Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | The North Wind Blows |
| SKU | V140-5 |
| Hex | #7F837D |
| RGB | 127, 131, 125 |
| HSL | 100°, 2%, 50% |
| LRV | 22.2 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Gray |
About Valspar The North Wind Blows
With an LRV of 22.2, The North Wind Blows 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.
The North Wind Blows 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 by brand
17 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
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Backdrop
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to The North Wind Blows within Valspar'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 #7F837D in HSL space. Pair The North Wind Blows 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.
Valspar The North Wind Blows Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching The North Wind Blows 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 Valspar V140-5 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to The North Wind Blows is Cityscape (SW 7067) — very close at ΔE 2.14, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 22.2) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Cityscape swatch →
Behr Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
Behr has no exact twin of The North Wind Blows. The nearest is Wood Ash (N360-5A) at ΔE 3.73 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 22.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Wood Ash swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to The North Wind Blows is Night Train (1567) — very close at ΔE 2.78, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22.2) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Night Train swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
PPG / Glidden has no exact twin of The North Wind Blows. The nearest is Steamship (PPG0996-5) at ΔE 3.86 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 22.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Steamship swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
Glidden has no exact twin of The North Wind Blows. The nearest is Steamship (PPG0996-5) at ΔE 3.91 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 22.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Steamship swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to The North Wind Blows is Armitage Grey (HGSW 1483) — very close at ΔE 2.14, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 22.2) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Armitage Grey swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to The North Wind Blows is Enchanted Eve (DE6313) — very close at ΔE 2.87, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 22.2) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Enchanted Eve swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
Magnolia Home's nearest match is Sage Stem (JG-65), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.93). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22.2) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for The North Wind Blows without repainting risk. See the full Sage Stem swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of The North Wind Blows. The nearest is Mole's Breath (NO. 276) at ΔE 4.08 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Mole's Breath swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of The North Wind Blows. The nearest is Subtle Shadow (0534) at ΔE 3.5 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 22.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Subtle Shadow swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
At Rodda, the closest color to The North Wind Blows is On the Road (R020) — very close at ΔE 2.68, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22.2) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full On the Road swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
At C2 Paint, the closest color to The North Wind Blows is Wall Street (C2-951) — very close at ΔE 3.24, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 22.2) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Wall Street swatch →
Clare Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
Clare has no exact twin of The North Wind Blows. The nearest is Irony (PNT100-MD-16) at ΔE 4.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 22.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Irony swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
Backdrop has no exact twin of The North Wind Blows. The nearest is Hartford (BD-HF) at ΔE 3.65 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 22.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Hartford swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of The North Wind Blows
Kompozit has no exact twin of The North Wind Blows. The nearest is Subtle Shadow (0534) at ΔE 3.5 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 22 vs 22.2). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Subtle Shadow swatch →