The chameleon deep charcoal of Behr Cracked Pepper is a go-with-everything shade that you can incorporate into your home with ease. This former “Color of the Year” was probably the most successful from that year!
Let’s take a look at Cracked Pepper in real homes, find some coordinating colors, compare it to other popular charcoals, and finally check out some dupes from other brands!
What Color is Behr Cracked Pepper (PPU18-01)
This is what Behr says about Cracked Pepper:
“The versatile soft black ignites a sensory experience that transcends sight and instantly elevates every aspect of your life.”
Wow. Almost comically bold claims.
So, is Cracked Pepper black?
Behr calls Cracked Pepper a “soft black” and that’s pretty accurate. It is not dark enough to be a true black color, but it may look like one in certain lights.
If you are shopping for a black paint and will be disappointed with a charcoal, Cracked Pepper is not the right color for you. If you want a nearly-black paint color that isn’t as harsh, then you will like this color.
What Are the Undertones of Cracked Pepper?
From the pictures you will see in real homes, Cracked Pepper is likely to have a slight blue undertone. Here is a pretty good example of the look that is most common for this color:
That being said, Cracked Pepper is definitely a chameleon. It can look like a warm charcoal sometimes, with an almost olive or brown undertone, or it can have a cooler green undertone.
Here is an example of those looks:
I would say that the almost forest green look on the left is not common.
If you’re following me so far, Cracked Pepper can range in appearance from black, to cool blue-charcoal, and make a stop at deep gray olive on the way.
Is Cracked Pepper Warm or Cool
Having loved and lived with Cracked Pepper for some time now, I would actually classify it as a neutral. On paper it should definitely be a cool paint color, but I find that it is almost equally likely to have a warm undertone in real life.
LRV and RGB of Behr Cracked Pepper
In my experience, true black paint colors usually have an LRV between 3 and 5. Cracked Pepper has an LRV of 8.
The RBG of Cracked Pepper is Red 79, Green 81, Blue 82.
The hex code for Cracked Pepper is #4F5152.
Cracked Pepper on the Behr Color Strip
Behr doesn’t really organize their colors into proper light to dark strips anymore, but using the color numbers, this is what I came up with:
- Cracked Pepper (PPU18-01)
- Pencil Point (PPU18-02)
- Antique Tin (PPU18-03)
- Dark Pewter (PPU18-04)
- French Silver (PPU18-05)
Lighter Version of Cracked Pepper
One shade lighter than Cracked Pepper, is the color Pencil Point. It has an LRV of 11, so it isn’t that much lighter, but it won’t ever look black.
Darker Version of Cracked Pepper
Cracked Pepper is the darkest color on this strip, but if you are looking for a true black, you might prefer Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black. It is often considered to be the blackest black paint.
Behr Cracked Pepper in a Color Palette
Because it was the color of the year, Behr released a whole collection of coordinating colors for Cracked Pepper:
Here is a palette featuring some of the lightest and easiest to use colors:
Coordinating Colors for Cracked Pepper
I did keep this palette pretty neutral. I just think if you want to use Cracked Pepper, let it be the star!
Coordinating White to use with Cracked Pepper
Weathered White is a slightly warm off-white that is will keep your color scheme crisp:
Weathered White also happens to be the closest Behr dupe that I could find for both Benjamin Moore Seapearl and Classic Gray, so you are on to a winner with this color!
Neutral Paint Color to use with Cracked Pepper
Even Better Beige is a great complementary choice, because the underlying orange in beige plays off the blue of Cracked Pepper.
Try Cracked Pepper with Behr Tranquil Gray
Tranquil Gray is a nice neutral choice if you are wanting an all-over wall color that isn’t quite as warm as a true beige. This greigey color is still very complementary with Cracked Pepper.
Pair Cracked Pepper and Behr Chic Taupe
Taupe is another great alternative to beige that is staging a big comeback. Chic Taupe is a really beautiful neutral that is a bit darker than the others in this Cracked Pepper palette.
I think these two look fabulous, but I am partial to a taupe! I almost put Chic Taupe on my list of favorite brown paint colors, but at the last minute I settled on Behr Parisian Cafe instead.
Use Malted with Cracked Pepper
Malted is a more specific choice, but for the brave, a baby pink does look really nice with Cracked Pepper.
Danielle (@gracefulglambydanielle) accessorized with a very similar pink in her living room where she added a Cracked Pepper feature wall.
What Trim Colors Go With Behr Cracked Pepper?
Here are some popular Behr trim colors with Cracked Pepper:
White Paint that Goes with Cracked Pepper
Ultra Pure White and Cracked Pepper
Cracked Pepper will look its deepest and darkest with a bright white like Ultra Pure White for trim.
