Neptune Paint Specialists — Staffordshire & Cheshire
The full Neptune palette — Driftwood, Silver Birch, Shell, Salt, Honed Slate, Moss — applied to the standard premium paint deserves. Dulux Trade as standard, Neptune Paint when you want the country-style palette and depth of finish only Neptune delivers.
Straight up: we're not exclusively Neptune
Dulux Trade is what we use day-to-day. Neptune Paint is a specialty we offer when customers specifically want the Neptune palette and finish. If you've come here because you've already chosen Neptune for your project, you're in the right place — we know the paint, we apply it properly, and we'll order it in for your job. If you're undecided between Neptune and Dulux Trade, read on — both have their place and neither one is the wrong answer.
What is Neptune Paint?
Neptune Paint is the paint range made by Neptune Home (the UK furniture and homewares brand). It's a premium-priced range — around £59 for 2.5 litres of Estate Emulsion, vs ~£35 for an equivalent Dulux Trade tin — built around a curated palette of muted, country-style colours designed to pair with Neptune's furniture, kitchens and homewares.
The finishes are: Estate Emulsion (a dead-flat matt for walls and ceilings), Eggshell (for woodwork, doors and trim), and a smaller Floor Paint range. Coverage is good, but Neptune is a slightly thicker, more pigmented paint than trade emulsion — three coats is more typical than two if you want the depth of colour the range is known for.
When Neptune Paint is the right call
You want the Neptune palette specifically
Driftwood, Silver Birch, Shell, Salt, Honed Slate, Moss — these colours have no exact equivalent in standard trade paint ranges.
You're matching Neptune furniture or a Neptune kitchen
Neptune's paint colours are designed to live alongside their furniture and cabinetry. The match is intentional.
You want the chalkier, deeper Estate Emulsion finish
Neptune Estate Emulsion sits flatter and feels more 'velvet' than trade vinyl matts. The difference is real, especially on feature walls.
Country-style or period property
Neptune's palette suits Georgian, Victorian and country properties particularly well. Stone, sandstone, oak — Neptune pairs.
Neptune's hero colours
These are the six most-requested Neptune colours. We've applied each across multiple jobs in Staffordshire and Cheshire — get in touch and we'll talk through what works in your specific rooms and light.
Driftwood
warm grey
A soft, warm mid-grey with a faint brown undertone — Neptune's most popular single colour. Reads as a calm neutral in daylight and warms up beautifully under lamplight.
Best for: Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways. Works as a hero wall colour or sitewide. Particularly good in north-facing rooms where cooler greys can feel hard.
Silver Birch
off white
A warm off-white with the faintest hint of grey-beige. Not stark, not creamy — sits cleanly between the two.
Best for: Whole-house off-white. Trim, doors, ceilings, and walls where you want maximum light without sterile bright white.
Shell
off white
A very pale, almost imperceptible warm off-white. Slightly pinker than Silver Birch — gives walls a soft glow under both natural and artificial light.
Best for: Bedrooms, bathrooms, anywhere you want warmth without colour. Coastal-style schemes.
Salt
off white
A clean, cool off-white — Neptune's nearest answer to a true bright white, but with enough warmth to avoid the clinical feel of pure white emulsion.
Best for: Kitchens, utility rooms, modern bathrooms. Ceilings throughout if you want crispness without going stark.
Honed Slate
cool grey
A deep, complex blue-grey — the colour of weathered slate roofing. Neptune's signature dark-feature colour. Very different to a flat charcoal — it has real undertone shifts as the light moves.
Best for: Feature walls, kitchen islands, panelled hallways, library shelves. A single Honed Slate wall transforms a room.
Moss
green
A deep, dusky English green — softer and grever than typical sage or Farrow & Ball's stronger greens.
Best for: Studies, libraries, dining rooms, panelled feature walls, kitchen islands.
How we apply Neptune Paint
- 1
Free site visit + colour samples
We come out, look at the rooms, talk colours, bring sample swatches, discuss finishes.
- 2
Order the paint
Neptune isn't carried by trade suppliers — we order direct from Neptune for your job. 5–7 days delivery.
- 3
Surface prep
Fill, sand, vacuum. Neptune Estate Emulsion shows every imperfection because the finish is so flat — prep is non-negotiable.
