James Hardie Siding: Color Matches in Benjamin Moore & Sherwin Williams

Are you looking for the closest paint color match for one of James Hardie’s most popular colors? Wondering which Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paint colors are the same? 

First, nothing will be exactly the same except for the James Hardie color itself. Second, that’s okay; using color tools (based on color science), I’ve measured which paint colors come as close as humanly possible. I’ve combined this with a seasoned eye and 24+ years and 12,000+ homes’ worth of experience. I’m your official color nerd – it’s kinda my jam.

There’s no doubt that James Hardie siding has taken the exterior world by storm. Arctic White, Iron Gray, Cobblestone, Aged Pewter, and Pearl Gray – these, and more, have become mainstream when remodeling or building a home. This means there’s a ton of demand for color matching. 

There are 3 situations where you might want to match a color to James Hardie siding.

1. You love a James Hardie color, but aren’t using their products. Instead, you want to color-match it. 
2. You’re using James Hardie siding and need to paint other areas of your home the same color.
3. You like a James Hardie color, aren’t using their products, and want a ‘similar look’ with a slightly different approach, either in depth, undertones, or temperature. 

Either way, I’ve got you covered, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY, in paint. But before we dive in (skinny dipping permitted, and, in fact, encouraged), let’s have a little chat. 

1. THERE IS NO PERFECT COLOR MATCH TO JAMES HARDIE COLORS, OTHER THAN JAMES HARDIE PRODUCTS

Even if you take a sample of their product to the paint store, the color match won’t be 100%. If it’s not Hardie technology, coating type, exact sheen, etc, it’s not the same color. 

• Could it be close? Yes. 
• With the variation in sheen and texture between finishes, can close be good enough? Sometimes. Ish. 
• The way a color appears can change from surface to surface based on the texture, sheen, lighting, etc. This is another reason why so-called ‘color matching’ is such an imperfect art form. 

However, if you’re a perfectionist, like me, any well-intentioned ‘color match’ will have you twitching in a corner, hyperventilating with a bottle of wine. There is no exact color match.  That said, sometimes ‘close’ has to be good enough when ‘exact’ doesn’t exist. 

As the Great Britney Spears once said, ‘Let’s hit that baby one more time’…

An exact color match doesn’t exist. The only exact James Hardie color is from James Hardie himself. Or maybe not him – he’s been pushin’ up daisies for decades, but his business is still going strong. 

2. SAMPLE A RANGE OF COLORS

There’s a reason you won’t find just 1 color listed below. Actually, there are several reasons…

1. Each brand has its own ‘best’ option
2. Because there is never a perfect match, sampling and comparing a range is the best way to find your ‘as close as possible’ shade, OR the best tweaked alternative.
3. Your home has its own unique exterior lighting, finishes, and environment. And, depending on what you need this color for (trim, a garage door, or a detached shed/garage), your color needs may vary.
4. If you’ve had your siding up a while, it’s likely changed with exposure. Having a few options to compare will help you find your closest match. 

Now, giddyup, Sparklefarts – we’ve got some color chaos to cause…

JAMES HARDIE IRON GRAY: BEST PAINT COLOR MATCHES

Iron Gray is moodier than me at my time of the month, and I’m HERE for it. This skookum color creates an impact, whether you have white windows and trim or opt for black windows and matching trim. 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO IRON GRAY

The closest color Sherwin Williams has is Roycroft Pewter. The thing is, its GUTS are close, with a surprisingly similar amount of green and fractional warmth in its bones. However, Roycroft Pewter is lighter, with its LRV of 13. 

Could you ask the paint store to make it 25% darker? You can ask. Sometimes they can darken colors; other times, they can’t, because the can will overflow. 25% darker could tweak the undertones, but get you closer in depth to Iron Gray. 

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BENJAMIN MOORE’S CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO IRON GRAY

Benjamin Moore has a few colors worth sampling and comparing, including Benjamin Moore Rocky Coast and Gunmetal. Rocky Coast is likely to look more similar, but sample both in your lighting and see what you think. These colors both have a gray-green approach. Again, not exactly the same, as that doesn’t exist, but trying. 

