Color spec
| Brand | Clare |
| Name | Irony |
| SKU | PNT100-MD-16 |
| Hex | #7B8082 |
| RGB | 123, 128, 130 |
| HSL | 197°, 3%, 50% |
| LRV | 21 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Gray |
About Clare Irony
With an LRV of 21, Irony is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Irony works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
16 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Clare colors
closest in the Clare deckThe nearest shades to Irony within Clare's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #7B8082 in HSL space. Pair Irony with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Clare Irony Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Irony from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Clare PNT100-MD-16 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Irony
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Scattered Showers (SW 9559), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.15). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Irony without repainting risk. See the full Scattered Showers swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Irony
Behr's nearest match is Game Over (T12-10), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.41). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Irony without repainting risk. See the full Game Over swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Irony
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Irony is Charcoal Linen (2133-40) — very close at ΔE 2.3, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Charcoal Linen swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Irony
At Valspar, the closest color to Irony is Vessel Gray (4005-2A) — very close at ΔE 2.25, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21.2 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Vessel Gray swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Irony
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Irony is Steamship (PPG0996-5) — very close at ΔE 2.87, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Steamship swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Irony
Glidden's nearest match is Flagstone Grey (50BG 22/030), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.31). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Irony without repainting risk. See the full Flagstone Grey swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Irony
The closest Dutch Boy equivalent of Irony is Refined Gray (435-5DB). At ΔE 0.98 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same true neutral undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21). If Dutch Boy is your counter, order Refined Gray and you'll get the same color. See the full Refined Gray swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Irony
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Irony is Armitage Grey (HGSW 1483) — very close at ΔE 3.02, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Armitage Grey swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Irony
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Storm Cloud (DE6362), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.79). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Irony without repainting risk. See the full Storm Cloud swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Irony
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Irony. The nearest is De Nimes (NO. 299) at ΔE 4.07 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 21). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full De Nimes swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Irony
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Subtle Shadow (0534), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.58). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Irony without repainting risk. See the full Subtle Shadow swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Irony
Rodda has no exact twin of Irony. The nearest is Duende (R098) at ΔE 4.09 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Duende swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Irony
Kompozit's nearest match is Subtle Shadow (0534), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.58). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 21) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Irony without repainting risk. See the full Subtle Shadow swatch →