- 4
Three coats minimum
Two coats is usually enough with Dulux Trade. Neptune needs three for the depth of colour the range is built around. We don't shortcut.
- 5
Reveal + sign off
Masking removed, room cleaned, inspected together under different light. Final touch-ups if needed.
Neptune Paint pricing (Staffordshire & Cheshire)
Labour is the same as any standard room — what changes is the paint cost. Neptune Estate Emulsion is around £25 per litre more than Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt, plus we apply three coats rather than two. Per room, expect:
Includes prep, masking, three coats, all materials. Paint passed through at supplier rate, no mark-up. Multi-room discounts up to 12%. Final price confirmed after free site visit. Comparable Dulux Trade prices are around £80–£150 lower per room.
Get your Neptune Paint quoteNeptune Paint specialists — towns we cover
Tap a town for local pricing and details. We cover the whole catchment for Neptune jobs even if your town isn't listed — get in touch.
Neptune Paint — FAQs
Do you only use Neptune Paint?
No — and this is important. Dulux Trade is our standard on most jobs and what we use day-to-day. Neptune Paint is a specialty we offer when customers specifically ask for it (or are searching for a painter who already knows the brand). We also work with Crown Trade, Farrow & Ball and Little Greene on request. So if you've come here because you want Neptune, you're in the right place — but we won't pretend Neptune is our only paint when it isn't.
Why use Neptune Paint instead of Dulux Trade?
Neptune Paint is a premium-priced UK paint range (around £59 for 2.5L Estate Emulsion vs ~£35 for Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt). What you're paying for is (a) the colour palette — Neptune's muted, country-style colours don't have an exact equivalent in trade paint ranges, and (b) a deeper, chalkier finish. If you specifically want the Neptune look — Driftwood, Silver Birch, Shell, Honed Slate, Moss — there's no perfect substitute. For everyday durability and value, Dulux Trade is genuinely the better buy.
How much extra does Neptune Paint cost on a job?
On a typical room, expect to pay around £80–£150 more than the same job in Dulux Trade — that's the paint cost difference (Neptune is roughly £25 per litre more than Dulux Trade). The labour is the same. We pass the paint cost through at supplier rate, no mark-up.
Which Neptune colours are most popular?
Driftwood (a warm mid-grey) is Neptune's hero colour by a long way. After that: Silver Birch (warm off-white), Shell (very pale warm white), Salt (cool off-white), Honed Slate (a complex blue-grey feature colour), and Moss (a dusky English green). We've put together a full colour guide with room recommendations and pairings.
Will Neptune Paint last as long as Dulux Trade?
On walls and ceilings, yes — Neptune Estate Emulsion is a flat-matt water-based paint that wears similarly to Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt. On trim and woodwork, Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell and Neptune Eggshell are roughly comparable for durability. Neither is as washable as a true wipeable matt (Dulux Trade Diamond Matt, Crown Trade Clean Extreme) — if you've got young children and need to scrub the walls, those are better picks regardless of brand.
Where do you source Neptune Paint?
Direct from Neptune (neptune.com) or from authorised Neptune showrooms. Neptune isn't sold through trade decorator suppliers like Brewers or Crown Decorator Centre, so we order it specifically for your job. Allow 5–7 working days for delivery if we need to order. We're happy to use paint you've already bought — bring it in and we'll work with it.
Can I see Neptune colours before committing?
Yes — and we'd strongly recommend it. Neptune sells sample pots (around £4 each) and small painted swatches. Paint a square metre on the wall you're considering and live with it for 48 hours through different lighting before you commit. We'll bring samples to the site visit and discuss what works in your specific rooms.
Which areas do you cover for Neptune Paint?
Staffordshire and Cheshire. We've focused our Neptune service pages on Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Tamworth, Crewe and Congleton, but we cover the whole catchment for Neptune jobs — get in touch and we'll come out.
Neptune Paint guides
Neptune Paint colours guide
Every Neptune colour we know, what rooms suit it, and what to pair it with. Driftwood, Silver Birch, Shell, Honed Slate, Moss and the rest.
Neptune Paint review — a working painter's take
Honest review of Neptune Estate Emulsion and Eggshell. Coverage, finish, durability, application, price — and how it compares to Dulux Trade, Crown Trade, and Farrow & Ball.
Ready to talk Neptune Paint?
Free site visit with sample swatches. Fixed-price quote, no obligation. Get yours in 60 seconds.