Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) vs Modern Gray (SW 7632)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Edgecomb Gray, LRV 63.1 vs 62.
- Warmer
- Edgecomb Gray, both greige (Lab b* 8.2 vs 6.5).
- North rooms
- Edgecomb Gray keeps more brightness (L* 80.7 vs 79.2 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 2.6, noticeably different. At 2.6, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
More comparisons with Edgecomb Gray
More comparisons with Modern Gray
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) is about as light as Modern Gray (SW 7632) and slightly warmer: LRV 63.1 vs 62, deltaE 2.6 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Edgecomb Gray | Modern Gray | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | HC-173 | SW 7632 | |
| Hex | #D9D3C4 | #D6CEC3 | |
| RGB | 217, 211, 196 | 214, 206, 195 | |
| HSL | 43°, 22%, 81% | 35°, 19%, 80% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 63.1 | 62 | +1.1 |
| Lab L* | 84.7 | 83.1 | +1.5 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | 0.9 | −1.4 |
| Lab b* | 8.2 | 6.5 | +1.7 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Warm | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Greige | Greige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173), published as #D9D3C4
#C8C9C2
#EBDDC4
Modern Gray (SW 7632), published as #D6CEC3
#C5C4C1
#E8D8C3
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 Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 1.1 LRV points lighter (63.1 vs 62), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Modern Gray (SW 7632) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 6.5 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 Modern Gray in other brands
Common questions
- Is Edgecomb Gray the same color as Modern Gray?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 2.6. Most people can see the difference between Edgecomb Gray and Modern Gray side by side.
- Which is lighter, Edgecomb Gray or Modern Gray?
- Edgecomb Gray, with an LRV of 63.1 against 62.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Edgecomb Gray: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02); Modern Gray: 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.