Is Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray a good dupe for Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath?

Yes! Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray has a 92.8% scientific visual match to Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath with a CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) of only 1.98. On walls, the difference is virtually imperceptible under standard residential lighting.

How much do you save using Repose Gray instead of Elephant's Breath?

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

Head-to-Head Dupe Analysis92.8% Match SimilaritySave $63 / Gallon

Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath
vs Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray

Looking for a cheap equivalent to Elephant's Breath (No. 229)? 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: 1.98

Original (luxury)$145/gal

Elephant's Breath

Farrow & Ball (No. 229)

HEX: #C9C1B8 • LRV: 52

Budget Dupe (premium)$82/gal

Repose Gray

Sherwin-Williams (SW 7015)

HEX: #CCC7BF • LRV: 58

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

Light Reflectance difference is only 6%. 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 Elephant's Breath	Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray	Difference / Notes
Hexadecimal Code	#C9C1B8	#CCC7BF	ΔE 1.98
sRGB Coordinates	201, 193, 184	204, 199, 191	Near-parallel chromaticity
LRV (Light Reflectance)	52%	58%	Only 6% variance
Dominant Undertones	Warm Gray, Gentle Magenta-Pink, Earthy Taupe	Cool Gray, Soft Taupe, Subtle Blue-Purple	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 Repose Gray (SW 7015). This is a verified match for Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath (No. 229)."