Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Pigeon |
| SKU | No. 25 |
| Hex | #A0A296 |
| RGB | 160, 162, 150 |
| HSL | 70°, 6%, 61% |
| LRV | 35 |
| Undertone | warm yellow tone |
| Family | Gray |
What Color Is Pigeon, Really?
Pigeon (No. 25) is a soft mid gray with a quiet green lean. Its measured saturation is only about 6 percent, so it is very close to a true neutral, but the small amount of color it carries sits on the yellow-green side of the wheel. That is why it can read as a gentle sage in some rooms and a plain warm gray in others. With an LRV of 35, it lands squarely in mid-tone territory: darker than a typical greige, lighter than a charcoal.
It earned its reputation as Farrow & Ball's go-to color for kitchen islands and built-in cabinetry, where its muted green-gray gives painted joinery weight without going dark. That same restraint makes it easy to live with.
Pigeon suits homes that want calm, slightly countryside color rather than a stark modern gray. It works for people who like green but do not want an obvious green wall.
The number that matters most here is saturation: at roughly 6 percent, Pigeon is near-neutral with only a slight lean. That lean sits at a yellow-green hue, which is why Farrow & Ball describes it as a blue-green-gray and why it never feels like a cold, silvery gray. The warm yellow underneath keeps it soft.
The green shows most on large wall areas, in daylight, and next to anything white. Against crisp white trim, Pigeon looks distinctly sage. Set beside warmer beiges it can flip and look more gray, even faintly blue in cool afternoon light.
Because the color is this subtle, always test it against a true white card and against the other finishes in the room. A big sample board will tell you whether Pigeon is reading green, gray, or blue in your specific space before you commit a whole wall or a run of cabinets.
Best Rooms and Uses for Pigeon
At an LRV of 35, Pigeon is a versatile mid-tone rather than a whole-home light color. It has enough depth to feel like a real color choice but stays soft enough for full walls in rooms with decent light.
Its strongest use is exactly what Farrow & Ball is known for: kitchen islands and built-in cabinetry. On joinery, bookcases, and a run of Shaker cabinets, Pigeon gives painted wood presence without the heaviness of a dark green or navy. It is also a natural for mudrooms, pantries, and laundry rooms.
On walls it works well in bedrooms, studies, and living rooms where you want a grounded, restful backdrop. Outdoors it is a classic for front doors, shutters, and garden joinery, where the green-gray sits happily against brick and foliage. As trim in a lighter room it can frame walls with a subtle contrast.
How Lighting Changes Pigeon
With an LRV of 35, Pigeon reflects a moderate amount of light, so it deepens noticeably in dim conditions and lifts in bright ones. It is not a color that holds one fixed look all day.
In north-facing rooms, which get cool, steady light, Pigeon leans grayer and can feel cooler and slightly blue. In south-facing rooms the extra warmth pulls the green forward and makes it look softer and more sage. East light reads fresh and green in the morning, then flattens by afternoon; west rooms warm up and green in the evening.
Bulb choice matters just as much. Warm white bulbs around 2700K bring out the yellow-green and keep Pigeon inviting, which suits kitchens and living rooms. Cooler bulbs push it toward a plain gray. Given the LRV, avoid a very dim room unless you want it to read almost charcoal at night.
Most complaints about Pigeon 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.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Pigeon vs Similar Colors
French Gray (No. 18), LRV 38, is Pigeon's closest cousin on this site and slightly lighter. French Gray reads a touch cleaner and cooler; Pigeon carries a bit more warmth and depth, so choose French Gray when you want the same green-gray feel but airier, and Pigeon when you want joinery to feel more grounded.
Manor House Gray (No. 265), LRV 35, sits at the same lightness but is a more purely neutral gray with far less green. If you find Pigeon reads too sage in your light, Manor House Gray gives you the same mid-tone weight without the color lean.
Lichen (No. 19), LRV 34, goes the other direction: it is a clearly greener, more olive version at almost the same LRV. Pick Lichen when you actually want the room to read green, and Pigeon when you want the green to stay quiet and gray.
Colors That Go With Pigeon
For trim and ceilings, pair Pigeon with a clean off-white like All White (No. 2005), LRV 84, or Wevet (No. 273), LRV 84. Both keep the green-gray crisp without adding a competing undertone.
For a softer, more tonal scheme, use Cornforth White (No. 228), LRV 60, or Skimming Stone (No. 241), LRV 65, as a lighter second wall or adjacent-room color that flows from Pigeon rather than fighting it.
For contrast and depth, Pigeon loves a dark anchor. Hague Blue (No. 30), LRV 6, makes a striking front door or accent, while Studio Green (No. 93), LRV 8, deepens the green story on a lower cabinet or feature wall. To stay in the gray family, Down Pipe (No. 26), LRV 11, works as a bold trim or exterior contrast. Warm oak and brass hardware both flatter it; brushed nickel keeps things cooler.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Farrow & Ball No. 25 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Pigeon 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 #A0A296 in HSL space. Pair Pigeon 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.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Pigeon warm or cool, and is it more gray or more green?
Pigeon is a near-neutral gray with a warm yellow-green base, so it is mostly balanced rather than strongly warm or cool. It reads primarily as a soft mid gray that carries just a hint of green. That green shows most on large walls, in daylight, and next to white trim, where it can look distinctly sage. Against warmer beiges it flattens toward a plain gray.
What trim white goes with Pigeon?
A clean off-white works best. All White (No. 2005), with an LRV of 84, keeps the green-gray crisp without adding a yellow or pink cast. Wevet (No. 273), also LRV 84, is a good alternative. Both are bright enough to frame Pigeon's mid-tone depth on trim and ceilings while letting the wall color stay the focus.
Does Pigeon work on cabinets and exteriors?
Yes to both. Pigeon is Farrow & Ball's signature kitchen-island and built-in color, giving painted joinery weight without going dark. Its LRV of 35 holds up well on Shaker cabinets, bookcases, and pantry doors. Outdoors it is a classic for front doors, shutters, and garden woodwork, where the green-gray reads naturally against brick, stone, and planting.
What does an LRV of 35 mean for Pigeon in practice?
An LRV of 35 makes Pigeon a true mid-tone: it reflects a moderate amount of light, so it is deep enough to feel like a real color but not dark. It suits full walls in rooms with decent daylight and reads richer in dim spaces. In a low-light room at night it can look close to charcoal, so plan your lighting accordingly.
How is Pigeon different from French Gray?
French Gray (No. 18) has an LRV of 38, so it is slightly lighter and reads a touch cleaner and cooler than Pigeon. Pigeon carries a little more warmth and depth. Choose French Gray when you want an airier green-gray on walls, and Pigeon when you want cabinets or joinery to feel more grounded and substantial.
Should I sample Pigeon before painting?
Definitely. Because Pigeon is so low in saturation, it shifts noticeably between green, gray, and even faint blue depending on your light and the colors around it. Paint a large sample board, move it to different walls, and view it in morning, afternoon, and evening light, plus under your actual bulbs, before committing a full wall or a run of cabinets.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Pigeon behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY PIGEON ON YOUR ROOM →Ask a Question
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