Earthborn Paint
The UK’s original eco paint — and, in our view, still the best. Here’s an architect’s honest guide to the whole Earthborn range, and how to choose the right finish for your home.
We’re not a general paint retailer. We’re an architect-led paint shop, and we chose to specialise in Earthborn for a simple reason: it’s the eco paint we’re happiest to specify.
Earthborn launched in 2002 from Cheshire with a genuinely radical aim — to make a true eco alternative to conventional paint, at a time when almost no one else was. They became the first UK paint brand ever awarded the EU Ecolabel — an independent accreditation that can’t be bought, only earned by meeting strict environmental and health criteria across ingredients and manufacturing. Over twenty years later, that commitment hasn’t wavered.
What sets Earthborn apart isn’t marketing — it’s substance. Every tin carries a full list of ingredients (still rare in the paint world), the paints are virtually VOC-free, and the range is designed around a genuinely holistic view: not just what goes into the paint, but what comes out into the air of your home.
What makes Earthborn different
First UK holder of the EU Ecolabel — independent, unbuyable proof of eco credentials
Virtually VOC-free — no added VOCs, ever; no harsh smells or harmful emissions
Full ingredient transparency — every tin lists exactly what’s in it
Exceptionally breathable — Claypaint for walls and Silicate Masonry outside -ideal for period and lime-plastered buildings
Child, baby and pet safe — the interior range carries the Toy Safety Standard (EN71-3:2019); you can paint a room and sleep in it the same night
Kind to allergy and asthma sufferers — static-resistant, low-allergen
Vegan friendly — and never tested on animals (note: Casein Filler contains milk protein and Furniture Wax contains beeswax, so those two are vegetarian)
Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold — best-in-class, independently verified low-emission certification, accepted by BREEAM and LEED
Recyclable tins, biodegradable packaging — the ethos runs right through
Earthborn are refreshingly honest, too: they don’t call their paint “natural,” because all liquid paints need some synthetic ingredients (a binder, a preservative). That honesty is exactly why we trust them — and why we’re happy to put our name to them.
The bigger picture: healthy buildings, not just eco paint
A principle of — Baubiologie (building biology) is that a building should be healthy to live in, not only efficient to run.
As homes are built and retrofitted to be increasingly airtight for energy efficiency, the way they handle moisture and air quality becomes a considered design decision rather than something left to chance. A well-designed airtight home manages this deliberately — with good ventilation to expel stale air and draw in fresh — but the materials we choose still matter, working with that strategy rather than against it.
This is where Claypaint earns its place. Its breathability allows moisture to move through the wall surface and helps buffer humidity — a genuine benefit in tightly built and older solid-walled homes alike. And because it’s virtually VOC-free, it adds nothing harmful to the indoor air in the first place. Good ventilation removes what shouldn’t be there; a breathable, low-emission finish means there’s less that shouldn’t be there to begin with.
For us, that’s simply part of building well — the same holistic thinking, from the structure right down to the paint on the walls.
The Earthborn range
Earthborn’s signature Classic range comes in one palette of beautiful colours, available in four different finishes — so you can carry a colour scheme right through a room, from walls to woodwork. Plus a specialist exterior masonry paint, and a family of complementary products.
Here’s the range, and how to choose:
Claypaint
The hero product, and the one we’re best known for — a luxurious, ultra-matt, exceptionally breathable clay-based emulsion. Suitable for every home, from new builds to the oldest lime-plastered cottages, its breathability is a benefit everywhere — helping to regulate moisture and keep a room feeling fresh — and it’s genuinely essential on lime plaster and in period properties. It’s wonderfully versatile, too: use it on walls and woodwork to carry one soft matt colour right through a room for the calm, seamless “colour-drenched” look, or on furniture (it comes in a 750ml tin, sold as Eco Chic, finished with Furniture Wax for durability).
Being ultra-matt, Claypaint isn’t designed for scrubbing — light marks wipe away gently, and Wall Glaze can be applied over the top to add durability and wipeability where it’s really needed, such as beside a kitchen bin. For walls that take heavier wear — a busy kitchen, or a hallway with dogs jumping up — Lifestyle is the better choice, provided breathability isn’t a requirement.
Lifestyle Emulsion
A durable, washable, low-sheen emulsion for busy homes — hallways, kitchens, family rooms — where walls need to wipe clean. Unlike Claypaint, Lifestyle is not highly breathable and isn’t suitable for lime plaster — it trades breathability for washability, so it’s the right choice for modern, hard-wearing walls rather than period or lime-plastered surfaces.
Eggshell No.17
A washable, scuff-resistant water-based eggshell for interior woodwork — doors, skirting, furniture and cabinets. Dries to a soft silk sheen. The more durable choice for high-traffic woodwork that takes knocks or frequent wiping.
Silicate Masonry Paint
A highly breathable, weather-resistant mineral paint system for exterior walls — a long-lasting, breathable alternative to limewash and plastic masonry paints.
Plus the supporting cast: Multi Purpose Primer, Isolating Primer, Furniture Wax, Wall Glaze, Casein Filler and Wallpaper Paste — the complete Earthborn system.
Which Earthborn paint do I need?
The question we’re asked most. Here’s the honest short answer:
Walls & ceilings, any home → Claypaint — suitable for every home, new or period, and the most breathable
Period or lime-plastered walls → Claypaint (its breathability is essential here; Lifestyle isn’t suitable)
A whole-room, colour-drenched scheme → Claypaint on walls and woodwork for one seamless matt colour
Busy modern home where walls need wiping → Lifestyle (durable and washable, but not breathable — not for lime plaster), or Claypaint with Wall Glaze if you want breathability and a wipeable finish
High-traffic woodwork — doors, frames that take knocks → Eggshell No.17 (more durable)
Kitchen cupboards & cabinets → Eggshell No.17 (primed with Multi Purpose Primer) for the most durable, wipeable finish — or Claypaint sealed with Furniture Wax if you prefer an ultra-matt look. For high-gloss, melamine or laminate cupboards, sand well to provide a key and use a suitable primer — test a small area first.
Upcycling furniture → Claypaint (in the 750ml Eco Chic tin), finished with Furniture Wax
Outside — masonry, render, stone → Silicate Masonry Paint
Not sure? That’s what we’re here for — send us a photo on WhatsApp and we’ll help you choose.
Buying Earthborn from us
We hold Earthborn’s full range of colours, including the latest additions, and we offer:
• 100ml sample pots at 25% off — the best way to try a colour on your own wall first
• The full colour range in every finish and tin size
• Free Earthborn colour cards — just WhatsApp us on 01297 553506 and we’ll post one out, no charge
• Genuine advice on choosing the right paint — not just a checkout