Charleston Gray
No. 243 · #9A9087 · LRV 29 — warm red-orange tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Roycroft Brass15
- 2Anonymous20
- 3Charleston Gray29
- 4Light French Gray53
- 5Accessible Beige58
What Color Is Charleston Gray, Really?
Charleston Gray reads as a warm red-orange tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Farrow & Ball No. 243 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Charleston Gray
Charleston Gray is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
How Lighting Changes Charleston Gray
Charleston Gray sits in the mid-range at LRV 29, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its orange undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Charleston Gray are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Farrow & Ball No. 243 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Elephant EarSW 9168 · Sherwin-Williams | 1.0 | 28 | Color page → |
| Behr | Country Club770B-5 · Behr | 1.0 | 28 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Studio ClayCSP-380 · Benjamin Moore | 3.2 | 29 | Color page → |
| Valspar | State of Mind8005-10E · Valspar | 1.9 | 28 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Nut ShellPPG14-02 · PPG / Glidden | 1.4 | 29 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Nut ShellPPG14-02 · Glidden | 1.7 | 28 | Color page → |
Similar Farrow & Ball Colors
The nearest shades to Charleston Gray within Farrow & Ball's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #9A9087 in HSL space. Pair Charleston Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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