Grand Designs houses, Home Improvements
Essential paint brands you need to know about – including those showcased at Grand Designs Live
This handy paint directory covers what's new in the world of paint - and the eco-friendly brands you need to know about.
Grand Designs Live is in full swing – with visitors getting the chance to explore the much-anticipated Grand House and getting the lowdown on essential paint brands.
Billed to focus on sustainability, style, and cutting-edge design, this year the Grand House will be painted in Kevin McCloud’s paint of choice, COAT.
Standing out from its competitors, COAT is one of the only B-Corp certified paint brands (along with Edward Bulmer and Lick) on the UK market, recognised for their rigorous environmental and social practises that go above and beyond.
Accolades to COAT’s name are carbon-offsetting by an impressive 200%, zero-waste production (everything is mixed fresh to order), a 360-degree recycling where nothing ends up in landfill, and peel-and-stick swatches.
While COAT are the market leaders on sustainability in the paint market, there’s some great initiatives happening elsewhere, especially when it comes to low VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
This handy paint directory alphabetically covers what’s new in the world of paint – and the eco-friendly brands you need to know about…
Annie Sloan
Former fine artist Annie Sloan (who gained an OBE in 2023), brought her revolutionary Chalk Paint™ to the UK in 1990, when she saw a gap in the market for decorative paint options.
Made in their purpose-built factory in Oxford, the chalk paint can be used on wood, glass, metal, brick, and laminate, and now comes in a wipe-clean wall paint.
Atelier Ellis
Hidden gem on the paint market, Atelier Ellis makes natural, bio-based paint.
Founded by Cassandra Ellis, Atelier Ellis describes how they “craft our colours like an artist, using up to 10 pigments to create our perfectly complex, unique and nuanced shades”.
They’re also now using a renewable, natural-based binder, which is created from bio-based materials including vegetable oil produced from waste, castor oil, linseed oil, sugar, and bio ethanol – meaning the paint is virtually VOC free and fully breathable.
Benjamin Moore
Launched in Brooklyn, New York in 1883 by the Moore brothers Benjamin and Robert, Benjamin Moore is increasing its sustainable offerings.
Look out for their Eco Spec line which is zero VOCs and zero emissions and is Green Seal certified. The Paint Shed and Brewers Decorator Centres are key UK stockists.
COAT
COAT is a market leader in the paint world and is the first Climate Positive Paint Company.
While some paint companies only have a selection of sustainable paints, COAT’s entire range is water-based, low toxin (VOC), and entirely made to order for zero waste. Meaning 100% solvent-free paints, recyclable products & packaging (with closed loop tin and paint recycling). They also sell regenerative bamboo tools.
Craig & Rose
A heritage brand you may not have heard of (but has been around for over 200 years) is Craig & Rose. Established in 1829 by two Scottish entrepreneurs, James Craig and Hugh Rose, former clients include St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Their colour collections run the gamut, from vintage collections (covering Georgian and Regency) to their artisan special effects range, which include rust, copper patina, bronze gold, and charcoal stone. Craig & Rose provide carbon-neutral shipping.
Crown Paints
Crown dates back even earlier, launching in Lancashire in 1777, and is a brand with extensive colour palettes. There’s 44 whites, 70 greys and 31 cream shades alone.
Crown paints is slowly increasing their sustainability, with a pledge to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Dulux
Dulux has every type of interior and exterior paint you can imagine, but what they’re gaining a reputation in the market for, is trend forecasting, and they’re usually one of the first in the market to launch their Colour of the Year.
Reflecting socio-economic trends, they will match a colour, like an emotional response to these changes. For example, a neutral during periods of uncertainty.
Reassuringly, Dulux’s Colour of the Year 2025, is True Joy, a zingy, energy filled bright yellow.
Earthborn
Earthborn’s story has always been about full sustainability and is a leader in the eco-friendly paint market.
Firstly, the paints are made from natural raw materials, such as clay, minerals, and plant-based pigments, meaning they have no synthetic chemicals, are biodegradable and offer a rich, depth of colour.
With no emissions, Earthborn are known for being a great paint choice for allergy sufferers.
Edward Bulmer
Edward Bulmer is a natural paint company and certified B-Corp company. It uses plant-based ingredients to create its rich colours, and all their pigments are derived from natural sources, like plant minerals and earth.
Edward Bulmer also uses natural binding agents, like plant oil or casein, the protein found in milk. The paints are primarily water-based and feature components of chalk and clay, which help the breathability of the paint, lowering the chances of mould and dampness.
Farrow and Ball
Of course, a paint directory list isn’t complete without mentioning essential paint brand Farrow & Ball, the go-to paint company in the interior design world with a history rooted in traditional craftsmanship.