Whipped Cream with Cracked Pepper
Whipped Cream is the white that Behr suggests coordinating with Cracked Pepper. It’s very close to being a bright and totally true white, but it has a hint more warmth than Ultra Pure White.
Blank Canvas and Cracked Pepper
The former Color of the Year Blank Canvas could be a good trim option with Cracked Pepper. It is a warmer white that may emphasize the blue tones in Cracked Pepper, and will also make it look a bit more charcoal rather than black.
Swiss Coffee with Cracked Pepper
Behr Swiss Coffee is just a bit darker and warmer than Blank Canvas. It will also emphasize the blue undertones in Cracked Pepper and make it look on the lighter side.
Behr Cracked Pepper for your Home’s Interior
Let’s take a look at how Cracked Pepper looks in real life, starting inside the home:
Behr Cracked Pepper in the Laundry Room
We don’t often get to see specific colors in the laundry room, but luckily Stephanie from @personalizedesigninteriors shared some examples with us!
Here Cracked Pepper looks quite black in this smaller space:
Here is one more closer shot, where in some spots the color looks black, and others it looks charcoal:
Cracked Pepper by Behr in a Dining Room and Office
Amy (@simplee.amy) used Behr Cracked Pepper to turn this dining room:
…into an office:
Formal dining rooms are great, but a lot of people could make better use of an office. It’s a simple re-purpose that can be undone with a swap of the furniture!
Behr Cracked Pepper in the Bedroom
Jeanette of @bungalowandcohomes chose Cracked Pepper for all of the walls in this sophisticated bedroom:
If you’re going to go dark and cozy, why not in the room meant for sleeping?
In this room I find that Cracked Pepper always seems to look pretty neutral.
Here it looks maybe a touch warmer in the artficial light:
And a little cooler in this natural light:
Holly (@purplepeonyhome) used Cracked Pepper on an accent wall in this gorgeous bedroom:
Color aside for a moment: Isn’t that the prettiest ceiling you’ve ever seen??
Color back in the spotlight: It definitely has a blue undertone in this space.
For one final bedroom, let’s take a look at this one by @Jessiburkeathome:
Here I find that Cracked Pepper has a slightly teal undertone:
If you do like how Cracked Pepper looks here, you would probably prefer Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green, which looks like this more predictably.
Behr Cracked Pepper in a Bathroom
Abby (@abbymbrennan) used Cracked Pepper to update this retro powder room:
Wait… How does an original pink sink look so good now??
I love the black, white, and hint of pink.
Behr Cracked Pepper in the Living Room
Rachel (@racheldeal.studio) created a board and batten feature wall for behind her fireplace using Cracked Pepper:
Here Cracked Pepper looks more charcoal than black.
Danielle used Behr Cracked Pepper for the accent wall in her classic and neutral living room:
The other walls here are Kelly Moore San Francisco Fog. You can see a few more images in her blog post.
Jacquie (@jacqofalltrades) used Cracked Pepper on her interior doors:
The walls here look very close to Behr Silver Drop.
If you like the dark doors, you will love my post on Black Interior Doors!
Behr Cracked Pepper on Kitchen Cabinets
I have a couple of example kitchens today that are close to Cracked Pepper, but not exact.
Here is a kitchen in Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart. It is just the slightest bit more blue than Cracker Pepper:
These two colors are so close that you can pretty much see what Cracked Pepper will look like. The perimeter cabinets are Benjamin Moore Natural Cream, which I covered briefly in this post.
For one more example, here is Peppercorn on cabinets, which happens to be the closest match that Sherwin Williams offers:
Cracked Pepper will be just a touch darker than these cabinets.
I also found a kitchen in Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze where it looks more like Cracked Pepper than the actual color it is:
As the name suggests, Urbane Bronze is typically more bronzey (brown) looking than this, but this is a great example for Cracked Pepper.
Behr Cracked Pepper as an Exterior Color
Here is the similar color Peppercorn again, on an exterior, just to give you an idea of the look:
The doors here are Sherwin Williams Acacia Haze. Again, Cracked Pepper wil be a touch darker than this.
Cracked Pepper on the Front Door
Holly, who used Cracked Pepper in her bedroom, also used it on her exterior doors:
In this first photo it looks more blue.
Here it looks totally neutral (just gray).
Here is one more:
Cracked Pepper on Garage Doors
Finally for exteriors, Ali (@thestyledcloset) used Cracked Pepper on the garage doors of her home:
Here Cracked Pepper almost looks navy!
Cracked Pepper on Exterior Trim
For an exterior trim example I was able to find the very similar color Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron on the trim of this large home:
The team at Word of Mouth Painting used a custom sandy beige color (very similar to Sherwin Williams Universal Khaki) for the body of the home, and Wrought Iron for the trim.