• Here are your peel-and-stick samples of Rocky Coast and Gunmetal to compare with Iron Gray in your home’s environment. Here’s a sample of Roycroft Pewter
• Here’s a sample of James Hardie Iron Gray to get from Home Depot. 
• Lastly, take your Hardie sample to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams to see how they do with a color match. Among the above samples, you should find your closest match.

Based on my measurements and beautiful little eyeballs, you should also compare those to Benjamin Moore Nightfall (large sample). While its LRV is similar, it’s darker than Iron Gray but has very similar undertone tendencies. You could ask the paint store to lighten it by 25% and see how that looks. 

The Best Dark Gray Paint Colors

JAMES HARDIE COBBLESTONE: THE BEST PAINT COLOR MATCHES

If there’s one siding color that has my heart, it’s Cobblestone. Now, don’t let me sway you; that’s personal opinion. But like an older car with no cameras, I can back it up like a boss, and here’s why. 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO COBBLESTONE

There is no doubt that Sherwin Williams High Sierra is by far the closest color match to Cobblestone. In fact, it’s one of the best color match attempts on this page.

While some suggest Sherwin Williams Jogging Path and Anew Gray as other potential colors, it’s like wearing pitstick and underwear when you’re staying at home all day – I wouldn’t bother. 

BENJAMIN MOORE’S CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO COBBLESTONE

While High Sierra is my favorite close match, Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter takes a run at the title. With the massive popularity of Revere Pewter, I wouldn’t be surprised if James Hardie made Cobblestone in its likeness. 

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter Color Review

Everything you need to sample and compare…

• Compare a peel-and-stick sample of High Sierra to Cobblestone. Here’s your sample of Revere Pewter.
• Here’s a sample of James Hardie Cobblestone from Home Depot.
• Lastly, take your Hardie sample to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams to see how they do with a color match. Among the above samples, you should find your closest match. 

JAMES HARDIE NIGHT GRAY: BEST PAINT COLOR MATCHES

Night Gray is one of James Hardie’s more moderately dark gray paint colors (but not as dark as Iron Gray). Now, let’s see how Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams stack up. Again, to be as close as humanly possible, I used my spectrophotometer to measure Night Gray against the most popular paint brands. If this makes me sound like a nerd…well, I am. A cute nerd. 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO NIGHT GRAY

Sherwin Williams Web Gray is a gorgeous, scrumptiously dark shade of gray. It’s slightly darker than Hardie’s Night Gray and has a bit more green in its bones, with a tendency toward flashing blue-green. You’ll also want to sample the previously mentioned, Sherwin Williams Roycroft Pewter. It has a similar approach but is a bit darker and contains more green. 

BENJAMIN MOORE’S CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO NIGHT GRAY

Charcoal Slate is one of Benjamin Moore’s closest color matches to Night Gray, along with Stormy Sky. Both are slightly darker, but not by much. 

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Everything you need to sample and compare…

• Here’s your peel-and-stick sample of Charcoal Slate. Grab it, along with Web Gray and Roycroft Pewter to compare with Night Gray in your home’s natural environment. 
• Get your sample of James Hardie Night Gray at Home Depot. 
• Lastly, take your Hardie sample to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams to see how they do with a color match. Among the above samples, you should find your closest match. 

JAMES HARDIE LIGHT MIST: BEST PAINT COLOR MATCHES

I love that Hardie has two great options in this general range – Light Mist (below) and Pearl Gray (coming up shortly).

Remember, even though color matches won’t be exact – and some might be a bit too far from it- if you start with these colors, a knowledgeable paint store employee might be able to adjust things a bit closer for you. 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO LIGHT MIST

Sherwin Williams Gray Clouds is their closest paint color match to Light Mist. They’re almost the exact same depth, which is fab, but Gray Clouds has a touch less green in its backdrop and a bit more warmth. This doesn’t mean these are the undertones that show up on your house; however, when you compare the 2, you’ll see that Light Mist appears a touch more blue. 

BENJAMIN MOORE’S CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO LIGHT MIST

Benjamin Moore does a slightly better job than Sherwin Williams with its closest color match of Coventry Gray. 

