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

Yes! Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal has a 84.5% scientific visual match to Farrow & Ball Down Pipe with a CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) of only 3.71. On walls, the difference is virtually imperceptible under standard residential lighting.

How much do you save using Kendall Charcoal instead of Down Pipe?

Farrow & Ball Down Pipe 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 Analysis84.5% Match SimilaritySave $51 / Gallon

Farrow & Ball Down Pipe
vs Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

Looking for a cheap equivalent to Down Pipe (No. 26)? 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: 3.71

Original (luxury)$145/gal

Down Pipe

Farrow & Ball (No. 26)

HEX: #585C5C • LRV: 12

Budget Dupe (premium)$94/gal

Kendall Charcoal

Benjamin Moore (HC-166)

HEX: #575752 • LRV: 14.6

🎯 Editorial Verdict:"Very Close Match (Slightly warmer or cooler undertone)"

Light Reflectance difference is only 2.6%. 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 Down Pipe	Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal	Difference / Notes
Hexadecimal Code	#585C5C	#575752	ΔE 3.71
sRGB Coordinates	88, 92, 92	87, 87, 82	Near-parallel chromaticity
LRV (Light Reflectance)	12%	14.6%	Only 2.6% variance
Dominant Undertones	Lead Gray, Deep Charcoal, Subtle Blue-Green	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 Down Pipe (No. 26)."