The Best Designer Paint Brands in 2025

From long-established industry veterans to the new kids on the block, we’re lifting the lid on the best designer paint brands in 2025. Explore our top 7 picks.

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Of all of the home renovation options out there, giving your interiors a lick of paint is by far the most accessible – not to mention one of the most visible – so getting your choice of products right is a major priority. But with thousands of options out there, how do you cut through the noise? Fortunately, we’re a few steps ahead of you, because in this guide we’re lifting the lid on the best designer paint brands on the market to try out in 2025.

From industry veterans such as Farrow & Ball to the new kids on the block like Lick, here’s the down-low on picking from the best rated paint brands that you can be sure of meeting – or maybe even surpassing – your expectations.

What Makes a Paint Designer?

There’s a little bit of confusion floating around as to what makes a paint “designer”. If you’re not a paint nerd or a professional decorator, you might be in the same boat. So, allow us to explain:

In a nutshell, the difference between your bog-standard retail paint (think: DIY store home brands or Dulux’s standard range) and designer paints is the level of quality. The best designer paint brands are typically household names – Farrow & Ball, anyone? – and are made via exacting, often eco-conscious processes, including small-batch manufacturing.

Because of the sheer quality of their performance, these types of paints are typically more expensive; however, when you weigh up their longevity, they end up being a smarter choice in the long run. 

Qualities to Look Out For 

Before we roll up our sleeves and reveal our list of the best designer paint brands, it’s worth stepping back and really thinking about what we want from them. These considerations will be your north star when you get to narrowing down your options.

• Longevity – How long will the paint last without fading, flaking or otherwise reducing in quality? When it comes to paint, the best brands last for 6-10 years still looking fab.

• Coverage/adhesion – Ideally, you want the paint to go on like a dream, so it’s always a good idea to look up reviews and see how others found the coverage and adhesion. FYI: some companies even make self-priming paints; that is, paints that don’t require a primer before going on.

• Finish – Matt, eggshell, gloss and everything in between; there are plenty of finishes to choose from, so do check whether your chosen brand stocks the one for you.

• Eco-credentials – If you want your conscience to be as clean as the project’s finish, investing in eco-conscious paint brands is just the solution. From things like VOC content to sustainably sourced ingredients and manufacturing, there’s plenty of eco-credentials to look out for.

• Colour variety – The good thing about designer paints is their keen interest in colour. Savvy shoppers will do some proper research into which shades each brand offers before ‘adding to basket’.

Our Top Picks: 7 of the Best Designer Paint Brands

Without further ado, here is our list of the 7 best luxury paint brands. Of course, peruse away, but if you’re having trouble choosing definitely go check out their websites too.

1) Farrow & Ball

We’ve already mentioned them, but what a powerhouse! Farrow & Ball have been in the decorating game for almost a century and are still front-runners when it comes to paint technology and interior trends. Not only have they had prestigious partnerships with the likes of the National History Museum and Christopher John Rogers to name a couple, but they’ve recently achieved B-Corp status, meaning that they’re doing everything in their power to ensure their operations aren’t just industry-leading, but socially and environmentally responsible too.

2) Little Greene

Another strong contender is Little Greene, who are also making strides in sustainable paint technology. They’re an independent family-run company with an obsession with colour. From spotlighting heritage shades that had once been lost to time to celebrating the stories behind them, you not only get wonderfully pigmented finishes (40% more than your average paint) but heritage too.

3) Paint & Paper Library

Paint & Paper Library has been going since 1996, so they have a lot of experience to draw from. With a unique palette of 180 rich colours, there’s a look for everyone, whether you’re after historic architectural hues or a bold, cutting-edge appeal. Known for their high-quality finishes, including matt, eggshell, gloss, and their signature chalky Pure Flat Emulsion, the end result is a sumptuous appearance at your sheen level of choice.

4) COAT

One of the younguns’, COAT Paints has a mission to revolutionise the paint and decorating industry with carbon-negative practices. Its founders Rob Green and Rob Abrams are all about making decorating more accessible and better for the planet, not to mention creating products that possess that elusive ‘wow factor’. They are one of the best designer paint brands for coverage, boasting the perfect balance between tasteful colour and all-around durability.

5) Lick

As with the previous luxury paints on this list, Lick is proud to bring low-VOC, water-based and wipeable products to the fore of the decorating world. Known for their unusual collaborations – Heinz and M.A.C are both recent ones – they’re always pushing the boundaries, with a unique take on colour that gets onlookers excited.

6) Earthborn

Whether you’re refreshing your living space or flipping your old furniture, Earthborn is a great option to bring to the table. Blending breathable paint technology with bold heritage colours, each tin is packed with pigment, minus all the nasties. No iffy odours, VOCs or unnecessary ingredients, this British company was the first in the country to carry the prestigious EU Ecolabel.

7) Lakeland Paints

Finally, let’s talk about Lakeland Paints. These products are completely VOC-free, so odourless as well as safer for your immediate environment and the wider world. This means you won’t find any solvents, plastics or heavy metals in the ingredients list. But what about performance? Well, they’re pretty decent to say the least. Non-yellowing, durable and with no priming required, they make DIY as easy as can be.

Colour-matching: The Budget Alternative to Designer Paints

To end on a pragmatic note, don’t forget that you can always colour-match your favourite designer shades with a more budget-friendly trade alternative. We get it! The colours are divine, but when you’re redecorating a big portion of the house, the price tag isn’t quite as appealing. 

A high-quality trade paint brand mixed to the same hex code as the colour your heart is set on (Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue, for example) will do a great deal to maintain that designer feel across your interiors. You might not get the same depth of pigment, but the finish and ease of application balance things out. Really, it’s up to you. So, are you ready to take the plunge?

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