Tar vs S 7500-N

TarFarrow & BallvsS 7500-NNCSΔE 1.8Subtle difference

Tar is a Farrow & Ball color while S 7500-N comes from NCS. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. With LRVs of 9 and 8, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. With a ΔE of 1.8, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Tar vs S 7500-N in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Tar and S 7500-N 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.

Living Room

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.

TarFarrow and Ball Tar CC1 living room

@indainteriors

S 7500-NNCS S 7500-N stairs color

@hyttedroemmen_i_valdres

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

TarFarrow and Ball Tar CC1 kitchen cabinets

@village_interiors

S 7500-NNCS S 7500-N kitchen cabinets picture

@hyttedroemmen_i_valdres

Color Details

Tar
Farrow & Ball · CC1
Hex#535353
LRV8.9
BrandFarrow & Ball
NumberCC1
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark
S 7500-N
NCS · S 7500-N
Hex#51504e
LRV8.0
BrandNCS
NumberS 7500-N
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

Tar vs S 7500-N Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Tar on one side and S 7500-N 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 Tar comparisons

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

White Dove
Tar
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Tar
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Tar
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Tar reads slightly lighter

Purbeck Stone
Tar
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Tar
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Tar
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Tar
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Tar
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Tar
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
Tar
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray is the lighter choice

Naval
Tar
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Tar reads slightly lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Tar
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Tar
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Bancha reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Tar
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White is the lighter choice

Pure White
Tar
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Tar
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Tar
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Tar
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Tar
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Tar
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Skimming Stone
Tar
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Tar
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue is the lighter choice

Calamine
Tar
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Tar
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Tar
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Saybrook Sage
Tar
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Tar
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Tar
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Cement grey
Tar
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
Tar
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice