CP
HIRSHFIELD'S · 0540

Hirshfield's Praise Giving#B2B1AE · LRV 45

Praise Giving reads as a true neutral (no measurable hue) — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Hirshfield's 0540 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

HIRSHFIELD'S PRAISE GIVING
RGB 178, 177, 174 LRV 45

Color spec

Brand Hirshfield's
Name Praise Giving
SKU 0540
Hex #B2B1AE
RGB 178, 177, 174
HSL 45°, 3%, 69%
LRV 45
Undertone true neutral (no measurable hue)
Family Gray

About Hirshfield's Praise Giving

Praise Giving sits in the mid-range at LRV 45, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.

Praise Giving is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. 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 each

5 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

1,947 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.94
All gray at Sherwin-Williams →
SW 9553 · #B4B2A9 · ΔE 2.94 · LRV 45
SW 7058 · #B2B5AF · ΔE 2.95 · LRV 46
SW 7072 · #B0B5B5 · ΔE 3.19 · LRV 45
SW 7652 · #ABB0AC · ΔE 3.27 · LRV 43
SW 6261 · #B5B1B5 · ΔE 4.59 · LRV 45

Behr

5,644 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.99
All gray at Behr →
N140-3 · #B0B2B2 · ΔE 1.99 · LRV 44
PPU26-08 · #B1B3B3 · ΔE 2.03 · LRV 45
780F-4 · #B1B1B2 · ΔE 2.19 · LRV 44
770B-4 · #B7B1AC · ΔE 2.52 · LRV 44
UL200-7 · #B5B2A9 · ΔE 2.93 · LRV 45

Benjamin Moore

3,934 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.71
All gray at Benjamin Moore →
1467 · #B4B2AE · ΔE 0.71 · LRV 45
AF-670 · #B6B4B2 · ΔE 1.26 · LRV 46
1460 · #B3B1B0 · ΔE 1.38 · LRV 44
2111-50 · #B4AFA8 · ΔE 2.51 · LRV 43
1599 · #ADB3B3 · ΔE 3.5 · LRV 44

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.39
All gray at Valspar →
T571 · #B7B4B0 · ΔE 1.39 · LRV 46
4004-1B · #B3B4B0 · ΔE 1.47 · LRV 45.3
4008-1B · #B1B4B2 · ΔE 2.1 · LRV 45.3
4001-1B · #B8B0AE · ΔE 3.8 · LRV 44.1
V117-2 · #ADB4B4 · ΔE 3.93 · LRV 44.7

PPG / Glidden

2,132 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.66
All gray at PPG / Glidden →
PPG1005-4 · #B3ADA9 · ΔE 2.66 · LRV 42
PPG1006-4 · #B6B0A9 · ΔE 2.8 · LRV 44
PPG1018-3 · #B9B2AA · ΔE 3.41 · LRV 45
PPG1013-4 · #ADB0B3 · ΔE 3.5 · LRV 43
PPG1011-3 · #AFB3B6 · ΔE 3.68 · LRV 45

Glidden

3,101 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.8
All gray at Glidden →
PPG1006-4 · #B6B0A9 · ΔE 2.8 · LRV 44
PPG1005-4 · #B4ADA9 · ΔE 3.11 · LRV 42
PPG1011-3 · #AFB4B6 · ΔE 3.61 · LRV 45
PPG1018-3 · #BAB2AB · ΔE 3.61 · LRV 45
PPG1013-4 · #ADB0B4 · ΔE 3.96 · LRV 43

Dutch Boy

1,340 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.65
All gray at Dutch Boy →
442-3DB · #B9B2A9 · ΔE 3.65 · LRV 45
435-3DB · #ADB2B5 · ΔE 3.89 · LRV 44
444-2DB · #B8B4B7 · ΔE 4.22 · LRV 46
425-3DB · #ADB1A7 · ΔE 4.7 · LRV 43
430-3DB · #A7B4B6 · ΔE 6.38 · LRV 44
HGSW 1506 · #B2B5AF · ΔE 2.95 · LRV 46
HGSW 7058 · #B2B5AF · ΔE 2.95 · LRV 46
HGSW 1474 · #ABB0AC · ΔE 3.27 · LRV 43
HGSW 7652 · #ABB0AC · ΔE 3.27 · LRV 43
HGSW 3396 · #B5B1B5 · ΔE 4.59 · LRV 45

Dunn-Edwards

2,298 colors in deck · best ΔE 0.82
All gray at Dunn-Edwards →
DEGR57 · #AFAFAC · ΔE 0.82 · LRV 43
DEGR52 · #B4B4AF · ΔE 1.48 · LRV 46
DEGR45 · #B4B0A9 · ΔE 2.22 · LRV 44
DET603 · #B3B5AF · ΔE 2.59 · LRV 46
DEGR18 · #B8B1A9 · ΔE 3.38 · LRV 45

