Let me guess? You are looking for a deep charcoal gray color that is versatile and can go with a lot of colors and styles? I’ve got you covered! Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore may just be the perfect charcoal color for your home!
This paint color is a dark neutral beauty that is part of Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection: HC-166. Y’all know how I love historic homes and historic paint colors, especially from Benjamin Moore. Read on to learn more about Kendall Charcoal.
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Is Kendall Charcoal Warm Or Cool?
When you look at Kendall Charcoal, it is pretty dark, but pretty neutral. It stays fairly well in its lane of a deep charcoal color that stays pretty darn gray except for a few occasions. If exposed to a fair amount of light, it can show warmth peeking through.
Other times, it looks a lot darker with no natural light at all. Like most paint colors, it depends on the conditions where the paint color is. Small or dark room, it will look very close to black. Paired with cooler colors, Kendall Charcoal can show more warmth.
What Undertones Does Kendall Charcoal Benjamin Moore Have?
Kendall Charcoal is part of the not quite black, kinda gray, more dark slate and charcoal family. It CAN have undertones of blue, purple, and green, BUT mostly only shows slight green undertones, if any.
These undertones help give this paint color some warmth and not to lean too cool. It looks stunning next to crisp white trim colors!
What Is The LRV for Kendall Charcoal?
Kendall Charcoal has an LRV of 14. This means it is a very dark color, in this case a very dark gray paint color. Sometimes it can look almost black depending on how much light it has directed on it.
A Refresher on LRV-Light Reflectance Value is a scale that measures how much light a paint color absorbs and reflects back into a space. The scale is 0-100, 0 is True Black and 100 is Pure White.
Therefore, the closer a color is to 0, the darker the paint color, the closer to white, the lighter it is.
What Colors Go With Kendall Charcoal Benjamin Moore?
There are many paint colors and styles that you can pair with Kendall Charcoal because of its versatile nature. Benjamin Moore matches Kendall Charcoal with Hawthorne Yellow and Simply White, and Harbor Haze and Snow White.
I love how immediately these two color palettes get different feelings. The Hawthorne Yellow and Simply White paired with the Kendall Charcoal gives a more modern and bold feel. Where as the Harbor Breeze and Snow White gives a softer and more whimsical tone.
If I haven’t said this enough, I LOVE old historic homes and references to them so historic colors have a special place in my heart.
I’ve put together my own color palette with Kendall Charcoal Benjamin Moore and other colors from the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection. Classic Burgandy (rusty brown reds are very trendy at the time of this post) and Jamestown Blue.
Kendall Charcoal VS Peppercorn
Peppercorn is a similar color to Kendall Charcoal. They are both dark gray, almost black paint colors, but Kendall Charcoal has more green in it while Peppercorn is more a true gray and darker with an LRV of 10.
When you compare them side by side, Peppercorn has undertones of blue and purple that can show and make it more of a cool gray. Kendall Charcoal is warmer with the slight green undertones and almost looks almost brown next to Peppercorn.
Related: 20 Best Sherwin Williams Gray Paint Colors
Kendall Charcoal VS Chelsea Gray
Chelsea Gray is also part of the historical collection by Benjamin Moore. It has undertones of brown and violet and an LRV of 23 making it a slightly lighter than Kendall Charcoal and a medium toned gray.
The undertones for Chelsea Gray are those of a typical gray: some blue or violet. This makes it appear quite warm especially when exposed to lots of natural light. If you were wanting a color similar to Kendall Charcoal, but a bit lighter and a tiny bit warmer, Chelsea Gray may be the right choice for you.
Kendall Charcoal VS Cracked Pepper
Cracked Pepper by Behr is another deeply dark gray color that is almost black. It has an LRV of 8, slightly lighter than Peppercorn. Although it is so dark that undertones are hardly a worry, you will find that this color still leans very blue when in natural light.
I love comparing these two colors because they share the deep gray paint color while looking completely different depending on their surroundings so it just shows how important undertones are to consider.
FAQ About Kendall Charcoal
Here are some of the more frequently asked questions about Kendall Charcoal Benjamin Moore:
Where Can I Use Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal?
Since this color is so dark, it looks best in small spaces where the dark and moody can be embraced or an accent wall in a room with a good bit of natural light. I would use Kendall Charcoal as accent colors in a larger space such as on a front door, cabinets, or on a fireplace feature wall.
Dens, offices, and media rooms are also good places for a more bold color such as Kendall Charcoal, although I don’t recommend it for a bedroom or living room.
Is Kendall Charcoal A Good Exterior Color?
YES! Kendall Charcoal absolutely shines in natural light, so imagine how it looks in direct sunlight paired with a bright white trim. Gorgeous!
What White Goes Best With Kendall Charcoal?
Kendall Charcoal paired with a white is when it shines the most and really shows up to the party. I love this paint color paired with
- Simply White for a soft, but clean white
- White Dove for a soft, off white but still crisp next to a dark color
- Chantilly Lace for a beautiful, crisp white that is a true white
What Is The Sherwin Williams Equivalent?
There will never be a TRUE EQUIVALENT across paint brands because all paint companies use different bases for their paint colors. Benjamin Moore can not be duplicated by Sherwin Williams, but there are similar paint colors I can list.
- Peppercorn-Sherwin Williams
- Gauntlet Gray-Sherwin Williams
- Pencil Point-Behr
- Cracked Pepper-Behr
- Down Pipe-Farrow & Ball
Test Your Paint Colors
Don’t forget to use real paint samples to test in your home. This is the easiest way to be able to see how the paint color will look in your space with all the different lighting and other factors.
Samplize provides mess free real paint samples that come straight to your door. Get your paint samples from the button below!
Final Thoughts
Kendall Charcoal may not be the most popular paint color you have heard about from Benjamin Moore, but for it’s field, it is a top notch choice!
Whether you want an accent color, paint color to accent your brick, or for the whole exterior, this bold color is a luxurious and versatile dark gray is a stunning one. You can’t go wrong with it and I hope this post helps you make your decision!
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