Onyx (BM 2133-10) vs Alabaster (SW 7008)
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Alabaster, LRV 82 vs 5.
- Warmer
- Alabaster (Lab b* 5.2 vs 0.2). Onyx reads neutral gray; Alabaster reads warm white.
- North rooms
- Alabaster keeps more brightness (L* 88.8 vs 17.8 in north light); Onyx drifts less gray (chroma drop 0.0 vs 3.2).
- Trim that works
- Calm BM OC-22, #E6E4DF, LRV 75.8: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 65.1, clearly different. At 65.1, treat them as different colors.
See each color
Onyx (BM 2133-10) is much darker than Alabaster (SW 7008) and cooler: LRV 5 vs 82, deltaE 65.1 (clearly different).
Side by side
| Measure | Onyx | Alabaster | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | 2133-10 | SW 7008 | |
| Hex | #353434 | #EDEAE0 | |
| RGB | 53, 52, 52 | 237, 234, 224 | |
| HSL | 0°, 1%, 21% | 46°, 27%, 90% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 5 | 82 | −77 |
| Lab L* | 21.8 | 92.7 | −70.9 |
| Lab a* | 0.4 | -0.7 | +1.2 |
| Lab b* | 0.2 | 5.2 | −5.1 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | neutral | warm | |
| Color family | Black | White |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Onyx (BM 2133-10), published as #353434
#272C32
#433C34
Alabaster (SW 7008), published as #EDEAE0
#DBE0DE
#FFF4E0
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick Alabaster (SW 7008) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 77 LRV points lighter (82 vs 5), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Onyx (BM 2133-10) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 0.2 against 5.2, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Alabaster (SW 7008) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 5.2), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Onyx in other brands
Closest matches to Alabaster in other brands
Common questions
- Is Onyx the same color as Alabaster?
- They are clearly different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 65.1. Onyx and Alabaster are different colors.
- Which is lighter, Onyx or Alabaster?
- Alabaster, with an LRV of 82 against 5.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Onyx: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02); Alabaster: 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.