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What's the closest Dulux match to Farrow & Ball Mole's Breath?

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Quick answer

The closest Dulux match to Farrow & Ball Mole's Breath is Dulux Urban Obsession (LRV 21.6) at ΔE 3.3, with Dulux Grey (LRV 24.5) a near second at ΔE 3.4. Both are close, but neither is a dead-on copy.

If you want a Dulux take on Mole's Breath, Dulux Urban Obsession is your best bet at ΔE 3.3, with Dulux Grey trailing just behind at ΔE 3.4. Both land in the same warm-grey territory, but I'll be straight with you — neither is a perfect match.

A ΔE under 1 is imperceptible to the eye, and under 2.5 is what I'd call very close. At 3.3 and 3.4, these two are *noticeably* in the ballpark but not identical. You'd spot the difference if you held a Mole's Breath card next to a freshly painted Urban Obsession wall. Urban Obsession sits at LRV 21.6 and Grey at LRV 24.5, so Grey is a touch lighter and will read marginally more open in a room.

Why the gap? Mole's Breath has that complex F&B greige depth — a grey with warm taupe and a faint mauve undertone that shifts beautifully with the light. Dulux's pigment recipes are simpler and tend to flatten that nuance, so you lose a bit of the chameleon quality that makes the original sing.

Here's the honest advice: if it's the *exact* Mole's Breath character you're after, just buy Mole's Breath. It's not worth chasing a 90% match to save a few quid and then living with it for a decade. But if you're committed to Dulux — for budget, trade availability, or matching an existing scheme — go with Urban Obsession and order a tester pot first.

Paint a decent A2 patch, view it on at least two walls, and check it at morning, midday and lamplight before you commit. Warm greys like this are the most light-sensitive colours going, and a swatch under your own conditions will tell you far more than any ΔE figure. Get that right and you'll be sorted.

Colours from the answer

LRV 23
Farrow & Ball
Mole's Breath
LRV 21.6
Dulux
Urban Obsession
LRV 24.5
Dulux
Grey

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