Is Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn a good dupe for Farrow & Ball Down Pipe?

Yes! Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn has a 90.2% scientific visual match to Farrow & Ball Down Pipe with a CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) of only 2.56. On walls, the difference is virtually imperceptible under standard residential lighting.

How much do you save using Peppercorn instead of Down Pipe?

Farrow & Ball Down Pipe retails at ~$145/gal, whereas Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn costs ~$82/gal. You save $63 per gallon (43% discount), or approximately $504 on an average whole-house painting project.

Head-to-Head Dupe Analysis90.2% Match SimilaritySave $63 / Gallon

Farrow & Ball Down Pipe
vs Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn

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: 2.56

Original (luxury)$145/gal

Down Pipe

Farrow & Ball (No. 26)

HEX: #585C5C • LRV: 12

Budget Dupe (premium)$82/gal

Peppercorn

Sherwin-Williams (SW 7674)

HEX: #585858 • LRV: 10

🎯 Editorial Verdict:"Excellent Visual Dupe (Same mood and undertone)"

Light Reflectance difference is only 2%. Once painted across an entire room, natural light bounce creates identical atmosphere.

Cost Difference

Save $63/gal (43%)

Technical Specification Comparison

Objective measurements recorded under standard CIE D65 illuminant.

Metric	Farrow & Ball Down Pipe	Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn	Difference / Notes
Hexadecimal Code	#585C5C	#585858	ΔE 2.56
sRGB Coordinates	88, 92, 92	88, 88, 88	Near-parallel chromaticity
LRV (Light Reflectance)	12%	10%	Only 2% variance
Dominant Undertones	Lead Gray, Deep Charcoal, Subtle Blue-Green	Neutral Gray, Charcoal, Balanced Slate	Complementary tones
Price Per Gallon (MSRP)	$145	$82	Save $63/gal
Whole House Cost (10 gal)	$1450	$820	Save $630 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 Sherwin-Williams Marquee/Premium tinted to Peppercorn (SW 7674). This is a verified match for Farrow & Ball Down Pipe (No. 26)."