Mylands Paint: London's Own Heritage Brand and the Best Colours for Period Properties

Mylands: London's Paint Brand

Every major city has a paint brand that feels like its own — that was mixed in workshops nearby, that found its palette in the local stone and brick and sky, and that has been applied to the walls of its houses for long enough to feel native. In London, that brand is Mylands.

Mylands has been manufacturing paints in south London since 1884. The company's original base was in Norwood, and it later moved to Clapham, where it remains today — a few miles from Belgravia, a short drive from Chelsea and Mayfair. While Farrow & Ball is a Dorset brand and Little Greene is from Manchester, Mylands is unambiguously a London product, and its palette reflects that origin. The colours carry the names of London streets, London buildings, London landscapes — Marble Arch, Elephant, Cathedral White, Waterloo, Holland Park, Malt — and they were clearly developed with London's specific grey, diffused light and its period architecture in mind.

A Brief History

The company was founded by Julius Mylands, who began by manufacturing floor wax and polish — the original use for the linseed oil and beeswax formulations that he developed in the 1880s. Floor polish remained central to the business for decades, and Mylands' floor products are still used by the National Trust, English Heritage, and by decorators working on historic properties where a deep, durable, and authentic finish is required.

The decorative paint range developed gradually through the twentieth century and was repositioned seriously as a heritage and designer brand from the 2000s onwards. Today, Mylands is the paint of choice for a significant proportion of London's serious interior decorators, and its trade accounts include many of the firms working on the highest-value properties in SW1, SW3, W1, and the surrounding postcodes.

The Crown Range vs the Mylands Trade Range

Mylands divides its paint range between consumer-facing retail products and the trade range, which is available through specialist decorators' merchants and directly from the factory.

The Mylands Crown range (formally the original Mylands range, now branded with the crown symbol) is the headline decorative paint line — the range most often featured in interiors magazines and design press. These are the paints with the memorable colour names, available in a range of finishes from Estate Eggshell to Marble Matt.

The Mylands Trade range is slightly different in formulation — more workable for professional application, with longer open time in some finishes, and formulated for the coverage rates that a professional decorator working at speed requires. Many of the same colours are available in both; the trade finish options differ slightly.

For the purposes of this guide, we focus on the Crown range and its most relevant decorative finishes for London period properties.

How Does Mylands Compare to Farrow & Ball?

This is the question we get asked most often by clients who have heard of Mylands but are used to specifying Farrow & Ball. The honest comparison:

Colour depth and pigmentation: Mylands and Farrow & Ball are comparable in their use of high-quality pigments and the resulting depth of colour. Both produce flat, chalky-matt finishes (in their respective flat emulsion lines) that respond to light in ways that standard trade emulsions cannot match. The quality of colour — particularly in mid-tones and darks — is similar at the highest end of both ranges.

Finish quality: In our experience, Mylands finishes are marginally more practical for professional application. The Estate Eggshell in particular is an excellent working paint — good flow, reasonable open time, and a finish that levels well. Farrow & Ball's equivalent estate eggshell is beautiful but can be more demanding to apply without lap marks.

Washability and durability: Farrow & Ball's Modern Emulsion range, which is their mainstream wall paint, is more washable than Mylands' Marble Matt at equivalent sheen levels. For high-traffic areas or properties with children, the Farrow & Ball Modern Emulsion has a slight practical advantage. Mylands' flat emulsion is softer and more delicate.

Price: Mylands is generally 10–15% cheaper than Farrow & Ball at retail, and the trade pricing is competitive for decorators. At trade, Mylands is often the more cost-effective choice for large-scale projects where Farrow & Ball would be the client's first instinct.

Colour range: Farrow & Ball has fewer colours (approximately 160 in the current range) but each is carefully curated and the editing is part of the brand's identity. Mylands has a larger range — over 200 standard colours — and offers a bespoke colour-matching service through its trade accounts.

The London factor: For properties in Belgravia, Chelsea, Mayfair, and similar central London postcodes, there is an authenticity argument for using Mylands that does not apply to Farrow & Ball or Little Greene. When a client asks what feels most appropriate for a room in a Georgian townhouse in Eaton Square, our answer is often Mylands — not because the quality is superior in every respect, but because the colours were developed in and for this environment.

