Cinder → Farrow & Ball
The closest Farrow & Ball matches for Sherwin Williams Cinder (SW 9170), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Farrow & Ball Equivalent for Cinder
If you love Sherwin Williams Cinder 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 Sherwin Williams, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Cinder (SW 9170) is a dark gray with warm charcoal undertones. A warm, dark charcoal. Between Peppercorn and Gauntlet Gray. To find a good Farrow & Ball match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 13) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Cinder 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 Cinder. Down Pipe (No.26) comes in with a Delta E of 2.5, which puts it in the "excellent match" range. Down Pipe is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 10. Very close match with F&B's signature chalky depth.
Farrow & Ball Matches for Cinder
Down Pipe is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 10. Very close match with F&B's signature chalky depth.
| Cinder | Down Pipe | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 13 | 10 |
| Hex | #75736E | #5F5D58 |
| Undertone | Warm Charcoal | Warm Green-Gray |
| Family | Gray | Gray |
Undertone Comparison
Cinder has warm charcoal undertones. A warm, dark charcoal. Between Peppercorn and Gauntlet Gray.
Down Pipe has warm green-gray undertones. A deep, warm dark gray with subtle green undertones. Softer and warmer than Railings, less blue than Off-Black. A classic F&B dark neutral.
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. Cinder's warm charcoal quality may read differently than Down Pipe's warm green-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
Cinder in Your Room
Dark and warm. Shows brown warmth in bright light.
Down Pipe in Your Room
In bright light, the warm green character is visible. In dim rooms, it reads as a sophisticated dark charcoal. Less dramatic than black but with real presence.
LRV and Brightness
Cinder has an LRV of 13, while Down Pipe has an LRV of 10. 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 Cinder
Sherwin Williams recommends Cinder for: accent wall, exterior, front door, cabinets. With an LRV of 13, this is a dark color that absorbs more light than it reflects. It makes a bold statement and works beautifully on accent walls, front doors, exterior trim, and features where drama is the goal. In a full room, make sure you have good lighting and bright white trim for contrast.
Down Pipe is recommended for: front door, accent wall, cabinets, exterior, powder room. 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.
Cinder in Other Brands
Looking for Cinder equivalents in other brands besides Farrow & Ball? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Farrow & Ball match for Cinder (SW 9170) is Down Pipe (No.26) with a Delta E of 2.5, which rates as a "excellent match" match. Down Pipe is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 10. Very close match with F&B's signature chalky depth. 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. Cinder is a Sherwin Williams color with warm charcoal undertones and an LRV of 13. Down Pipe is a Farrow & Ball color with warm green-gray undertones and an LRV of 10. With a Delta E of 2.5, 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 2.5, 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.