Farrow & Ball Hay alternatives

The colour you’re matching
Farrow & Ball Hay
Hex#D9C497LRV≈ 56ShadePale neutral

Hay is a pale neutral from Farrow & Ball, and a popular colour to match across brands or on a tighter budget. PaintDial’s closest match from another UK brand is Biscuit Base by Johnstone's (near-identical), with every other close match ranked below.

PaintDial verdict

Biscuit Base by Johnstone's is the closest match from any other brand (near-identical) — and it holds Hay’s lightness, warmth and saturation alike. It’s also the best-value tier of the close matches — unusual, as the nearest match and the best-value one usually differ. 2 of the 8 other brands have a near-identical match. LRV is estimated from each brand’s swatch, so order testers before committing.

Below is every genuinely close match to Hay from the other eight brands — ranked purely by closeness, so where one brand has several near-misses, they all appear. For the single best match per brand, see the Hay colour page.

All 20 close matches, ranked

1Biscuit BaseJohnstone's · Value · near-identicalClosest overall match.#D8C49E2HearthJohnstone's · Value · near-identical#D8C49E3Splintered SunlightJohnstone's · Value · near-identicalLighter (about 2 lrv points) than Hay.#DAC89E4FoothillsJohnstone's · Value · near-identicalLighter (about 2 lrv points) than Hay.#DAC89E5ClayLittle Greene · Premium · very close#D4C59C6Neutral BeigeJohnstone's · Value · very closeSlightly cooler and slightly softer than Hay.#D7C39F7Lavender HoneyJohnstone's · Value · very closeDarker (about 3 lrv points) than Hay.#D7BE8E8Aged BeechJohnstone's · Value · very close#DDC2979Cashew NutDulux · Mid-range · very closeLighter (about 4 lrv points) and slightly softer than Hay.#DBCAA410Ivory BeautyJohnstone's · Value · very closeLighter (about 2 lrv points), slightly cooler and slightly softer than Hay.#D9C8A611Ginger LoafJohnstone's · Value · very closeSlightly cooler and slightly softer than Hay.#D3C4A412Golden CookieDulux · Mid-range · very closeNoticeably darker (about 4 lrv points) than Hay.#D1BE8E13Bold As BrassJohnstone's · Value · very closeLighter (about 2 lrv points), slightly warmer and slightly more saturated than Hay.#DDC88F14York IvoryJohnstone's · Value · very close#DCC29C15ConsomméValspar · Value · very closeDarker (about 2 lrv points), slightly warmer and slightly more saturated than Hay.#DBBF8516Jazz HandsJohnstone's · Value · very closeLighter (about 3 lrv points) than Hay.#DBCA9517Lovely LinenJohnstone's · Value · very closeSlightly cooler and slightly softer than Hay.#D2C6A618Antique WheatJohnstone's · Value · very closeDarker (about 2 lrv points), slightly cooler and slightly softer than Hay.#D1C1A219MadeleineLittle Greene · Premium · very closeNoticeably darker (about 4 lrv points), slightly warmer and slightly more saturated than Hay.#D7BC8720Almond ButterDulux · Mid-range · very closeNoticeably lighter (about 6 lrv points) than Hay.#E2CD9E

Common questions

Is there a Dulux equivalent to Hay?

The nearest Dulux colour is Cashew Nut (very close). It won’t be pixel-perfect, so order a tester before committing.

What’s the best-value alternative to Hay?

Of the close matches, Biscuit Base by Johnstone's is the best-value option (value, near-identical).

How close are these to Hay?

The list shows every genuinely close match from other brands, ranked nearest-first by perceptual colour difference — including several from one brand where they’re all close. Screens differ from paint on a wall, so treat these as a shortlist and always order tester pots.

Matching a different colour?

Search any paint name in the tool to see its closest matches across every UK brand.

See the full Hay colour page →