Cracked Pepper Compared to Other Dark Gray Paint Colors
This is how Behr Cracked Pepper stacks up against other popular colors you may be considering:
Behr Cracked Pepper vs Broadway
Broadway may have a hair of a blue or green undertone that is similar to Cracked Pepper’s, but it is primarily a black paint color.
Behr Cracked Pepper vs Carbon Copy
Carbon Copy is a green-based gray as opposed to the blue of Cracked Pepper. It is also a tiny bit lighter, with an LRV of 9.
Surprisingly, I find that Carbon Copy looks cool toned a little more consistently than Cracked Pepper does. Both can look like blue-undertoned charcoal or almost black. Carbon Copy tends to have a stonger green undertone, but it doesn’t look olivey like Cracked Pepper can.
Behr Cracked Pepper vs Graphic Charcoal
Graphic Charcoal is lighter than Cracked Pepper, and a touch closer to indigo.
While these two do have the same range of undertones (they can appear anywhere from almost brown to cool blue charcoal), Graphic Charcoal is very obvious about being lighter than Cracked Pepper. This color doesn’t ever look black, where Cracked Pepper can. I find that Graphic Charcoal has a little less depth than Cracked Pepper. It has an almost chalky quality in comparison.
Behr Cracked Pepper vs Sherwin Williams Iron Ore
Iron Ore is a good bit darker than Cracked Pepper. It has blue undertones, but isn’t actually a blue paint color at all.
Iron Ore looks more like Cracked Pepper in real life than it does on paper. The major difference is that Iron Ore looks like a blue undertoned charcoal a little more consistently than Cracked Pepper does. Both colors are chameleons, but I think Cracked Pepper is a hair less predictable.
These two colors do tend to have the same range of looks however. Both can appear as black, charcoal, or slightly olivey/brown.
You can read my post about Iron Ore here to see real life examples.
Behr Cracked Pepper vs Peppery
You can see that Peppery is a very warm charcoal in comparison with the blue charcoal of Cracked Pepper.
Behr Cracked Pepper vs Satin Black
On paper, Behr Satin Black and Cracked Pepper are basically indistinguishable:
The major difference between these two, is that Satin Black is a little less gray and a slightly cooler blue. You should expect it to look like a smoky blue charcoal more consistently than Cracked Pepper does.
Dupes for Behr Cracked Pepper
Want to get the look of Cracked Pepper in another brand? Here are the best alternatives from Benjamin Moore, Valspar, and Sherwin Williams:
Benjamin Moore Cracked Pepper Equivalent
From Benjamin Moore, the best color match for Cracked Pepper is the color Wrought Iron.
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron (2124-10)
Wrought Iron is approximately the same color as Cracked Pepper, it’s just a little bit darker.
In real life, I find that Wrought Iron and Cracked Pepper do look very much the same. Because it is a hair darker, Wrought Iron maybe looks black a little more often than Cracked Pepper does.
Cheating Heart (which we saw on cabinets) is also a good alternative, but it is a bit more blue.
Valspar (Lowe’s) Equivalent to Cracked Pepper
From Lowe’s the best color match for Cracked Pepper is the color Muskeg Gray.
Valspar Muskeg Grey (4005-2C)
Muskeg Gray is a bit darker and a touch less gray than Cracked Pepper.
This color looks very much like Cracked Pepper, but it tends to look a little bolder. For example when it looks blue, it’s a little more midnight blue, and when it looks warm it’s a more saturated olive tone.
Behr Cracked Pepper vs Valspar Cracked Pepper
Valspar does also have a shade named “Cracked Pepper” that doesn’t seem to be on their website any more. That color was a true black:
Cracked Pepper Sherwin Williams Equivalent
From Sherwin Williams I wasn’t able to get as close as I would have liked, but Peppercorn seems to be the best match.
Sherwin Williams Peppercorn (SW 7674)
Peppercorn is a bit lighter than Cracked Pepper, and technically a bit less blue.
Peppercorn runs the same range of undertones as Cracked Pepper (from blue to green), but I wouldn’t say that it ever looks black, because it is that little bit lighter. Peppercorn tends to look blue toned more often than Cracked Pepper, and I would say that the blue can also look stronger. Peppercorn can look green like Cracked Pepper, but it is less common.
For more on this popular Sherwin Williams color, check out my post: Peppercorn in Real Homes! (Review & Dupes)
Here are all of the dupes once more:
Cracked Pepper Pros & Cons
That’s all I have for this former color of the year! Check out this post if you want to see the most recent picks: New Paint Colors of the Year from Every Brand
Let’s recap:
Pros
- Makes a great choice for exteriors or accent walls
- Pretty neutral – goes with almost any other color
- A good dark choice to make your other decor pop
Cons
- Not a true black
Thanks so much for being here and reading to the end! That really helps my site. Here are some other colors that you might also like:
