Benjamin Moore Gray OwlvsBenjamin Moore Stonington Gray
Why this comparison: BM’s two go-to light grays; Stonington runs cooler and bluer while Gray Owl can flash green. Gray Owl and Stonington Gray are very close (ΔE 2.32). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
Gray Owl is slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 59, 6-point delta).
What Each Color Really Is
A very light gray with a grayed-out yellow-green lean — and the lean is the whole story. At about 7 percent saturation there is barely any color in the can, so Gray Owl has almost nothing holding it in place. Give it strong sun and it tips toward soft sage. Give it a gray, overcast north window and the warmth vanishes and it drifts blue. The two most common complaints about this color, "it looks green" and "it looks blue," are both true, in the same house, on different walls.
At LRV 65 it reflects a lot of light, which is why it became a whole-house default. Put it next to Repose Gray SW 7015 at LRV 58 and Gray Owl is clearly the lighter, airier one — Repose looks a shade heavier and slightly taupe. Go the other way and stand it next to Classic Gray OC-23 at LRV 74 and Gray Owl suddenly looks like a real gray instead of an off-white. That middle position is exactly what people want from it, and exactly why it is so easy to get wrong.
A true gray with a blue undertone that never fully disappears — and a faint green ghost that shows up in shade and shadow. Benjamin Moore's own description, "all-purpose silvery gray," is unusually accurate: unlike its warmer HC-deck cousins (Revere Pewter, Edgecomb Gray), Stonington Gray does not lean beige or tan under any light. It reads as gray in the paint can, gray on the swatch, and gray on the wall. That consistency is the whole reason it became a Benjamin Moore staple rather than a passing trend color.
It belongs to the Historical Collection's HC gray run: Wickham Gray (HC-171, LRV 68) sits a step lighter and softer, Coventry Gray (HC-169) and Chelsea Gray (HC-168) sit darker and moodier, and Stonington Gray (HC-170, LRV 59) holds the middle — light enough for whole-house walls, with enough depth to read as a real color choice rather than an off-white. At LRV 59 it is a genuine mid-tone: not the pale ghost-gray of Classic Gray, not the charcoal of Kendall Charcoal, just a confident medium gray.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Gray Owl | Stonington Gray |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore |
| SKU | 2137-60 | HC-170 |
| Hex | #D3D4CC | #CACBC5 |
| RGB | 211, 212, 204 | 202, 203, 197 |
| LRV | 65 | 59 |
| Undertone | yellow / warm | yellow / warm |
| Family | Gray | Gray |
How Light Changes Them
Warm at the sun hours, settles to a quiet neutral gray after. Its sweet spot.
Direct warm sun brings the yellow-green forward. Lovely as soft sage — a problem if you wanted gray.
Cool daylight strips the warmth out and leaves a thin blue-gray. The most regretted room.
2700K lamps: creamier, slightly greener. 3500-4000K: crisp, clean gray. Change bulbs before you change paint.
The blue calms into a clean, confident silvery gray. This is the light the official swatch photos are shot in.
Cool, blue-toned daylight pushes Stonington Gray's own blue forward — walls can read distinctly slate-blue and cold. Test a big sample first.
A soft blue tint in morning or evening light, a truer gray at midday. Outdoors this reads as pleasant depth through the day.
2700K bulbs warm it just enough to feel cozy rather than cold. Cool white LEDs push it further blue — swap bulbs before you second-guess the paint.
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
Whole-house walls where one gray has to work everywhere · rooms with steady, even daylight · dark hallways and small rooms that need to feel bigger · anyone who tried a true gray and found it cold
Your room is dim and faces north · you have green-toned floors, tile or quartz · you want a gray that obviously reads gray · your trim is bright white and you want real contrast
Exterior siding and shutters · rooms with real south or west daylight · anyone who wants gray without a hint of beige · coastal, modern-farmhouse and transitional houses
Your room is dim and north-facing · your floors and trim run warm honey oak · you actually wanted a greige, not a gray · your fixtures and stone are warm brass and gold-flecked granite
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Gray Owl vs Stonington Gray FAQ
Which is lighter, Gray Owl or Stonington Gray?
Gray Owl is lighter: LRV 65 vs 59. Gray Owl is slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 59, 6-point delta).
Which is warmer, Gray Owl or Stonington Gray?
They share the same undertone family — both read yellow / warm. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Gray Owl and Stonington Gray?
Gray Owl and Stonington Gray are very close (ΔE 2.32). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Gray Owl and Stonington Gray together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 2.32 they are so close that two walls in each will read as a tinting mistake, not a design choice. Pick one, or keep them on different floors where they are never seen together.
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