Elemental Gray vs Bancha

Elemental GrayBehrvsBanchaFarrow & BallΔE 29.8Very different colors

Elemental Gray (Behr) and Bancha (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Elemental Gray belongs to the grey family and Bancha to the beige-greige family. The 22-point LRV gap — 35 for Elemental Gray vs 13 for Bancha — means Elemental Gray will open up a space more effectively. Where Elemental Gray leans yellow, Bancha reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 29.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Elemental Gray vs Bancha in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Elemental Gray and Bancha in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.

Living Room

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Elemental Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bancha.

Elemental GrayBehr PPU26-06 living room interior

@uprightandcaffeinated

BanchaBancha living room fireplace interior

@yorkshire.terrace

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Elemental Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elemental GrayBehr Elemental Gray kitchen cabinets color review

@1909brooklyn

BanchaBancha kitchen cabinets paint

@eli_at_home

Color Details

Elemental Gray
Behr · PPU26-06
Hex#a0a09f
LRV35.3
BrandBehr
NumberPPU26-06
UndertoneYellow
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Bancha
Farrow & Ball · 298
Hex#686a47
LRV13.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number298
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessDark

Elemental Gray vs Bancha Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elemental Gray on one side and Bancha on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.

More Elemental Gray comparisons

See how Elemental Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Elemental Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Elemental Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Elemental Gray
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Elemental Gray is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Elemental Gray
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
Elemental Gray
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Elemental Gray reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Elemental Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
Elemental Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Elemental Gray
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Elemental Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Elemental Gray reads slightly lighter

French Gray
Elemental Gray
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads slightly lighter

Naval
Elemental Gray
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Elemental Gray is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Elemental Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Hardwick White
Elemental Gray
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads slightly lighter

Pure White
Elemental Gray
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Elemental Gray
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Elemental Gray reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Elemental Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Elemental Gray
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Elemental Gray
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Elemental Gray
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Elemental Gray reads noticeably lighter

Skimming Stone
Elemental Gray
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Elemental Gray
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads slightly lighter

Calamine
Elemental Gray
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Elemental Gray
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Elemental Gray reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Elemental Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Elemental Gray reads noticeably lighter

Saybrook Sage
Elemental Gray
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter

Pale Green
Elemental Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Elemental Gray reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Elemental Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Elemental Gray is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Elemental Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Elemental Gray reads slightly lighter

Guilford Green
Elemental Gray
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green reads noticeably lighter

Just Walnut
Elemental Gray
Just Walnut
Dulux
Just Walnut
LRV 72

Just Walnut is the lighter choice