Cracked Pepper has been chosen as Behr’s Color of the Year for 2024! (To see the Color of the Year for 2023, check out Blank Canvas.) This deep charcoal is a go-with-everything shade that you can incorporate into your home with ease.

Let’s take a look at Cracked Pepper in real homes, find some coordinating colors, and 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.
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.
What Are the Undertones of Cracked Pepper
From the pictures you will see in real homes, Cracked Pepper is most likely to have a slight blue undertone.

Cracked Pepper may also have a greenish undertone on occasion, but this is far less common.
Is Cracked Pepper Warm or Cool
Cracked Pepper is a cool paint color, due to it’s cool blue undertones, but it can also look very neutral.
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
Weathered White
Weathered White is a slightly warm off-white that is will keep your color scheme crisp:

Even Better Beige
Even Better Beige is a great complementary choice, because the underlying orange in beige plays off the blue of Cracked Pepper.

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.

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!
Malted
Malted is a more specific choice, but for the brave, a baby pink does look really nice with Cracked Pepper.

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 (@gracefulglambydanielle) 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 SW 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.
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 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 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.

Behr Cracked Pepper vs Graphic Charcoal
Graphic Charcoal is lighter than Cracked Pepper, and a touch closer to indigo.

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.

You can read my post about Iron Ore here.
Behr Cracked Pepper vs Peppery
You can see that Peppery is a very warm charcoal in comparison with the blue charcoal of Cracked Pepper.

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.

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.

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 a bit less blue.

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 the latest and greatest Color of the Year!
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: