivery is not that quick. I bought it via Amazon rather than directly from them in the end to get it within 48 hours.’

My top pick

6. Valspar

Valspar is widely loved for its colour-matching service which you can easily take advantage of in most B&Q stores.

‘The colour match service is really clever, all you need is a big enough square of a particular colour, or even a paint chip from an existing wall (I've done both),’ Rebecca says. ‘It's affordable, and the paint was easy to use with good coverage. But you have to go in-store to use it.’

Ginevra also says the service would be her top tip, ‘Valspar's colour matching service is brilliant and the paint - particularly the Flat Matt finish - is a dream to use. And you can get a free voucher for a tester pot of your choice.’

My top pick

7. Earthborn

Similarly to Frenchic, Earthborn is a brand that specialises in eco-friendly paints. Their signature matt and breathable paint finish, named Claypaint, is made with water and clay, free from VOCs, oils and acrylic. The core collection of colours is made up of 72 shades, most of which are on the more muted and earthy side as they take inspiration from nature.

Lindsey Davis, Content Director for Ecommerce across several home titles including Ideal Home, is a fan of Earthborn. In fact, her favourite white shade comes from Earthborn - it’s an off-white shade called Wood Smoke, available at B&Q - which she used to paint her Victorian home’s bedrooms.

My top pick

8. Graham & Brown

Much like Farrow & Ball, Graham & Brown is another heritage British paint brand that’s celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. And to this day, it remains a lovely family business, exactly as it started back in 1946 in Blackburn.

Offering a very wide range of over 400 colours, they also perfectly correspond with Graham & Brown’s collection of artistic wallpapers and murals. So if you’re looking to combine the two in your home or even one room, you’re sure to have a very cohesive scheme.

The brand’s chosen colours of the year (also known for short as COTY) are regularly our favourite here at Ideal Home. And that’s certainly the case this year as Graham & Brown named the rich Divine Damson shade its COTY for 2026.

My top pick

9. COAT

Started in 2020, COAT is a paint brand still in the beginnings of its journey. But it’s already seen as one of the coolest ones out there owing to its spot-on branding, 91 designer-approved colours and stellar collaborations with the likes of Stacey Dooley.

COAT is one of the few paint brands that you won’t be able to find at major retailers like B&Q as it operates a direct-to-consumer model which is how the brand strives to keep its prices fair. Sustainability is also high on the COAT’s list of priorities as its paints are water-based and carbon-negative.

‘I like the range of vibrant colours from COAT and I have used their colours as bold accents like in the arch window in the new space and to spice up our living room,’ our Senior Digital Editor Jenny says.

My top pick

Do you have a favourite paint brand that’s not included on this list?