Farrow & Ball 5L Estate Emulsion Drawing Room Blue No.253

Drawing Room Blue is a welcome middle ground between two current Farrow & Ball favourites – the navy Stiffkey Blue and the more purple Pitch Blue. It's a strong, clear and saturated colour that works well alongside tones of equal strength, such as Pitch Black and Incarnadine. For a more traditional look, try pairing Drawing Room Blue walls with All White woodwork.

About Estate Emulsion

5 Litres of Drawing Room Blue No.253 in Farrow & Ball Estate Emulsion, the brand's signature chalky, very matt finish for interior walls and ceilings. Its 2% sheen responds beautifully to all types of light, and the distinctive chalky texture minimises imperfections while giving colour real depth. Gently wipeable rather than washable, it is best suited to calmer, low-traffic rooms such as bedrooms and living rooms.

Key features

• Signature chalky, very matt finish with a 2% sheen
• Minimises imperfections and brings out depth of colour
• Gently wipeable, but not washable
• Highly breathable: rated Class I (High) for water-vapour permeability, the top class
• Water based, quick drying, low odour and low VOC
• Toy safe and A+ rated for indoor air quality

Where to use: interior walls and ceilings in low-traffic areas, such as bedrooms and living rooms. Not suitable for kitchens, bathrooms or other areas of high wear; for those, Farrow & Ball recommend Dead Flat.

Preparation: use Farrow & Ball Wall & Ceiling Primer & Undercoat in the correct colour tone before your top coats. New, bare plaster can instead take a mist coat of Estate Emulsion diluted with 25% water. Not for surfaces with a pH above 10. Paint between 10°C and 30°C.

Coverage and drying: up to 14m² per litre per coat, so this 5 litre tin covers up to 70m² per coat. Two coats are recommended (darker or stronger colours may need more). Dry in 2 hours and recoat after 2 hours; allow longer in cool or humid conditions, and note that some darker colours take up to 14 days to reach full hardness.

Size: 5 litre. Estate Emulsion is available in 2.5 litre and 5 litre tins, with 100ml sample pots also made by Farrow & Ball.