Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) vs Shoji White (SW 7042)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Shoji White, LRV 74 vs 63.1.
- Warmer
- Edgecomb Gray (Lab b* 8.2 vs 6.7). Edgecomb Gray reads greige; Shoji White reads warm white.
- North rooms
- Shoji White keeps more brightness (L* 85.2 vs 80.7 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- Collector's Item BM AF-45, #F1EADC, LRV 81.3: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 3.3, noticeably different. At 3.3, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
More comparisons with Edgecomb Gray
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) is darker than Shoji White (SW 7042) and slightly warmer: LRV 63.1 vs 74, deltaE 3.3 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Edgecomb Gray | Shoji White | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | HC-173 | SW 7042 | |
| Hex | #D9D3C4 | #E6DFD3 | |
| RGB | 217, 211, 196 | 230, 223, 211 | |
| HSL | 43°, 22%, 81% | 38°, 28%, 86% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 63.1 | 74 | −10.9 |
| Lab L* | 84.7 | 89.1 | −4.4 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | 0.3 | −0.8 |
| Lab b* | 8.2 | 6.7 | +1.4 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Warm | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Greige | Off-white |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173), published as #D9D3C4
#C8C9C2
#EBDDC4
Shoji White (SW 7042), published as #E6DFD3
#D5D5D1
#F8E9D3
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 Shoji White (SW 7042) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 10.9 LRV points lighter (74 vs 63.1), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Shoji White (SW 7042) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 6.7 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 Shoji White in other brands
Common questions
- Is Edgecomb Gray the same color as Shoji White?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 3.3. Most people can see the difference between Edgecomb Gray and Shoji White side by side.
- Which is lighter, Edgecomb Gray or Shoji White?
- Shoji White, with an LRV of 74 against 63.1.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Edgecomb Gray: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02); Shoji White: 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.