Elephant's Breath (No.229)
One of Farrow & Ball's most iconic colors. A complex warm gray with a distinctive purple-mauve undertone that sets it apart from standard greiges. Named for the dusty warmth of an elephant's exhalation.
About Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath
Elephant's Breath (No.229) is a greige from Farrow & Ball's collection with an LRV of 31 and warm purple-gray undertones. One of Farrow & Ball's most iconic colors. A complex warm gray with a distinctive purple-mauve undertone that sets it apart from standard greiges. Named for the dusty warmth of an elephant's exhalation.
Elephant's Breath is a deeper color with an LRV of 31, meaning it absorbs more light than it reflects. This gives it real drama and sophistication. It works well on accent walls, exterior siding, front doors, cabinets, and architectural features where you want a bold statement. In a full room application, make sure you have adequate lighting and use bright white trim to prevent the space from feeling too dark.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
Elephant's Breath has an LRV of 31, placing it in the medium-dark range on the 0-to-100 scale. LRV measures the percentage of visible light a color reflects. A pure black has an LRV of 0 and a pure white has an LRV of 100. Understanding a color's LRV helps you predict how it will feel in your space: higher LRV means brighter and more spacious, lower LRV means cozier and more intimate.
Undertone Analysis
Elephant's Breath has warm purple-gray undertones. Undertones are the subtle background colors that become visible in different lighting conditions. Even colors that look "neutral" in the store will reveal their undertones once they are on your walls and interacting with natural light, artificial light, and the colors around them.
One of Farrow & Ball's most iconic colors. A complex warm gray with a distinctive purple-mauve undertone that sets it apart from standard greiges. Named for the dusty warmth of an elephant's exhalation. Warm undertones like these pair naturally with other warm elements: honey-toned wood floors, brass and gold hardware, cream-colored textiles, and warm-toned furnishings. They can clash with strongly cool elements like icy blue accents or chrome fixtures, though the effect depends on the strength of the undertone.
Lighting Behavior
The purple undertone is most visible in north-facing rooms and cool daylight. In warm south light, it reads more as a warm mid-gray. Under incandescent lighting, the purple fades and the warmth dominates. Stunning with both brass and chrome hardware.
Every paint color looks different depending on the light source in your room. South-facing rooms get warm, direct sunlight that brings out yellow and warm undertones. North-facing rooms get cool, indirect light that emphasizes blue and gray undertones. East-facing rooms are bright and warm in the morning, cooler in the afternoon. West-facing rooms are the opposite: cool morning, warm afternoon. Incandescent and warm LED bulbs push colors warmer, while cool-white LEDs and fluorescent tubes push colors cooler. To avoid surprises, always test Elephant's Breath with a physical sample on your actual wall, and observe it at different times of day before committing.
Best Rooms for Elephant's Breath
Farrow & Ball recommends Elephant's Breath for: living room, bedroom, hallway, dining room, whole house.
Elephant's Breath is versatile enough to use as a whole-house color, providing a consistent, cohesive look as you move from room to room. Whole-house colors need to work in multiple lighting conditions and alongside various furnishings, which is why a balanced LRV (31) and manageable undertones are essential. Elephant's Breath handles this well.
Closest Matches in Other Brands
Find the closest equivalent to Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath from other paint brands. Matches are calculated using Delta E (CIE2000), the industry standard for measuring perceptual color difference.
Benjamin Moore Matches
Revere Pewter is warmer and more beige. It lacks Elephant's Breath's distinctive purple lean, but captures a similar warmth and depth.
View all Benjamin Moore matches →Chelsea Gray is darker and greener. Similar weight but very different personality.
View all Benjamin Moore matches →Sherwin Williams Matches
Mega Greige is the closest SW option. Similar depth and warmth, though it doesn't capture the purple undertone that makes Elephant's Breath special.
View all Sherwin Williams matches →Dovetail is darker and more purely gray. Lacks the warmth and purple character.
View all Sherwin Williams matches →Behr Matches
Silver Drop is lighter and cooler. No close Behr match captures the unique purple-gray quality of Elephant's Breath.
View all Behr matches →Valspar Matches
Smoke Infusion is the closest Valspar option, though it misses the purple undertone.
View all Valspar matches →PPG Matches
Gray Palomino is close in depth but more neutral.
View all PPG matches →Coordinating Colors
These colors pair beautifully with Elephant's Breath for a cohesive palette. Use them for trim, accents, adjacent rooms, or furniture to create a well-designed space.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath is Mega Greige (SW 7031) with a Delta E of 4.4, which rates as a "good match" match. Mega Greige is the closest SW option. Similar depth and warmth, though it doesn't capture the purple undertone that makes Elephant's Breath special. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart, while 2 to 4 means the difference is subtle.
Elephant's Breath has warm purple-gray undertones. One of Farrow & Ball's most iconic colors. A complex warm gray with a distinctive purple-mauve undertone that sets it apart from standard greiges. Named for the dusty warmth of an elephant's exhalation. Undertones become most visible when the color is on a large surface like a wall, and they shift depending on the light source in your room. Always test with a physical sample in your specific space to see how the undertones interact with your lighting, flooring, and furnishings.
Elephant's Breath (No.229) has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 31, which puts it in the medium-dark range. LRV measures the percentage of light a color reflects on a scale from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white). At 31, this is a darker color that creates a cozy, intimate atmosphere. Pair it with bright white trim for the best contrast.
Elephant's Breath leans warm. The warm purple-gray undertones give it a cozy, inviting quality. It pairs naturally with other warm elements like wood tones, brass hardware, and cream textiles. In north-facing rooms, the warmth is especially welcoming.
Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Last reviewed: March 26, 2026.