Mylands vs Little Greene

Little Greene is a Manchester-based heritage brand with a longer formal history (founded 1773, though the modern brand is a recent repositioning) and an impressive archive of historic colours. It has become very popular in London's design market over the past decade.

The comparison with Little Greene is closer than with Farrow & Ball:

• Little Greene's colour range is excellent, with a particularly strong archive collection drawn from historic interiors.
• Mylands has a stronger London-specific identity.
• Both are good paints in professional application.
• Little Greene's Intelligent Eggshell is a strong competitor to Mylands' Estate Eggshell for joinery.

For period London properties, both brands are excellent choices. We use them interchangeably depending on the specific colour the client has in mind.

The Best Mylands Colours for London Period Properties

Here are the Mylands colours we use most often in our work across Belgravia, Chelsea, Mayfair, and the surrounding areas.

Cathedral White (No.1): The first colour in the Mylands range and still one of the finest whites in any palette. It is a warm, slightly chalky white with a subtle grey-green undertone that reads as a true clean white in most London light conditions without the blue-white coldness of Dulux Pure Brilliant White. This is our most-specified white for high-ceiling reception rooms and entrance halls in period properties. It works in both matt (Marble Matt) and estate eggshell finishes.

Lime White (No.7): A softer, creamier white than Cathedral White — slightly more yellow in the undertone and warmer under artificial light. Particularly effective in north-facing rooms and basement spaces where a pure white would read as cold. In a Georgian townhouse with plaster cornicing and original shuttered sash windows, Lime White in Marble Matt on the walls with Cathedral White on the ceiling is a combination we come back to repeatedly.

Marble Arch (No.20): A warm, pale stone — a very light taupe with creamy undertones. Named for the Marble Arch area and reflecting the colour of Portland stone in warm London light. This is an excellent whole-house neutral for period properties where a cohesive colour runs through entrance hall, staircase, and upper landings. It avoids the blandness of most commercial off-whites while remaining neutral enough to work with almost any furniture.

Malt (No.40): One of the most interesting and distinctive colours in the Mylands range — a warm, deep brown with red-amber undertones, like the colour of good whisky in a glass or the waxed panelling of an old library. In a dark study or dining room, Malt in Marble Matt creates an atmosphere of deep warmth that no other colour in the palette quite replicates. We have used it in dining rooms and library rooms in Belgravia and Chelsea townhouses and it consistently produces the response that a truly distinctive colour should — it feels considered, confident, and exactly right for the space.

Holland Park (No.89): A deep, smoky green — darker and more complex than sage, less aggressive than Farrow & Ball Calke Green. Holland Park works beautifully in reception rooms with good natural light, particularly in properties with south or west-facing aspects. Against original period architraves and cornicing in Cathedral White, it produces the combination of richness and restraint that is quintessentially London period interiors at their best.

Waterloo (No.151): A mid-dark blue-grey — sophisticated, cool, and distinctly urban. Waterloo works in home offices, bedrooms, and bathrooms where a distinctly London sensibility is wanted. Under warm artificial light it has a warmth that its cool daytime character does not suggest.

Mylands Finishes: Which to Use Where

The Mylands range includes:

Marble Matt: Their flat emulsion — maximum depth of colour, chalky finish, not washable. For walls in formal rooms and bedrooms in properties where the occupants are adults who will treat the surface carefully.

Estate Eggshell: Their standard eggshell for walls and joinery — a low-sheen finish that is more washable than Marble Matt and works on both plaster walls and timber. Our standard specification for kitchens, hallways, and rooms with children.

London Stone: A mid-sheen finish, more durable than Estate Eggshell, suitable for bathrooms and rooms with higher humidity.

Gloss: Mylands' full gloss for front doors, railings, and high-impact joinery. Rich, deep, and hard — applied over a proper oil-based undercoat, a Mylands gloss door is among the best-looking doors in any London street.

Using Mylands in Your London Property

Belgravia Painters & Decorators uses Mylands as one of our primary specified brands. We hold trade accounts and can supply paint as part of any interior decoration project, or apply client-supplied Mylands paint. We can advise on colour selection for any specific room or property — contact us for a colour consultation or a painting quote.