Color guide · Benjamin Moore · Gray

Lampblack

CW-695 · #7E8181 · LRV 22 · neutral with no strong undertone

CW-695 · #7E8181 · LRV 22 — neutral with no strong undertone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

LampblackBenjamin Moore · CW-695
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Lampblack
BENJAMIN MOORE · CW-695 · #7E8181
Brand · codeBenjamin MooreCW-695 · all Benjamin Moore grays
LRV22Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertoneneutral with no strong undertone
FamilyGray
Hex · RGB · HSL#7E8181 · 126, 129, 129 · 180°, 1%, 50%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Black Fox7
  2. 2Pewter Green12
  3. 3Lampblack22
  4. 4Stardew43
  5. 5Quietude48
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Lampblack, Really?

Lampblack reads as a neutral with no strong undertone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore CW-695 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Lampblack

Lampblack 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Lampblack

With an LRV of 22, Lampblack 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.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Lampblack are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.

Upload a photoPainted in about a minuteFree, no account
Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Benjamin Moore CW-695 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Benjamin Moore Colors

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

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Lampblack · 5.3 : 1 · passes AAWhite text on Lampblack · 3.9 : 1 · large text only

WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.

Coordinated palette

Generated by hue-rotating #7E8181 in HSL space. Pair Lampblack with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#7E8181 + #817E7E
TRIADIC
#7E8181 · #817E81 · #81817E
ANALOGOUS
#7E8180 · #7E8181 · #7E8081

Have you painted with Lampblack?

Rate it — one tap helps the next reader decide.

Ask a Question

Jessica Williams

Not sure about Lampblack in your room?

Ask Jessica below — every question gets a real reply, usually within a day.

Keep exploring