Ash → Farrow & Ball
The closest Farrow & Ball matches for PPG Ash (PPG1025-6), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Farrow & Ball Equivalent for Ash
If you love PPG Ash 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 PPG, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Ash (PPG1025-6) is a medium-dark taupe with warm ash-taupe undertones. A warm, earthy taupe with ash-like undertones. Deeper than Transcend, with the muted quality of cold fireplace ash. Sophisticated and grounding. PPG's strongest dark neutral option for interiors. To find a good Farrow & Ball match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 28) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Ash 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 good news: there is a strong Farrow & Ball match for Ash. Mole's Breath (No.276) comes in with a Delta E of 2.3, which puts it in the "excellent match" range. Mole's Breath is the closest F&B option. Very close match.
Farrow & Ball Matches for Ash
Mole's Breath is the closest F&B option. Very close match.
| Ash | Mole's Breath | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 28 | 26 |
| Hex | #A29B92 | #9F9991 |
| Undertone | Warm Ash-Taupe | Warm Mole Taupe |
| Family | Taupe | Taupe |
Undertone Comparison
Ash has warm ash-taupe undertones. A warm, earthy taupe with ash-like undertones. Deeper than Transcend, with the muted quality of cold fireplace ash. Sophisticated and grounding. PPG's strongest dark neutral option for interiors.
Mole's Breath has warm mole taupe undertones. A warm taupe named for the underground creature. Lighter than Mouse's Back, deeper than Charleston Gray. Earthy, warm, and utterly F&B.
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. Ash's warm ash-taupe quality may read differently than Mole's Breath's warm mole taupe 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
Ash in Your Room
In bright light, the warm taupe character is visible. In dim rooms, it reads as a warm, substantial dark neutral. The ash quality gives it an organic, lived-in feel.
Mole's Breath in Your Room
Warm and grounding. In bright rooms, a rich warm taupe. In dim rooms, cozy and intimate.
LRV and Brightness
Ash has an LRV of 28, while Mole's Breath has an LRV of 26. 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 Ash
PPG recommends Ash for: accent wall, exterior, office, dining room, bedroom. With an LRV of 28, 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.
Mole's Breath is recommended for: living room, dining room, bedroom, accent wall, hallway. The recommended applications differ slightly between brands, but the color's properties should work in the same rooms regardless of which brand you choose. Trust the LRV and undertone data more than the specific room suggestions, and always test in your actual space.
Ash in Other Brands
Looking for Ash equivalents in other brands besides Farrow & Ball? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Farrow & Ball match for Ash (PPG1025-6) is Mole's Breath (No.276) with a Delta E of 2.3, which rates as a "excellent match" match. Mole's Breath is the closest F&B option. Very close match. 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. Ash is a PPG color with warm ash-taupe undertones and an LRV of 28. Mole's Breath is a Farrow & Ball color with warm mole taupe undertones and an LRV of 26. With a Delta E of 2.3, 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 2.3, these colors are close enough to use in separate rooms of the same house without a jarring difference. However, avoid painting them on adjacent walls in the same room, as even subtle differences become apparent at a hard edge where two paints meet. For the smoothest result, use one brand consistently within each connected space and reserve the other brand for rooms that are visually separated.
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.