Known for their unique colour palette (each colour has its own name and detailed description, which feels like it takes on a character of its own).
With low VOCs, you can choose from a variety of finishes, like Estate Emulsion, Modern Emulsion, and Eggshell and most recently Dead Flat.
All Farrow & Ball’s paints are manufactured in their factory in Dorset.
Fired Earth
As well as doing a full range of wall, floor, kitchen, and bathroom tiles (specialising in beautiful hand-crafted terracotta tiles) Fired Earth also have a paint side to their business to enhance their tile offerings.
Their paints focus on the same artisanry as their tiles, using natural raw materials in their paint formulas with an eco-friendly production.
Frenchic
Winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category, Frenchic is an essential paint brand to know about.
The British born chalk paint has high eco-friendly paint credentials; it’s high-quality, vegan and toxin free and the paints are also certified by EN71-3, meaning they’re safe for use on children’s toys.
Frenchic has a partnership with the Samaritans and offers a special range, where 10% of the sales will go to the charity.
Graham & Brown
Family-run Graham & Brown started with wallpaper and innovative printing machinery, and later added paint, that colour matched perfectly with their wallpaper offering.
The well-curated collection of colours is low VOC and comes in everything from ultra-flat, ultra-matt to light reflecting gloss.
Graham & Brown’s Colour of the Year 2025 is a warm, neutral toned brown called Elderton named after the elder tree and inspired by its deep brown leaves.
Lick
One of the most playful paint brands on the market, Lick’s colour palette runs from neutrals to exciting bright hues for their water-based paints.
Think daffodil yellow and “coral with an attitude”, plus they even did a campaign with Heinz, for tomato ketchup red paint.
Lick is one of the few B-Corp paint brands, and its sustainable credentials are high. They use fully recyclable steel cans, no plastic, and partner with Forests Without Frontiers, so for every can of paint sold, a tree is planted.
Even Lick’s paint tools are sustainable, like the biodegradable pulp paint tray to the bamboo handle roller frame.
Little Greene
Made in the UK, Little Greene’s eco-friendly paints can be ordered in both water-based with almost zero VOCs and oil-based but using sustainable vegetable oils.
All their paints are tinted to order, to minimise waste and are child-safe, developed with little ones in mind.
They also offer a Re: mix service, where they use an intelligent blending technique to mix any leftover paint, which Little Greene says, “prevents as much as 60,000 litres of high-quality mineral and organic raw materials from going to waste each year”.
Lucie Annabel
British heritage studio Lucie Annabel‘s richly pigmented paint is created using natural, water-based ingredients with low VOC content.
This essential paint brand has a small but sophisticated collection of colours that cover everything from the deep Burgundy Chateau Bordeaux to the aqua duck egg blue and the lemon meringue pie (pictured below).
Mylands
London’s oldest paintmakers Mylands have been in business since 1884 and have the coveted Royal Warrant. Synonymous with quality, Mylands has always used natural earth pigments in their paint.
It’s something of an institution with the film and TV world and has been used to paint the walls of the National Portrait Gallery.
Their water-based signature marble matt emulsion is made using super fine ground Carrara marble which brings texture a subtle sheen to your walls.
Paint & Paper Library
The only paint brand on the list officially accredited by RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), and one of their most highly regarded ranges is the Architectural Colours Range.
The range uses water-based, low VOC paint and works on a colour-by-number system, which Paint & Paper Library describe is “designed to help find solutions to decorating different architectural features in close tones of off-white and neutral colours”.
There are five shades of one colour, and they’re numbered I, II, III, IV or V. For example, Stone I is the lightest, Stone III a mid-tone and Stone V the darkest shade.
Allowing you to create the perfect tonal scheme in a room.
Sanderson
Known for having a quintessential English feel, Sanderson‘s eco-friendly, water-based paints reflect that.
With over 150 shades in the palette, each colour draws inspiration from nature, think Caraway Green, Woodland Yellow, and Harbour Blue.
They come in three finishes, including emulsion and eggshell for interior and exterior decorating.
YesColours
Known for their eye-popping, vibrant colours and award-winning decorative paints, sustainability is an integral part of the brand for YesColours, and it’s an essential paint brand to check out before you start your project.
Their paint is water-based, with 0% added VOCs, recyclable packaging, are vegan and made in the UK.
With colour experts on hand, YesColours shades stand out from the rest, especially their Electric range, with everything from Electric Aqua to Electric Yellow.
Looking for more paint inspiration? Take a look at these things to consider when choosing paint, or these painting and decorating tips for your home renovation.
To find out more and buy tickets to Grand Designs Live, click here