Is Behr Back to Nature a good dupe for Farrow & Ball French Gray?

Yes! Behr Back to Nature has a 83.3% scientific visual match to Farrow & Ball French Gray with a CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) of only 3.94. On walls, the difference is virtually imperceptible under standard residential lighting.

How much do you save using Back to Nature instead of French Gray?

Farrow & Ball French Gray retails at ~$145/gal, whereas Behr Back to Nature costs ~$48/gal. You save $97 per gallon (67% discount), or approximately $776 on an average whole-house painting project.

Head-to-Head Dupe Analysis83.3% Match SimilaritySave $97 / Gallon

Farrow & Ball French Gray
vs Behr Back to Nature

Looking for a cheap equivalent to French Gray (No. 18)? 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: 3.94

Original (luxury)$145/gal

French Gray

Farrow & Ball (No. 18)

HEX: #AAB0A2 • LRV: 42

Budget Dupe (budget)$48/gal

Back to Nature

Behr (S340-4)

HEX: #AFB59D • LRV: 46

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

Light Reflectance difference is only 4%. Once painted across an entire room, natural light bounce creates identical atmosphere.

Cost Difference

Save $97/gal (67%)

Technical Specification Comparison

Objective measurements recorded under standard CIE D65 illuminant.

Metric	Farrow & Ball French Gray	Behr Back to Nature	Difference / Notes
Hexadecimal Code	#AAB0A2	#AFB59D	ΔE 3.94
sRGB Coordinates	170, 176, 162	175, 181, 157	Near-parallel chromaticity
LRV (Light Reflectance)	42%	46%	Only 4% variance
Dominant Undertones	Sage Green, Warm Gray, Chalky Neutral	Meadow Green, Soft Sage, Earthy Celadon	Complementary tones
Price Per Gallon (MSRP)	$145	$48	Save $97/gal
Whole House Cost (10 gal)	$1450	$480	Save $970 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 Behr Marquee/Premium tinted to Back to Nature (S340-4). This is a verified match for Farrow & Ball French Gray (No. 18)."