Tar vs Forged Steel
Where Tar belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Forged Steel is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (9 vs 10), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 3.5 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Tar vs Forged Steel in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Tar and Forged Steel 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Tar vs Forged Steel Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Tar on one side and Forged Steel 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 Tar comparisons
See how Tar stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 24 vs 9, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 9, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.