Coventry Gray is damn close in depth to Light Mist. It also has a similar softness (it’s a stretch to call it ‘warmth’. However, it has less green in its backdrop. 

All said and done, you’ll meet few people that EVER think Light Mist looks remotely green. Often, you have to ignore the scientific backdrop of a color and focus on how it appears on a real home with real lighting. 

Everything you need to compare and sample…

• Here’s a large, peel-and-stick sample of Gray Clouds to Light Mist. Here are SW Gray Clouds and a sample of Coventry Gray
• Get a sample of James Hardie Light Mist at Home Depot. 
• Lastly, take your Hardie sample to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams to see how they do with a color match. Among the above samples, you should find your closest match. 

JAMES HARDIE PEARL GRAY: BEST PAINT COLOR MATCHES

Let’s see who the frontrunners are in our ‘closest match’ contest. 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO PEARL GRAY

Sherwin Williams Proper Gray is up there as a reasonable version of Pearl Gray. However, expect more purple – and it definitely ain’t messing around about it. If you want a gray-purple house, Proper Gray could be fab. However, if you’re looking for a close match to Pearl Gray for trim or something, it’s too strong. 

You might hunker down for the Winter while exploring Sherwin Williams Hibernate. It’s closer than Proper Gray, but still, I’m not sold. 

While I chose the colors for most of the homes on this page, I didn’t choose this next one. Because of its purplish hue, I don’t recommend it for many homes. 

The stone accents on this home would suit James Hardie Light Mist much better. 

BENJAMIN MOORE’S CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO PEARL GRAY

Benjamin Moore Baltic Gray is one of the better color matches to Pearl Gray – again, never exact, but it tries. Keep in mind it is a touch lighter, but it does have that similar gray-purple vibe. 

Benjamin Moore Cape May Cobblestone is another that pops up in my measurements. I’m a big fan of this, as if you’re looking for an alternative to Pearl Gray that’s less inclined to purple, Cape May Cobblestone can be just the ticket. 

Here’s everything you need to sample…

• Here are your large, peel-and-stick samples of Baltic Gray and Cape May Cobblestone to compare with Pearl Gray in your home’s natural environment. You can also check out Sherwin Williams Hibernate as an alternative, but I wouldn’t bother with Proper Gray. 
• Get a sample of Pearl Gray from Home Depot. 
• Lastly, take your Hardie sample to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams to see how they do with a color match. Among the above samples, you should find your closest match. 

JAMES HARDIE AGED PEWTER: BEST PAINT COLOR MATCHES

Aged Pewter is another popular James Hardie siding color. It’s great for its moderate warmth and depth; in fact, I’m a big fan of it (I do blow a lot of hot air). 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO AGED PEWTER

Sherwin Williams comes in HAWWWWTER than hotcakes with a pretty darn good ‘close’ match to Aged Pewter – based on my measurements and eyeballs, Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray is awesome. You might also get a sample of Sherwin Williams Hulett Ore and compare the 2. 

Here’s Gauntlet Gray, looking JUST LIKE Aged Pewter on my client’s detached garage…

BENJAMIN MOORE’S CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO AGED PEWTER

Benjamin Moore’s best color match to Aged Pewter is Amherst Gray. This color is great if you want to paint your whole home a color that’s similar to Aged Pewter, but isn’t as great for ‘looking as close as possible’. This is because Amherst Gray has a bit more green in its backdrop.

The same can be said for Benjamin Moore Asphalt – similar idea with tweaked potential undertones (it’s also a touch lighter). 

Benjamin Moore’s Best Dark Gray Paint Colors

Here’s what you need…

• A peel-and-stick sample of Gauntlet Gray and Hulett Ore to compare with Aged Pewter in your home’s natural environment. 
• Here’s your sample of James Hardie Aged Pewter from Home Depot. 
• Lastly, take your Hardie sample to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams to see how they do with a color match. Among the above samples, you should find your closest match. 

JAMES HARDIE ARCTIC WHITE: THE SHORT N’ SWEET

Arctic White isn’t my favorite James Hardie color, but it’s top of the list for many homeowners and builders. 

To learn more about its best color matches, check them out in its FULL review…

James Hardie Arctic White: LRV, Undertones, & Best Color Matches

JAMES HARDIE DARK ESPRESSO: THE BEST PAINT COLOR MATCHES

Dark Espresso is one of my favorite James Hardie siding colors. Rich and warm without being too chocolately, it’s a gorgeously grounded look for an exterior. 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO DARK ESPRESSO

If you’re looking for a perfect color match, you won’t find it here…or anywhere except on a James Hardie product. And while that’s true of any JH color, it’s especially true with Dark Espresso. 

We chose Dark Espresso for my Mom’s exterior with Benjamin Moore Cloud White trim…

Your closest Sherwin Williams match is Black Fox. Is it a similar alternative? You bet your cute lil’ booty it is. But is it a reasonable match? To eyeball it, sure, it’s reasonable. But upon doing measurements, no. Black Fox is a bit darker than Dark Espresso and also has more warmth, so it appears more brown/richer. 

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Of course, there’s Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze, too, but it’s even further away (though it’s equally as stunning). 

BENJAMIN MOORE’S CLOSEST COLOR MATCH TO DARK ESPRESSO

Again, no screamin’ glory with Benjamin Moore either. Their closest color match is Benjamin Moore Willow. This is also a fantastically muted dark shade of brown. Howevahhhhhh, it’s a touch darker and has a bit more warmth. That said, it’s closer overall than Black Fox. 

Here’s what you need…

• A peel-and-stick sample of Sherwin Williams Black Fox, along with Benjamin Moore Willow. 
• Make sure to get a sample of James Hardie Dark Espresso, available at Home Depot. 
• Lastly, take your Hardie sample to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams to see how they do with a color match. Among the above samples, you should find your closest match. 

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For any miscellaneous quandaries, queries, or concerns.

WHAT ABOUT COLOR MATCHES FOR THE OTHER JAMES HARDIE COLORS?

I’ve focused on the most popular Hardie colors, for obvious reasons. If you would like me to find the best, closest Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams color match to Khaki Brown, Sailcloth, Monterey Taupe, Deep Ocean, Evening Blue, Boothbay Blue, Woodstock Brown, Countrylane Red, Mountain Sage, Heathered Moss, or Slate Gray, please leave me a comment! 

WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR JAMES HARDIE SIDING COLORS?

When it comes to the best Hardie colors, some of it comes down to region.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST: You might find more Iron Gray, Night Gray, Woodstock Brown, and Pewter Gray, for a bit more of a moody, West Coast vibe. 

TRADITIONAL HOMES: As for more traditional homes, Pewter Gray shows up, for sure, along with colors like Monterey Taupe and Cobblestone. 

COUNTRY STYLE HOMES OR FARMHOUSES: Hit the countryside and colors like Countrylane Red and Sailcloth are more likely to pop up. That said, Arctic White satisfies many homeowners’ idea of the ‘modern farmhouse’ look. 

In all, you’ll find two things…

• The most popular colors are Iron Gray, Arctic White, Cobblestone, Aged Pewter, and Pearl Gray.
• You can find almost any James Hardie color in any neighborhood, so long as it suits the house it’s on. 

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE BEST HARDIE SIDING COLOR FOR MY HOUSE?

The cool thing about exterior colors is that you don’t really choose the color; your house chooses the color for you. 

• Consider your home’s window color and the type of contrast you want between it, your trim, and your siding color. 
• Look at your roof to see if it has any colors in it that would match one of the James Hardie siding colors.
• Consider any brick or stone on your home and whether you want to connect with a color in it or its mortar or add some contrast. 

5 Easy Steps to Choosing Your Best Exterior Paint Color

WHAT JAMES HARDIE SIDING COLORS ARE TIMELESS & WON’T LOOK DATED?

When it comes to a home’s exterior looking timeless or dated, it’s not just about the siding color. There’s a way bigger picture when creating a timeless home. 

For example, many homes with black windows, black trim, and dark siding will appear dated, depending on their location and the style of the home – a modern/contemporary style home can carry this look longer, as can a home in the mountains. 

For the average home, moderate, neutral colors like Cobblestone and Aged Pewter with white windows and classic white trim are often the best bet. 

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