Color guide · Benjamin Moore · Gray

Shadow Gray

2125-40 · #A2A9AE · LRV 40 · cool blue tone

2125-40 · #A2A9AE · LRV 40 — cool blue tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.

Shadow GrayBenjamin Moore · 2125-40
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Shadow Gray
BENJAMIN MOORE · 2125-40 · #A2A9AE
Brand · codeBenjamin Moore2125-40 · all Benjamin Moore grays
LRV40Mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
Undertonecool blue tone
FamilyGray
Hex · RGB · HSL#A2A9AE · 162, 169, 174 · 205°, 7%, 66%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. 1Pewter Green12
  2. 2Retreat21
  3. 3Shadow Gray40
  4. 4Upward57
  5. 5Sea Salt63
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Shadow Gray, Really?

Shadow Gray reads as a cool blue tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Benjamin Moore 2125-40 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Shadow Gray

Shadow 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Shadow Gray

Shadow Gray sits in the mid-range at LRV 40, 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.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Shadow 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.

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 2125-40 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 Shadow 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.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Shadow Gray · 8.8 : 1 · passes AA and AAAWhite text on Shadow Gray · 2.4 : 1 · fails for text

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 #A2A9AE in HSL space. Pair Shadow Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#A2A9AE + #AEA7A2
TRIADIC
#A2A9AE · #AEA2A9 · #A9AEA2
ANALOGOUS
#A2AEAD · #A2A9AE · #A2A3AE

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Jessica Williams

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