When I was at the P&D Show recently (November 2025 – the last one at Coventry, sadly!), I picked up a sample of Farrow & Ball’s new Flat Eggshell to try. I was really excited to give this product a go, for three reasons:
- Over my years as a professional decorator, I’ve become something of a “paint geek”, and I just love trying out new products!
- I’ve always really liked Farrow & Ball’s Modern Eggshell for furniture painting/upcycling projects – the only thing I didn’t like about it was that the sheen level was a bit too high for my personal taste, and the new Flat Eggshell promises a lower sheen level.
- I had lots of furniture to paint for one of my favourite (and most creative!) customers the following week, so I had the ideal opportunity to try it out. Sadly, she only chose a F&B colour for one item, and of course that wasn’t the colour of my free sample, but never mind.
So, Flat Eggshell – what’s the deal, and where does it fit into the Farrow & Ball Line-Up? I’ve now used it a few times now, so I thought I’d share my opinions and experiences in this review.
Farrow & Ball Flat Eggshell – Key Facts & Figures
- Suitable for interior use only
- Designed to give “a low sheen, super-tough finish for interior wood, metal and concrete. Scrubbable, stain-resistant and scuff-proof”.
- Pack sizes: 0.75L, 2.5L, 5L
- Finishes: Eggshell (20% sheen level)
- Colours: the entire range of Farrow & Ball’s colours
- Coverage: up to 12m² per litre
- Touch dry in 2 hours, recoatable in 4 hours
- Can be sprayed, or applied by brush or roller
- Water based – clean tools with water and mild detergent (such as Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner)
- Available from: Click here to see online prices
Farrow & Ball Flat Eggshell In Use
So, on paper this should be a great product – an eggshell paint that has a lower sheen than the previous Modern Eggshell, but is super durable; Farrow & Ball believe it’s so hard-wearing that you can use it on kitchen cabinets and even floors. Plus, of course it’s available in all those ever-popular F&B colours that customers love.
I’ve used it with a brush and roller – I found it’s great with a brush. With a roller, even a smooth “flock” type roller, I found it’s best to lay off afterwards with a brush for a smooth finish. I imagine it looks amazing when sprayed!
But however you apply it, Farrow and Ball Flat Eggshell genuinely looks brilliant once it’s on. I’m not just talking about the lack of defects (roller and brush marks etc), but as with any Farrow & Ball product, the depth-of-colour sets it apart from rival paints. It really is lovely.
What’s more, although Estate and Modern Eggshell are both popular products, they can have issues with extended drying times. Flat Eggshell doesn’t have that problem, making it more practical to use when decorating.
Before writing this review, I spoke with another couple of decorators about Flat Eggshell. We all agree that the finish is lovely, and that if it’s as hard-wearing as they say, this has the potential to become one of Farrow & Ball’s most popular paints.
A couple of small issues were raised (one by me, and one by two other decorators), which in the interest of writing a full and honest review I feel I should mention. However, in both cases the product was used without using the correct F&B primer first, which may well have solved the problem.
Open time
The very first time I used it (on the orange chair – colour is “Charlotte’s Locks” if you’re interested), I found it dried incredibly quickly. Too quickly. I literally could not paint the flat surface of the seat without my brush “catching” and “dragging” when I tried to lay it off.
But I was painting straight over a “grip” primer, and I haven’t encountered this problem again subsequently, when using the correct F&B primer-undercoat.
Crazing over caulk
A couple of people have mentioned that they’ve had problems with it crazing over caulk, even when they are sure the caulk has had long enough to cure properly. Again, though, they hadn’t used the F&B primer-undercoat. This is only a very minor issue, and one that can easily be avoided.
Final Thoughts
As long as the two minor issues mentioned above are solved by the use of the correct primer-undercoat (and that appeared to work for me the next time I used it), then this has the potential to be a really popular paint – lovely finish, super-hard-wearing and available in all those stunning F&B colours.
It’s a furniture-upcycler’s (or kitchen-cabinet-painter’s) dream. I really want to find a project where I can run this through the spray machine, because I think it will look amazing!
Review Summary
Farrow & Ball Flat Eggshell Review - Decorator's forum UK
Farrow & Ball Flat Eggshell is a low-sheen, water-based eggshell paint designed for interior wood, metal and concrete. It delivers a tough, scrubbable and stain-resistant finish with excellent depth of colour, making it ideal for furniture, kitchen cabinets and high-wear surfaces.
Product Brand: Farrow & Ball
4.7
Pros
- Low sheen eggshell finish with excellent depth of colour.
- Very durable, scrubbable, stain-resistant and scuff-proof.
- Faster drying and recoating times than other Farrow & Ball eggshells.
- Suitable for furniture, cabinets and potentially floors.
- Available in the full Farrow & Ball colour range.
- Applies well by brush and produces a high-quality finish.
Cons
- Can dry too quickly if used over high-grip primers.
- May craze over caulk if the correct primer-undercoat is not used.
- Requires Farrow & Ball primer-undercoat for best results.
- Interior use only.
I used it recently and found it the worst paint ever. Runs, drips, poor coverage .. hate it going to have to throw it away. Not a patch on the Estate Eggshell which appears to have been discontinued…
Estate Eggshell hasn’t been discontinued, but I’m surprised you’re having issues with Flat Eggshell. It’s a great drop of paint.
How does F&B Flat Eggshell compare to F&B Modern Eggshell with regards to smooth finish?
I’ve made some kitchen cabins door with 18mm MR MDF. I’ve primed and undercoated them with Crown white primer undercoat for wood and MDF. I now intend to undercoat them with Farrow and Ball Dark Tones wood primer undercoat using a “ProDec” roller then paint them with Farrow and Ball Flat Eggshell, again using a roller. Does this all sound right or am I heading for trouble?