Puritan Gray
HC-164 · #979F9B · LRV 34 — neutral with no strong undertone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Black Fox7
- 2Pewter Green12
- 3Puritan Gray34
- 4Stardew43
- 5Sea Salt63
What Color Is Puritan Gray, Really?
Puritan Gray reads as a neutral with no strong undertone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore HC-164 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Puritan Gray
Puritan Gray 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.
How Lighting Changes Puritan Gray
Puritan Gray sits in the mid-range at LRV 34, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Puritan Gray 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Benjamin Moore HC-164 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.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | BedrockSW 9563 · Sherwin-Williams | 4.5 | 34 | Color page → |
| Behr | Puddle790B-4 · Behr | 1.3 | 33 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Summer StormM346 · Valspar | 1.0 | 32.3 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Steel CurtainPPG0994-5 · PPG / Glidden | 2.4 | 34 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Steel CurtainPPG0994-5 · Glidden | 1.9 | 34 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Antiquated Pewter425-4DB · Dutch Boy | 2.9 | 34 | Color page → |
Similar Benjamin Moore Colors
The nearest shades to Puritan 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.
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 #979F9B in HSL space. Pair Puritan Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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