Sea Salt (BM CSP-95) vs Pale Oak (BM OC-20)
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Pale Oak, LRV 68.6 vs 61.1.
- Warmer
- About the same, both greige (Lab b* 6.6 vs 5.9).
- North rooms
- Pale Oak keeps more brightness (L* 82.8 vs 79.3 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- Seapearl BM 961, #E7E4D9, LRV 76.4: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 2.4, noticeably different. At 2.4, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Sea Salt (BM CSP-95) is darker than Pale Oak (BM OC-20) and about as warm: LRV 61.1 vs 68.6, deltaE 2.4 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Sea Salt | Pale Oak | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | CSP-95 | OC-20 | |
| Hex | #D4CFC3 | #DDD9CE | |
| RGB | 212, 207, 195 | 221, 217, 206 | |
| HSL | 42°, 17%, 80% | 44°, 18%, 84% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 61.1 | 68.6 | −7.5 |
| Lab L* | 83.2 | 86.7 | −3.5 |
| Lab a* | -0.4 | -0.5 | +0.2 |
| Lab b* | 6.6 | 5.9 | +0.7 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Warm Greige | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Greige | Greige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Sea Salt (BM CSP-95), published as #D4CFC3
#C3C5C1
#E6D9C3
Pale Oak (BM OC-20), published as #DDD9CE
#CCCFCC
#EFE3CE
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 Pale Oak (BM OC-20) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 7.5 LRV points lighter (68.6 vs 61.1), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Sea Salt in other brands
Closest matches to Pale Oak in other brands
Common questions
- Is Sea Salt the same color as Pale Oak?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 2.4. Most people can see the difference between Sea Salt and Pale Oak side by side.
- Which is lighter, Sea Salt or Pale Oak?
- Pale Oak, with an LRV of 68.6 against 61.1.
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.