Is Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal a good dupe for Farrow & Ball Bancha?

Yes! Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal has a 61.2% scientific visual match to Farrow & Ball Bancha with a CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) of only 9.79. On walls, the difference is virtually imperceptible under standard residential lighting.

How much do you save using Kendall Charcoal instead of Bancha?

Farrow & Ball Bancha retails at ~$145/gal, whereas Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal costs ~$94/gal. You save $51 per gallon (35% discount), or approximately $408 on an average whole-house painting project.

Head-to-Head Dupe Analysis61.2% Match SimilaritySave $51 / Gallon

Farrow & Ball Bancha
vs Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

Looking for a cheap equivalent to Bancha (No. 298)? Here is the scientific comparison, spectrophotometric ΔE score, and exact formula to get this mixed at Home Depot.

⚖️ Side-by-Side Visual Comparison

Notice how the human eye perceives both shades under identical D65 daylight.

ΔE: 9.79

Original (luxury)$145/gal

Bancha

Farrow & Ball (No. 298)

HEX: #5A5E44 • LRV: 14

Budget Dupe (premium)$94/gal

Kendall Charcoal

Benjamin Moore (HC-166)

HEX: #575752 • LRV: 14.6

🎯 Editorial Verdict:"Good Coordinating Alternative"

Light Reflectance difference is only 0.6%. Once painted across an entire room, natural light bounce creates identical atmosphere.

Cost Difference

Save $51/gal (35%)

Technical Specification Comparison

Objective measurements recorded under standard CIE D65 illuminant.

Metric	Farrow & Ball Bancha	Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal	Difference / Notes
Hexadecimal Code	#5A5E44	#575752	ΔE 9.79
sRGB Coordinates	90, 94, 68	87, 87, 82	Near-parallel chromaticity
LRV (Light Reflectance)	14%	14.6%	Only 0.6% variance
Dominant Undertones	Japanese Olive, Warm Tea Leaf, Golden Moss	Deep Charcoal, Warm Green-Brown Slate	Complementary tones
Price Per Gallon (MSRP)	$145	$94	Save $51/gal
Whole House Cost (10 gal)	$1450	$940	Save $510 Total!

🛒 How to Order this Dupe at Home Depot

Copy and present this exact prompt to the paint counter technician.

"Hi, I would like 1 gallon of Benjamin Moore Marquee/Premium tinted to Kendall Charcoal (HC-166). This is a verified match for Farrow & Ball Bancha (No. 298)."