Color spec
| Brand | Farrow & Ball |
| Name | Tar |
| SKU | No. CC1 |
| Hex | #535353 |
| RGB | 83, 83, 83 |
| HSL | 0°, 0%, 33% |
| LRV | 9 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Gray |
About Farrow & Ball Tar
At LRV 9, Tar 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.
Tar 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
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
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Kompozit
Similar Farrow & Ball colors
closest in the Farrow & Ball deckThe nearest shades to Tar 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 #535353 in HSL space. Pair Tar 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 Tar Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Tar 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. CC1 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Tar
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Tar is Stony Creek (SW 9610) — very close at ΔE 3.36, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Stony Creek swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Tar
Behr's nearest match is Carbon Copy (PPU25-01), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.17). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Tar without repainting risk. See the full Carbon Copy swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Tar
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Iron Mountain (2134-30), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.71). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Tar without repainting risk. See the full Iron Mountain swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Tar
At Valspar, the closest color to Tar is To the Tarmac (V116-3) — very close at ΔE 3.28, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8.8 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full To the Tarmac swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Tar
PPG / Glidden has no exact twin of Tar. The nearest is Undercover (PPG0998-7) at ΔE 3.69 — 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 Undercover swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Tar
Glidden's nearest match is Grey Metal (00NN 10/000), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.38). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Tar without repainting risk. See the full Grey Metal swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Tar
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Dark and Stormy (436-7DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.33). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Tar without repainting risk. See the full Dark and Stormy swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Tar
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Tar. The nearest is Urbane Bronze (HGSW 3481) at ΔE 3.91 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Urbane Bronze swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Tar
The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Tar is Cavernous (DE6364). At ΔE 0.74 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same true neutral undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 9). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Cavernous and you'll get the same color. See the full Cavernous swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Tar
Magnolia Home's nearest match is Prairie Smoke (JG-141), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.79). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Tar without repainting risk. See the full Prairie Smoke swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Tar
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Tar is Midnight Magic (0508) — very close at ΔE 2.54, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Midnight Magic swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Tar
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Tar. The nearest is Sturgis Gray (H0119) at ΔE 4.13 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Sturgis Gray swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Tar
Rodda's nearest match is Midnight Wanderer (R017), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.17). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Tar without repainting risk. See the full Midnight Wanderer swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Tar
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Tar. The nearest is Enamored (C2-853) at ΔE 4.15 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Enamored swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Tar
Clare's nearest match is Blackest (PNT100-DP-55), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.82). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Tar without repainting risk. See the full Blackest swatch →