Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) vs Pale Oak (BM OC-20)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Pale Oak, LRV 68.6 vs 63.1.
- Warmer
- Edgecomb Gray, both greige (Lab b* 8.2 vs 5.9).
- North rooms
- Pale Oak keeps more brightness (L* 82.8 vs 80.7 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- White Blush BM 904, #F6F0E1, LRV 84.7: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 2.2, very close. At 2.2, test both side by side if the room is dim or north-facing.
See each color
Edgecomb Gray
More comparisons with Edgecomb Gray
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) is darker than Pale Oak (BM OC-20) and slightly warmer: LRV 63.1 vs 68.6, deltaE 2.2 (very close).
Side by side
| Measure | Edgecomb Gray | Pale Oak | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | HC-173 | OC-20 | |
| Hex | #D9D3C4 | #DDD9CE | |
| RGB | 217, 211, 196 | 221, 217, 206 | |
| HSL | 43°, 22%, 81% | 44°, 18%, 84% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 63.1 | 68.6 | −5.5 |
| Lab L* | 84.7 | 86.7 | −2.1 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | -0.5 | +0.0 |
| Lab b* | 8.2 | 5.9 | +2.3 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Warm Greige | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Greige | Greige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173), published as #D9D3C4
#C8C9C2
#EBDDC4
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 5.5 LRV points lighter (68.6 vs 63.1), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Pale Oak (BM OC-20) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 5.9 against 8.2, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 8.2), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Edgecomb Gray in other brands
Closest matches to Pale Oak in other brands
Common questions
- Is Edgecomb Gray the same color as Pale Oak?
- They are very close: a CIEDE2000 difference of 2.2. Side by side you may see a slight difference between Edgecomb Gray and Pale Oak.
- Which is lighter, Edgecomb Gray or Pale Oak?
- Pale Oak, with an LRV of 68.6 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.