Brewster Gray (BM HC-162)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Brewster Gray (BM HC-162) is a deep, neutral gray from Benjamin Moore: LRV 30, so it reflects about 30 percent of the light that hits it.
Colors that go with Brewster Gray
Four Benjamin Moore colors picked for Brewster Gray by this site's color math: a trim white, a deeper gray, a quiet contrast from another family, a dark accent. Benjamin Moore did not choose these pairings.
Closest match in every other brand
Each brand's closest color to Brewster 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 | Cadet | SW 9143 | 31 | 3.1 | noticeably different |
| Behr | Atmospheric | PPU12-15 | 29.4 | 0.6 | indistinguishable |
| Valspar | Café Blue | 5001-4A | 32 | 2.7 | noticeably different |
| PPG Paints | After The Storm | 1036-4 | 33 | 3.0 | noticeably different |
Lighter and darker in Benjamin Moore
The Benjamin Moore gray colors nearest to Brewster Gray (LRV 30) by LRV.
Lighter than Brewster Gray
Darker than Brewster Gray
Color data
| Brand | Benjamin Moore |
|---|---|
| Color code | HC-162 |
| Hex | #8A9696 |
| RGB | 138, 150, 150 |
| HSL | 180°, 5%, 56% |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 30 |
| Lab L*, a*, b* | 61.2, -4.3, -1.5 |
| Undertone | Neutral |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Color family | Gray |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Brewster Gray (BM HC-162), published as #8A9696
#798C94
#9CA096
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Similar shades from Benjamin Moore
Comparisons that include Brewster Gray (BM HC-162)
More from Benjamin Moore
Common questions
- What is the LRV of Brewster Gray (BM HC-162)?
- Brewster Gray has an LRV of 30. LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) and measures the share of light a surface reflects, so Brewster Gray is a deep color.
- What is the closest match to Brewster Gray in another brand?
- Atmospheric (Behr PPU12-15) from Behr, at a deltaE of 0.6 (indistinguishable).
- Is Brewster Gray warm or cool?
- Benjamin Moore lists Brewster Gray as neutral, with a Neutral undertone. Its Lab b* value is -1.5; a higher b* is warmer and yellower, a lower one cooler and bluer.
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). 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.