Seapearl (BM 961) vs Classic Gray (BM OC-23)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Seapearl, LRV 76.4 vs 73.7.
- Warmer
- About the same, both warm white (Lab b* 5.7 vs 4.8).
- North rooms
- Seapearl keeps more brightness (L* 86.6 vs 85.2 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- China White BM OC-141, #E7E4D9, LRV 76.4: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 1.2, very close. At 1.2, test both side by side if the room is dim or north-facing.
See each color
Classic Gray
More comparisons with Classic Gray
Seapearl (BM 961) is slightly lighter than Classic Gray (BM OC-23) and about as warm: LRV 76.4 vs 73.7, deltaE 1.2 (very close).
Side by side
| Measure | Seapearl | Classic Gray | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | 961 | OC-23 | |
| Hex | #E7E4D9 | #E3E0D7 | |
| RGB | 231, 228, 217 | 227, 224, 215 | |
| HSL | 47°, 23%, 88% | 45°, 18%, 87% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 76.4 | 73.7 | +2.8 |
| Lab L* | 90.5 | 89.2 | +1.4 |
| Lab a* | -0.9 | -0.5 | −0.3 |
| Lab b* | 5.7 | 4.8 | +1.0 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | warm | neutral | |
| Color family | Off-white | Off-white |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Seapearl (BM 961), published as #E7E4D9
#D5DAD7
#F9EED9
Classic Gray (BM OC-23), published as #E3E0D7
#D1D6D5
#F5EAD7
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 Seapearl (BM 961) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 2.8 LRV points lighter (76.4 vs 73.7), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Seapearl in other brands
Closest matches to Classic Gray in other brands
Common questions
- Is Seapearl the same color as Classic Gray?
- They are very close: a CIEDE2000 difference of 1.2. Side by side you may see a slight difference between Seapearl and Classic Gray.
- Which is lighter, Seapearl or Classic Gray?
- Seapearl, with an LRV of 76.4 against 73.7.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02). 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.