DupeCoatBlog
Paint, colour & decorating guides
Honest, practical writing on colour, finishes and getting premium looks for less.
1 June 2026
Benjamin Moore French Toile in a Modern Victorian Narrow Hallway: A UK Guide
How to use Benjamin Moore French Toile in a narrow Victorian hallway, from palette and lighting to a trade-paint match for the colour.
Read article →15 May 2026
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Japandi Master Bedroom UK Guide
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a Japandi master bedroom: a warm off-white for calm, pared-back rooms, and how to match it in trade paint.
Read article →15 April 2026
Farrow & Ball Pigeon Edwardian Kitchen Cabinet Guide
Farrow & Ball Pigeon on Edwardian kitchen cabinets: a soft blue-grey for period units, with finish advice and a trade-paint match.
Read article →1 April 2026
Benjamin Moore Hale Navy in a Dark Academia Narrow Hallway (UK Guide)
Benjamin Moore Hale Navy in a dark-academia narrow hallway: making a deep navy work in a tight, low-light space, with a trade match.
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15 March 2026
Farrow & Ball Hague Blue: A Dark Academia Hallway Guide (UK)
Farrow & Ball Hague Blue in a dark-academia hallway: using this deep inky blue in a low-light space, with palette ideas and a trade match.
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1 March 2026
Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster in an Edwardian Restoration
Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster in an Edwardian restoration: a soft pink-neutral for period rooms, with palette tips and a trade-paint match.
Read article →27 February 2026
Farrow & Ball Hague Blue in a Warm Minimalist North-Facing Living Room (UK Guide)
Farrow & Ball Hague Blue in a warm-minimalist, north-facing living room: balancing a deep blue with warm light, plus a trade-paint match.
Read article →24 February 2026
Farrow & Ball French Gray Japandi Bathroom Guide
Farrow & Ball French Gray in a Japandi bathroom: a soft green-grey for a calm, spa-like room, with finish tips and a trade-paint match.
Read article →19 February 2026
Scandi-Noir Nursery: Splurge vs. Save with Trade Paints
A Scandi-Noir nursery on a budget: layered greys and off-whites in trade paint, with LRV, safety standards and splurge-vs-save picks.
Read article →16 February 2026
From Drab to Fab: A Utility Room Makeover for Light & Life
A budget-friendly biophilic makeover for a dark utility room: using LRV and light-reflecting trade-paint colours to bring in light, warmth and a sense of calm.
Read article →13 February 2026
Light & LRV Secrets for Renters (No Paint Allowed!)
Coastal-grandmother style for renters who can't paint: using light, LRV and removable touches to get the look without lifting a brush.
Read article →12 February 2026
Biophilic Minimalism
Biophilic minimalism: calm, nature-led rooms built from muted colour, natural materials and good light, on a trade-paint budget.
Read article →9 February 2026
How to choose and buy paint for a project
Pick the right finish, work out how much you need, and buy paint that lasts without the boutique markup. A practical guide for a UK home project.
Read article →23 January 2026
The 2026 Paint Inflation Index: Are You Paying a “Label Tax”?
Why premium paint has climbed faster than general inflation, what sits behind the 'label tax', and how trade dupes sidestep it.
Read article →12 January 2026
How to get premium paint colours for less
Get Farrow & Ball and Little Greene colours in trade paint for up to 40% less. Where the saving comes from, and the habits that claim all of it.
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20 December 2025
Valspar Colour Match vs. DupeCoat: Which is More Accurate?
Valspar's in-store colour match vs DupeCoat: how each reproduces a Farrow & Ball shade, where each is accurate, and which to use when.
Read article →12 May 2025
What NCS is, and how it matches a paint colour
NCS is the colour system that lets any mixer reproduce a shade exactly. What an NCS code means, why it beats matching by eye, and how DupeCoat uses it.
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