Tanner's Brown
No. 255 · #4F4A4A · LRV 7 — neutral with no strong undertone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Tanner's Brown7
- 2Pewter Green12
- 3Retreat21
What Color Is Tanner's Brown, Really?
Tanner's Brown reads as a neutral with no strong undertone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Farrow & Ball No. 255 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Tanner's Brown
Tanner's Brown 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.
How Lighting Changes Tanner's Brown
At LRV 7, Tanner's Brown 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. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Most complaints about Tanner's Brown 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. 255 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 | Perle NoirSW 9154 · Sherwin-Williams | 2.8 | 8 | Color page → |
| Behr | Harvest OakBNC-33 · Behr | 1.8 | 7 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Midsummer Night2134-20 · Benjamin Moore | 3.1 | 7 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Soft Panther8006-12F · Valspar | 1.9 | 7 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Black ElegancePPG1004-7 · PPG / Glidden | 3.1 | 7 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Black ElegancePPG1004-7 · Glidden | 2.3 | 7 | Color page → |
Similar Farrow & Ball Colors
The nearest shades to Tanner's Brown 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 #4F4A4A in HSL space. Pair Tanner's Brown with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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