Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Monkey Puzzle |
| SKU | No. 238 |
| Hex | #4B5956 |
| RGB | 75, 89, 86 |
| HSL | 167°, 9%, 32% |
| LRV | 9 |
| Undertone | cool blue-green tone |
| Family | Gray |
About Farrow & Ball Monkey Puzzle
At LRV 9, Monkey Puzzle is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. Its teal 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Monkey Puzzle earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
15 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
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Monkey Puzzle within Farrow & Ball'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 #4B5956 in HSL space. Pair Monkey Puzzle 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.
Farrow & Ball Monkey Puzzle Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Monkey Puzzle 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 Farrow & Ball No. 238 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is Still Water (SW 6223) — very close at ΔE 3.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Still Water swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At Behr, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is Hostaleaf (MQ6-09) — very close at ΔE 2.1, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Hostaleaf swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Dark Pewter (2122-10), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.65). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Monkey Puzzle without repainting risk. See the full Dark Pewter swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
Valspar's nearest match is Prehistoric (V100-6), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.49). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9.2 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Monkey Puzzle without repainting risk. See the full Prehistoric swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is Antique Slate (PPG13-29) — very close at ΔE 3.33, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Antique Slate swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At Glidden, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is Antique Slate (PPG13-29) — very close at ΔE 3.33, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Antique Slate swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is Sprucey (429-6DB) — very close at ΔE 3.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Sprucey swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is Oceanus (HGSW 3301) — very close at ΔE 3.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Oceanus swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
Dunn-Edwards's nearest match is Black Spruce (DE6308), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.65). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a cool green undertone, so it substitutes for Monkey Puzzle without repainting risk. See the full Black Spruce swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is 1905 Green (JG-151) — very close at ΔE 2.3, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a cool green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full 1905 Green swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is Green Column (0466) — very close at ΔE 3, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Green Column swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Deep Sea Shadow (0480), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.94). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Monkey Puzzle without repainting risk. See the full Deep Sea Shadow swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
Rodda has no exact twin of Monkey Puzzle. The nearest is Foundation (R066) at ΔE 4.22 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Foundation swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
At C2 Paint, the closest color to Monkey Puzzle is Cypress (C2-710) — very close at ΔE 2.54, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cypress swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Monkey Puzzle
Kompozit's nearest match is Deep Sea Shadow (0480), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.94). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Monkey Puzzle without repainting risk. See the full Deep Sea Shadow swatch →