Six Farrow & Ball favourites, matched against Crown's closest equivalent by comparing published hex codes — including two near-exact pairs most people wouldn't tell apart on the wall.
Crown is a supermarket-shelf paint brand; Farrow & Ball is a designer one that costs several times more per litre. On paper they shouldn't have much in common — but comparing both brands' published hex values for their most recognisable shades turns up some genuinely close matches, not just vaguely-similar ones.
We ranked six pairs by actual colour distance rather than guessing from a photo. Two, Charleston Gray and French Gray, come back with a Crown equivalent close enough that most people wouldn't spot the difference once it's dry on a wall.
A close hex match is not a guarantee — lighting, finish and your own walls all change how a colour reads. One photo shows you both options before you buy either tin.
Open the visualiserRanked by colour distance between each brand's published hex value — not by eye. Every shade links to its full colour page and into the visualiser.
One of the closest matches in this whole comparison — Potted History sits almost exactly on top of Charleston Gray's warm, stony mid-grey. If you've been eyeing Charleston Gray for a whole-house neutral, this is worth testing first.
An almost identical match for French Gray's soft, warm sage-grey — one of the tightest hex matches we found anywhere in Crown's range.
Hague Blue's deep petrol-navy is one of the most searched-for "dupe" shades in paint forums, and Crown's Midnight Navy is about as close as budget paint gets — the same near-black depth with a subtle blue, not black, undertone.
Studio Green reads far closer to near-black than true green in most rooms, which is exactly why Crown's Anthracite — despite the different name — comes out as the closest hex match we found. Expect the same enveloping, moody depth for a fraction of the price.
Railings' softened near-black works because it isn't a true black — Leatherbound has the same warm, slightly brown-black depth, making it a strong stand-in for window frames, railings and front doors.
Mizzle's muted green-grey is a favourite for kitchen cabinetry, and Mellow Sage lands within a few points of it on the hex scale — close enough that most people wouldn't spot the difference once it's on the wall.
Crown sits at the opposite end of the market from Farrow & Ball — a supermarket and DIY-shed staple rather than a heritage designer brand — which makes it an unlikely source for genuinely close colour matches. But comparing the two catalogues' published hex values turns up several near-exact pairs, including two, Potted History and Light Fern, that land within a handful of points of their Farrow & Ball counterparts.
As with any dupe comparison, a matching hex code is not the whole story. Farrow & Ball's finishes are noticeably chalkier and more absorbent than Crown's mainstream matt and silk ranges, and that texture difference is visible even when the underlying colour is nearly identical. Test a sample on your own wall before committing either way.
The unlikely part isn't that a budget brand can get close. It's how close two of these actually are.
| Farrow & Ball | Crown match | How close |
|---|---|---|
| French Gray | Light Fern | Near-exact |
| Charleston Gray | Potted History | Near-exact |
| Mizzle | Mellow Sage | Very close |
| Hague Blue | Midnight Navy | Very close |
| Railings | Leatherbound | Close |
| Studio Green | Anthracite | Close |
No — it's the closest independently matched shade based on both brands' published hex values, not an official colour match or licensed reproduction. It's one of the tightest matches we found, but always test a sample before committing to a full room.
One photograph of your room covers all 6 shades on this page. The first render is free, and no card is needed.