Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) vs Natural Linen (SW 9109)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Natural Linen, LRV 66 vs 63.1.
- Warmer
- Natural Linen, both greige (Lab b* 9.4 vs 8.2).
- North rooms
- About the same: both keep their brightness and color about equally (L* 81.2 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 2.8, noticeably different. At 2.8, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
More comparisons with Edgecomb Gray
More comparisons with Natural Linen
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) is slightly darker than Natural Linen (SW 9109) and slightly cooler: LRV 63.1 vs 66, deltaE 2.8 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Edgecomb Gray | Natural Linen | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | HC-173 | SW 9109 | |
| Hex | #D9D3C4 | #DFD3C3 | |
| RGB | 217, 211, 196 | 223, 211, 195 | |
| HSL | 43°, 22%, 81% | 34°, 30%, 82% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 63.1 | 66 | −2.9 |
| Lab L* | 84.7 | 85.1 | −0.5 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | 1.5 | −2.0 |
| Lab b* | 8.2 | 9.4 | −1.2 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Warm | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Greige | Beige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173), published as #D9D3C4
#C8C9C2
#EBDDC4
Natural Linen (SW 9109), published as #DFD3C3
#CEC9C1
#F1DDC3
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 Linen (SW 9109) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 2.9 LRV points lighter (66 vs 63.1), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 8.2 against 9.4, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Natural Linen (SW 9109) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 9.4), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Edgecomb Gray in other brands
Closest matches to Natural Linen in other brands
Common questions
- Is Edgecomb Gray the same color as Natural Linen?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 2.8. Most people can see the difference between Edgecomb Gray and Natural Linen side by side.
- Which is lighter, Edgecomb Gray or Natural Linen?
- Natural Linen, with an LRV of 66 against 63.1.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Edgecomb Gray: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02); Natural Linen: 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.