Smoke Embers → Farrow & Ball
The closest Farrow & Ball matches for Benjamin Moore Smoke Embers (1466), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Farrow & Ball Equivalent for Smoke Embers
If you love Benjamin Moore Smoke Embers but need a Farrow & Ball alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Farrow & Ball, your local store does not carry Benjamin Moore, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Smoke Embers (1466) is a medium-dark gray with warm gray-beige undertones. A medium warm gray with beige undertones. Darker and more substantial than Edgecomb Gray. A sophisticated mid-tone neutral. To find a good Farrow & Ball match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 37.54) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Smoke Embers and every Farrow & Ball color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
The results are decent but not perfect. The closest Farrow & Ball option is Elephant's Breath (No.229) with a Delta E of 3.7, which is a "good match" level match. Elephant's Breath is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 36. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible. You will want to test a sample before committing, as the difference may be noticeable in certain lighting.
Farrow & Ball Matches for Smoke Embers
Elephant's Breath is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 36. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible.
| Smoke Embers | Elephant's Breath | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 37.54 | 36 |
| Hex | #B1ACA4 | #BBB2A7 |
| Undertone | Warm Gray-Beige | Warm Purple-Gray |
| Family | Gray | Greige |
Undertone Comparison
Smoke Embers has warm gray-beige undertones. A medium warm gray with beige undertones. Darker and more substantial than Edgecomb Gray. A sophisticated mid-tone neutral.
Elephant's Breath has warm purple-gray undertones. A complex, medium warm gray with purple-mauve undertones. One of Farrow & Ball's most popular and distinctive colors.
The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. Smoke Embers's warm gray-beige quality may read differently than Elephant's Breath's warm purple-gray character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Smoke Embers in Your Room
Reads as a warm, grounding medium gray in most conditions. The beige warmth prevents it from feeling cold. Good depth for accent walls or whole rooms with bright trim.
Elephant's Breath in Your Room
The purple undertone is most apparent in natural daylight. In warm artificial light, it reads as a sophisticated warm gray. Under cool light, the mauve comes forward beautifully.
LRV and Brightness
Smoke Embers has an LRV of 37.54, while Elephant's Breath has an LRV of 36. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Smoke Embers
Benjamin Moore recommends Smoke Embers for: living room, bedroom, office, dining room, accent wall. With an LRV of 37.54, this is a medium-dark color that is in the medium range, adding real depth and presence to a room. It works best in rooms with good natural light or as an accent wall color. In smaller or darker rooms, pair it with bright white trim to keep the space from feeling closed in.
Elephant's Breath is recommended for: living room, bedroom, hallway, dining room, office. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use Elephant's Breath in the same rooms you planned for Smoke Embers.
Smoke Embers in Other Brands
Looking for Smoke Embers equivalents in other brands besides Farrow & Ball? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Farrow & Ball match for Smoke Embers (1466) is Elephant's Breath (No.229) with a Delta E of 3.7, which rates as a "good match" match. Elephant's Breath is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 36. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Smoke Embers is a Benjamin Moore color with warm gray-beige undertones and an LRV of 37.54. Elephant's Breath is a Farrow & Ball color with warm purple-gray undertones and an LRV of 36. With a Delta E of 3.7, the difference is subtle and mainly visible in direct side-by-side comparison. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 3.7, the difference is enough that they should not be used on adjacent walls in the same room. You can use them in separate rooms of the same house, but be aware that walking from one room to the other may reveal the difference, especially if the rooms have similar lighting. For the most consistent look, pick one brand for all connected living spaces and reserve the other brand for visually separate rooms like bathrooms or bedrooms behind closed doors.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Farrow & Ball equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Farrow & Ball. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Farrow & Ball work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.