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.18
All gray at Magnolia Home →
JG-14 · #B0AEA7 · ΔE 2.18 · LRV 42
JG-162 · #AAB0AD · ΔE 3.58 · LRV 43
JG-99 · #B0AAAB · ΔE 4.2 · LRV 41
JG-113 · #B7AF9F · ΔE 6.11 · LRV 43
JG-01 · #A8B6B4 · ΔE 6.78 · LRV 45

Farrow & Ball

209 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.26
All gray at Farrow & Ball →
NO. 88 · #B1B1AA · ΔE 2.26 · LRV 44
NO. 267 · #B7AFA9 · ΔE 3.47 · LRV 44
NO. 5 · #B2ADA0 · ΔE 4.84 · LRV 42
NO. 91 · #AEB2A4 · ΔE 6.18 · LRV 44
NO. 18 · #B0AF9B · ΔE 7.65 · LRV 42

Diamond Vogel

1,386 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.66
All gray at Diamond Vogel →
0540 · #B7B4B2 · ΔE 1.66 · LRV 46
0547 · #B2AFAF · ΔE 2.28 · LRV 43
0553 · #B6B0AD · ΔE 2.62 · LRV 44
0511 · #AEB3B8 · ΔE 4.68 · LRV 45
0441 · #B0B7AE · ΔE 5.43 · LRV 46

Rodda

357 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.31
All gray at Rodda →
R014 · #AEAFB0 · ΔE 2.31 · LRV 43
CA199 · #B0B0B2 · ΔE 2.76 · LRV 44
CA073 · #B7B0A8 · ΔE 3.37 · LRV 44
R026 · #B9B2AA · ΔE 3.41 · LRV 46
CA193 · #ABB2B4 · ΔE 4.22 · LRV 44

C2 Paint

580 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.27
All gray at C2 Paint →
C2-958 · #B4B1AC · ΔE 1.27 · LRV 44
C2-783 · #AFABA6 · ΔE 2.26 · LRV 41
C2-973 · #B1B1A8 · ΔE 3.19 · LRV 44
C2-941 · #ACAEA2 · ΔE 5.08 · LRV 42
C2-974 · #AAB6B6 · ΔE 5.96 · LRV 45

Clare

78 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.92
All gray at Clare →
PNT100-LT-13 · #C2B8B2 · ΔE 4.92 · LRV 49
PNT100-MD-48 · #B5B9A6 · ΔE 8.08 · LRV 47
PNT100-DP-78 · #99AAA4 · ΔE 8.97 · LRV 38
PNT100-MD-43 · #9AB0AB · ΔE 10.03 · LRV 41
PNT100-LT-44 · #90B5B3 · ΔE 13.72 · LRV 42

Portola Paints

69 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.05
All gray at Portola Paints →
PIANO ROOM · #BAB6AB · ΔE 4.05 · LRV 47
ABERDEEN · #B2B4AA · ΔE 4.11 · LRV 45
SIMMER DOWN · #BAB3B6 · ΔE 5.16 · LRV 46
MAGIC POTION · #BAB5BD · ΔE 6.87 · LRV 47
SEVILLA · #BDB6A2 · ΔE 7.49 · LRV 47

Annie Sloan

31 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.67
All gray at Annie Sloan →
CHICAGO GREY · #BABAB9 · ΔE 2.67 · LRV 49
PALOMA · #BFB5B3 · ΔE 4.99 · LRV 47
PARIS GREY · #BEC0B3 · ΔE 6.4 · LRV 52
LOUIS BLUE · #AEBECB · ΔE 9.72 · LRV 50
SVENSKA BLUE · #A4BEB7 · ΔE 11.42 · LRV 48

Backdrop

30 colors in deck · best ΔE 5.28
All gray at Backdrop →
BD-NU · #A4A89F · ΔE 5.28 · LRV 38
BD-UD · #A4B5BB · ΔE 8.11 · LRV 41
BD-LF · #A4AB95 · ΔE 9.93 · LRV 35
BD-LO · #A4C2D2 · ΔE 12.94 · LRV 51
BD-RO · #D2A299 · ΔE 16.96 · LRV 38

Rust-Oleum

16 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.87
All gray at Rust-Oleum →
285143 · #B6B9BE · ΔE 4.87 · LRV 48
371674 · #A5A78F · ΔE 10.03 · LRV 38
285141 · #8E948A · ΔE 10.9 · LRV 29
371675 · #8CA8A9 · ΔE 12.03 · LRV 36
285139 · #ACCECD · ΔE 14.02 · LRV 57

