CP

Benjamin Moore Chelsea GrayHC-168 · #7E7770 · LRV 22

Why this color. 2008 BM Color of the Year that never left the bestseller list; designer-favorite mid-gray.

Chelsea Gray reads as a red-orange / warm — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover the spec, what Benjamin Moore HC-168 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.

BENJAMIN MOORE CHELSEA GRAY
RGB 126, 119, 112LRV 22

Color spec

BrandBenjamin Moore
NameChelsea Gray
SKUHC-168
Hex#7E7770
RGB126, 119, 112
HSL30°, 6%, 47%
LRV22
Undertonered-orange / warm
FamilyGray

About Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray

With an LRV of 22, Chelsea Gray is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.

Chelsea Gray works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.

Closest matches by brand

14 brands within ΔE 5

The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.

Sherwin-Williams

1,947 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.9
All gray at Sherwin-Williams →
SW 9594 · #7E7970 · ΔE 1.9 · LRV 19
SW 9598 · #80796D · ΔE 2.67 · LRV 19
SW 7046 · #817A6E · ΔE 2.79 · LRV 20
SW 2849 · #797978 · ΔE 4.36 · LRV 19

Behr

5,644 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.3
All gray at Behr →
QE-38 · #7C756A · ΔE 2.3 · LRV 18
PPU24-06 · #7B766C · ΔE 2.35 · LRV 18
ECC-46-2 · #7D776C · ΔE 2.37 · LRV 19
N170-5 · #81746B · ΔE 3.02 · LRV 18

Valspar

2,858 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.06
All gray at Valspar →
T581 · #7C7771 · ΔE 1.06 · LRV 18.8
6005-2B · #83786D · ΔE 2.44 · LRV 19.4
V118-3 · #787772 · ΔE 3.27 · LRV 18.5
8004-3E · #7F7574 · ΔE 4.24 · LRV 18

PPG / Glidden

2,132 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.65
All gray at PPG / Glidden →
PPG1006-6 · #7B746B · ΔE 1.65 · LRV 18
PPG0998-6 · #7E7B75 · ΔE 2.49 · LRV 20
PPG1019-6 · #81746B · ΔE 3.02 · LRV 18
PPG1020-6 · #847568 · ΔE 4.13 · LRV 19

Glidden

3,101 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.11
All gray at Glidden →
30YY 18/064 · #7B756B · ΔE 2.11 · LRV 18
PPG0998-6 · #7D7A75 · ΔE 2.33 · LRV 20
10YY 18/074 · #7F746A · ΔE 2.34 · LRV 18
PPG1019-6 · #80736A · ΔE 3.14 · LRV 18

Dutch Boy

1,340 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.79
All gray at Dutch Boy →
440-5DB · #817A6E · ΔE 2.79 · LRV 20
442-5DB · #867A6F · ΔE 3.06 · LRV 20
405-5DB · #827466 · ΔE 4.1 · LRV 18
403-5DB · #867875 · ΔE 4.89 · LRV 20
HGSW 1492 · #7F7B73 · ΔE 2.34 · LRV 20
HGSW 3483 · #817A6E · ΔE 2.79 · LRV 20
HGSW 7046 · #817A6E · ΔE 2.79 · LRV 20
HGSW 3441 · #827466 · ΔE 4.1 · LRV 18

Dunn-Edwards

2,298 colors in deck · best ΔE 2.24
All gray at Dunn-Edwards →
DET621 · #837871 · ΔE 2.24 · LRV 19
DEGR50 · #797672 · ΔE 2.39 · LRV 18
DE6369 · #787976 · ΔE 4.44 · LRV 18
DET613 · #777872 · ΔE 4.45 · LRV 19

Magnolia Home

160 colors in deck · best ΔE 4.95
All gray at Magnolia Home →
JG-159 · #737268 · ΔE 4.95 · LRV 17

Diamond Vogel

1,386 colors in deck · best ΔE 3.11
All gray at Diamond Vogel →
0576 · #7C786D · ΔE 3.11 · LRV 19
0213 · #84796C · ΔE 3.16 · LRV 20
H116 · #7B7568 · ΔE 3.49 · LRV 18
0549 · #7A7473 · ΔE 3.54 · LRV 18

