Elephant's Breath vs S 2005-Y40R
Elephant's Breath (Farrow & Ball) and S 2005-Y40R (NCS) come from different manufacturers. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 54 vs 53 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.5 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Elephant's Breath vs S 2005-Y40R in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Elephant's Breath and S 2005-Y40R are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Elephant's Breath vs S 2005-Y40R Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elephant's Breath on one side and S 2005-Y40R on the other.
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 Elephant's Breath comparisons
See how Elephant's Breath stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