Kompozit

1,321 colors in deck · best ΔE 0
All gray at Kompozit →
0540 · #B2B1AE · ΔE 0 · LRV 44
0547 · #AFADAD · ΔE 2.17 · LRV 42
0553 · #B2ACA9 · ΔE 2.86 · LRV 42
0204 · #B8AEA2 · ΔE 5.29 · LRV 43
0441 · #ACB4AC · ΔE 5.43 · LRV 44

Similar Hirshfield's colors

closest in the Hirshfield's deck

The nearest shades to Praise Giving within Hirshfield's's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

H0144 · LRV 44
H0143 · LRV 46
0547 · LRV 43
0441 · LRV 45
0553 · LRV 43
0204 · LRV 44

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #B2B1AE in HSL space. Pair Praise Giving with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#B2B1AE + #AEAFB2
TRIADIC
#B2B1AE · #AEB2B1 · #B1AEB2
ANALOGOUS
#B2AFAE · #B2B1AE · #B1B2AE

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
2.14:1 fail
Sample text on black
9.79:1 AAA

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

Hirshfield's Praise Giving Equivalents at Other Brands

Matching Praise Giving 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 Hirshfield's 0540 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.

Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Praise Giving

At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Praise Giving is Allegory (SW 9553) — very close at ΔE 2.94, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 45 vs 45) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Allegory swatch →

Behr Equivalent of Praise Giving

Behr's nearest match is Metropolis (N140-3), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.99). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Praise Giving without repainting risk. See the full Metropolis swatch →

Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Praise Giving

Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Silver Dollar (1460), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.38). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Praise Giving without repainting risk. See the full Silver Dollar swatch →

Valspar Equivalent of Praise Giving

Valspar's nearest match is Urban Sunrise (4004-1B), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.47). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 45.3 vs 45) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Praise Giving without repainting risk. See the full Urban Sunrise swatch →

PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Praise Giving

At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Praise Giving is Mercurial (PPG1006-4) — very close at ΔE 2.8, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Mercurial swatch →

Glidden Equivalent of Praise Giving

At Glidden, the closest color to Praise Giving is Mercurial (PPG1006-4) — very close at ΔE 2.8, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Mercurial swatch →

Dutch Boy Equivalent of Praise Giving

Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Praise Giving. The nearest is Zippered Gray (435-3DB) at ΔE 3.89 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Zippered Gray swatch →

HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Praise Giving

At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Praise Giving is Magnetic Gray (HGSW 1506) — very close at ΔE 2.95, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 46 vs 45) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Magnetic Gray swatch →

Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Praise Giving

At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Praise Giving is Throwing Shade (DEGR45) — very close at ΔE 2.22, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Throwing Shade swatch →

Magnolia Home Equivalent of Praise Giving

At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Praise Giving is Cupola (JG-14) — very close at ΔE 2.18, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 42 vs 45) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cupola swatch →

Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Praise Giving

At Farrow & Ball, the closest color to Praise Giving is Lamp Room Gray (NO. 88) — very close at ΔE 2.26, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Lamp Room Gray swatch →

Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Praise Giving

At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Praise Giving is Smoky Wings (0553) — very close at ΔE 2.62, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Smoky Wings swatch →

Rodda Equivalent of Praise Giving

At Rodda, the closest color to Praise Giving is Lavender (CA199) — very close at ΔE 2.76, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Lavender swatch →

C2 Paint Equivalent of Praise Giving

C2 Paint's nearest match is Tailored (C2-958), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.27). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Praise Giving without repainting risk. See the full Tailored swatch →

Clare Equivalent of Praise Giving

Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Praise Giving — the nearest deck color, Money Moves (PNT100-MD-48), is clearly different (ΔE 8.08). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Hirshfield's 0540 instead. See the full Money Moves swatch →

Portola Paints Equivalent of Praise Giving

Portola Paints has no exact twin of Praise Giving. The nearest is Aberdeen (ABERDEEN) at ΔE 4.11 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 45 vs 45). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Aberdeen swatch →

Annie Sloan Equivalent of Praise Giving

Annie Sloan has no exact twin of Praise Giving. The nearest is Paloma (PALOMA) at ΔE 4.99 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 47 vs 45). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Paloma swatch →

Backdrop Equivalent of Praise Giving

Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Praise Giving — the nearest deck color, Underdog (BD-UD), is clearly different (ΔE 8.11). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Hirshfield's 0540 instead. See the full Underdog swatch →

Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Praise Giving

Rust-Oleum has no exact twin of Praise Giving. The nearest is Aged Gray (285143) at ΔE 4.87 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 48 vs 45). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Aged Gray swatch →

Kompozit Equivalent of Praise Giving

The closest Kompozit equivalent of Praise Giving is Praise Giving (0540). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same true neutral undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 44 vs 45). If Kompozit is your counter, order Praise Giving and you'll get the same color. See the full Praise Giving swatch →

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