Color spec
| Brand | Glidden |
| Name | Elegant Charcoal |
| SKU | 00NN 20/000 |
| Hex | #79787A |
| RGB | 121, 120, 122 |
| HSL | 270°, 1%, 47% |
| LRV | 20 |
| Undertone | true neutral (no measurable hue) |
| Family | Gray |
About Glidden Elegant Charcoal
With an LRV of 20, Elegant Charcoal is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Elegant Charcoal works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches at every US brand
20 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. 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
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Portola Paints
Annie Sloan
Backdrop
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Glidden colors
closest in the Glidden deckThe nearest shades to Elegant Charcoal within Glidden'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 #79787A in HSL space. Pair Elegant Charcoal 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.
Glidden Elegant Charcoal Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Elegant Charcoal 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 Glidden 00NN 20/000 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Elegant Charcoal is Westchester Gray (SW 2849) — very close at ΔE 2.08, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Westchester Gray swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Behr's nearest match is Complex Gray (N140-5), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.26). It runs slightly darker (LRV 18 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Elegant Charcoal without repainting risk. See the full Complex Gray swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Elegant Charcoal is Steel Wool (2121-20) — very close at ΔE 2.42, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Steel Wool swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
At Valspar, the closest color to Elegant Charcoal is Cinder Fox (4001-2B) — very close at ΔE 2.81, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19.1 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cinder Fox swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Elegant Charcoal is City Skyline (PPG0995-6) — very close at ΔE 2.3, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full City Skyline swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Elegant Charcoal is Smoldered (444-4DB) — very close at ΔE 2.58, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Smoldered swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Elegant Charcoal is Special Gray (HGSW 3373) — very close at ΔE 2.2, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Special Gray swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Dunn-Edwards has no exact twin of Elegant Charcoal. The nearest is Legendary Gray (DE6369) at ΔE 3.54 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 18 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Legendary Gray swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Magnolia Home doesn't make a true equivalent of Elegant Charcoal — the nearest deck color, Luxe (JG-10), is clearly different (ΔE 10.31). For an exact match, any Magnolia Home retailer can custom-tint Glidden 00NN 20/000 instead. See the full Luxe swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Elegant Charcoal — the nearest deck color, De Nimes (NO. 299), is clearly different (ΔE 8.75). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Glidden 00NN 20/000 instead. See the full De Nimes swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Elegant Charcoal is Emu (0549) — very close at ΔE 3.11, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 18 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Emu swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Ocean Frigate (0555), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.15). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 20 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Elegant Charcoal without repainting risk. See the full Ocean Frigate swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
At Rodda, the closest color to Elegant Charcoal is Gloomy Weather (R016) — very close at ΔE 2.95, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Gloomy Weather swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Elegant Charcoal. The nearest is Stomp (C2-983) at ΔE 3.66 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 17 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Stomp swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Clare has no exact twin of Elegant Charcoal. The nearest is Irony (PNT100-MD-16) at ΔE 4.23 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 20). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Irony swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Portola Paints doesn't make a true equivalent of Elegant Charcoal — the nearest deck color, Carmine (CARMINE), is clearly different (ΔE 12.98). For an exact match, any Portola Paints retailer can custom-tint Glidden 00NN 20/000 instead. See the full Carmine swatch →
Annie Sloan Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Annie Sloan doesn't make a true equivalent of Elegant Charcoal — the nearest deck color, Coco (COCO), is clearly different (ΔE 12.48). For an exact match, any Annie Sloan retailer can custom-tint Glidden 00NN 20/000 instead. See the full Coco swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Elegant Charcoal — the nearest deck color, Hartford (BD-HF), is clearly different (ΔE 10.04). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Glidden 00NN 20/000 instead. See the full Hartford swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Rust-Oleum doesn't make a true equivalent of Elegant Charcoal — the nearest deck color, Oat Latte (391446), is clearly different (ΔE 10.08). For an exact match, any Rust-Oleum retailer can custom-tint Glidden 00NN 20/000 instead. See the full Oat Latte swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Elegant Charcoal
Kompozit's nearest match is Ocean Frigate (0555), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.15). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 19 vs 20) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Elegant Charcoal without repainting risk. See the full Ocean Frigate swatch →