Behr Cold Steel#7D8C96 · LRV 25
Cold Steel reads as a blue / cool — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Behr MQ5-20 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Cold Steel |
| SKU | MQ5-20 |
| Hex | #7D8C96 |
| RGB | 125, 140, 150 |
| HSL | 204°, 11%, 54% |
| LRV | 25 |
| Undertone | blue / cool |
| Family | Gray |
About Behr Cold Steel
Cold Steel sits in the mid-range at LRV 25, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its blue undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Cold Steel is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Kompozit alternative
The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Valspar
Benjamin Moore
Backdrop
PPG / Glidden
Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Cold Steel within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #7D8C96 in HSL space. Pair Cold Steel with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.