Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) vs Natural Cream (BM OC-14)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Natural Cream, LRV 64.8 vs 63.1.
- Warmer
- About the same, both greige (Lab b* 8.2 vs 8.0).
- North rooms
- About the same: both keep their brightness and color about equally (L* 81.4 vs 80.7 in north light).
- Trim that works
- White Blush BM 904, #F6F0E1, LRV 84.7: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 0.7, indistinguishable. At 0.7, pick on price, finish or availability.
See each color
Edgecomb Gray
More comparisons with Edgecomb Gray
Natural Cream
More comparisons with Natural Cream
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) is slightly darker than Natural Cream (BM OC-14) and about as warm: LRV 63.1 vs 64.8, deltaE 0.7 (indistinguishable).
Side by side
| Measure | Edgecomb Gray | Natural Cream | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | HC-173 | OC-14 | |
| Hex | #D9D3C4 | #DAD5C6 | |
| RGB | 217, 211, 196 | 218, 213, 198 | |
| HSL | 43°, 22%, 81% | 45°, 21%, 82% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 63.1 | 64.8 | −1.7 |
| Lab L* | 84.7 | 85.3 | −0.6 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | -0.9 | +0.4 |
| Lab b* | 8.2 | 8.0 | +0.1 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Greige | Greige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173), published as #D9D3C4
#C8C9C2
#EBDDC4
Natural Cream (BM OC-14), published as #DAD5C6
#C9CBC4
#ECDFC6
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 Natural Cream (BM OC-14) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 1.7 LRV points lighter (64.8 vs 63.1), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Edgecomb Gray in other brands
Closest matches to Natural Cream in other brands
Common questions
- Is Edgecomb Gray the same color as Natural Cream?
- They are indistinguishable: a CIEDE2000 difference of 0.7. Most people cannot tell Edgecomb Gray and Natural Cream apart.
- Which is lighter, Edgecomb Gray or Natural Cream?
- Natural Cream, with an LRV of 64.8 against 63.1.
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.