Hirshfield's

1,469 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.67
All gray at Hirshfield's →
0563 · #81796F · ΔE 1.67 · LRV 21
H0116 · #7B7568 · ΔE 3.49 · LRV 18
0219 · #817667 · ΔE 3.79 · LRV 20
0555 · #7A7778 · ΔE 4.55 · LRV 20

Rodda

357 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.79
All gray at Rodda →
R111 · #7E746C · ΔE 1.79 · LRV 19
R021 · #7C7974 · ΔE 2.2 · LRV 20
R028 · #7E7467 · ΔE 3.11 · LRV 18
CA083 · #7F7567 · ΔE 3.4 · LRV 18

C2 Paint

580 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.88
All gray at C2 Paint →
C2-808 · #837B72 · ΔE 1.88 · LRV 20
C2-809 · #867A6E · ΔE 3.25 · LRV 20
C2-855 · #7B7769 · ΔE 4.42 · LRV 18

Kompozit

1,321 colors in deck · best ΔE 1.67
All gray at Kompozit →
0563 · #81796F · ΔE 1.67 · LRV 19
0219 · #817667 · ΔE 3.79 · LRV 19
0555 · #7A7778 · ΔE 4.55 · LRV 19
0206 · #837766 · ΔE 4.63 · LRV 19

Similar Benjamin Moore colors

closest in the Benjamin Moore deck

The nearest shades to Chelsea Gray within Benjamin Moore's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

1546 · LRV 19
HC-167 · LRV 19
1539 · LRV 20
HC-103 · LRV 20
CSP-235 · LRV 20
CSP-180 · LRV 21

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #7E7770 in HSL space. Pair Chelsea Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#7E7770 + #70777E
TRIADIC
#7E7770 · #707E77 · #77707E
ANALOGOUS
#7E7070 · #7E7770 · #7E7E70

Accessibility (WCAG contrast)

Sample text on white
4.41:1AA Large
Sample text on black
4.76:1AA

WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.

Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray Equivalents at Other Brands

Matching Chelsea Gray from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Benjamin Moore HC-168 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.

Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Settlement (SW 9594), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.9). It runs slightly darker (LRV 19 vs 22) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Chelsea Gray without repainting risk. See the full Settlement swatch →

Behr Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

At Behr, the closest color to Chelsea Gray is Eagle Ridge (ECC-46-2) — very close at ΔE 2.37, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 19 vs 22) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Eagle Ridge swatch →

Valspar Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

Valspar's nearest match is Chain Link (T581), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.06). It runs slightly darker (LRV 18.8 vs 22) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Chelsea Gray without repainting risk. See the full Chain Link swatch →

PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Chelsea Gray is Tattle Tail (PPG1019-6) — very close at ΔE 3.02, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 18 vs 22) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Tattle Tail swatch →

Glidden Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

At Glidden, the closest color to Chelsea Gray is On The Edge (PPG0998-6) — very close at ΔE 2.33, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 20 vs 22) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full On The Edge swatch →

Dutch Boy Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Chelsea Gray is Weathered Rock (440-5DB) — very close at ΔE 2.79, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 20 vs 22) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Weathered Rock swatch →

HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

At HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Chelsea Gray is Thunder Clap (HGSW 1492) — very close at ΔE 2.34, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 20 vs 22) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Thunder Clap swatch →

Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Chelsea Gray is Palomino Pony (DET621) — very close at ΔE 2.24, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 19 vs 22) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Palomino Pony swatch →

Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Chelsea Gray is Stormy Weather (0576) — very close at ΔE 3.11, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 19 vs 22) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Stormy Weather swatch →

Hirshfield's Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

Hirshfield's's nearest match is Vigilant (0563), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.67). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 21 vs 22) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Chelsea Gray without repainting risk. See the full Vigilant swatch →

Rodda Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

At Rodda, the closest color to Chelsea Gray is Lapilli (R021) — very close at ΔE 2.2, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 20 vs 22) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Lapilli swatch →

C2 Paint Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

C2 Paint has no exact twin of Chelsea Gray. The nearest is Rolling Stone (C2-855) at ΔE 4.42 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 18 vs 22). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Rolling Stone swatch →

Kompozit Equivalent of Chelsea Gray

Kompozit's nearest match is Vigilant (0563), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.67). It runs slightly darker (LRV 19 vs 22) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Chelsea Gray without repainting risk. See the full Vigilant swatch →

EXPLORE MORE