Intercoastal Gray (Behr MQ5-23)
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Intercoastal Gray (Behr MQ5-23) is a medium, cool gray from Behr: LRV 45, so it reflects about 45 percent of the light that hits it.
Colors that go with Intercoastal Gray
Four Behr colors picked for Intercoastal Gray by this site's color math: a trim white, a deeper gray, a quiet contrast from another family, a dark accent. Behr did not choose these pairings.
Closest match in every other brand
Each brand's closest color to Intercoastal Gray, ranked by CIEDE2000 (deltaE): under 1.0 is indistinguishable, 1.0 to 2.3 very close, 2.3 to 5 noticeably different, over 5 clearly different.
| Brand | Closest color | Code | LRV | deltaE | How close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Lakeside | SW 9683 | 47 | 1.5 | very close |
| Benjamin Moore | Celtic Blue | ES-31 | 45 | 0.4 | indistinguishable |
| Valspar | Grey Brook | 5001-1B | 50 | 2.5 | noticeably different |
| PPG Paints | Special Delivery | 1037-3 | 43 | 1.3 | very close |
Lighter and darker in Behr
The Behr gray colors nearest to Intercoastal Gray (LRV 45 (estimated)) by LRV.
Lighter than Intercoastal Gray
Darker than Intercoastal Gray
Color data
| Brand | Behr |
|---|---|
| Color code | MQ5-23 |
| Hex | #A8B5BC |
| RGB | 168, 181, 188 |
| HSL | 201°, 13%, 70% |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 45 (estimated from the hex) |
| Lab L*, a*, b* | 72.9, -3.1, -5.1 |
| Undertone | Cool |
| Temperature | cool |
| Color family | Gray |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Intercoastal Gray (Behr MQ5-23), published as #A8B5BC
#96ABBA
#BABFBC
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Similar shades from Behr
More from Behr
Common questions
- What is the LRV of Intercoastal Gray (Behr MQ5-23)?
- Intercoastal Gray has an LRV of 45 (estimated from its hex value). LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) and measures the share of light a surface reflects, so Intercoastal Gray is a medium color.
- What is the closest match to Intercoastal Gray in another brand?
- Celtic Blue (BM ES-31) from Benjamin Moore, at a deltaE of 0.4 (indistinguishable).
- Is Intercoastal Gray warm or cool?
- Behr lists Intercoastal Gray as cool, with a Cool undertone. Its Lab b* value is -5.1; a higher b* is warmer and yellower, a lower one cooler and bluer.
Sources: hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0); LRV is not published by Behr for this color and is estimated here from the color's own hex value. Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.