Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) vs Drift of Mist (SW 9166)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Drift of Mist, LRV 69 vs 63.1.
- Warmer
- Edgecomb Gray, both greige (Lab b* 8.2 vs 4.4).
- North rooms
- Drift of Mist: keeps more brightness (L* 82.5 vs 80.7 in north light) and drifts less gray (chroma drop 3.3 vs 4.4).
- Trim that works
- White Blush BM 904, #F6F0E1, LRV 84.7: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 3.2, noticeably different. At 3.2, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
More comparisons with Edgecomb Gray
More comparisons with Drift of Mist
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173) is darker than Drift of Mist (SW 9166) and warmer: LRV 63.1 vs 69, deltaE 3.2 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Edgecomb Gray | Drift of Mist | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | HC-173 | SW 9166 | |
| Hex | #D9D3C4 | #DCD8D0 | |
| RGB | 217, 211, 196 | 220, 216, 208 | |
| HSL | 43°, 22%, 81% | 40°, 15%, 84% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 63.1 | 69 | −5.9 |
| Lab L* | 84.7 | 86.5 | −1.8 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | 0.0 | −0.5 |
| Lab b* | 8.2 | 4.4 | +3.7 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | warm | neutral | |
| Color family | Greige | Gray |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Edgecomb Gray (BM HC-173), published as #D9D3C4
#C8C9C2
#EBDDC4
Drift of Mist (SW 9166), published as #DCD8D0
#CBCECE
#EEE2D0
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 Drift of Mist (SW 9166) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 5.9 LRV points lighter (69 vs 63.1), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Drift of Mist (SW 9166) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 4.4 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 Drift of Mist in other brands
Common questions
- Is Edgecomb Gray the same color as Drift of Mist?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 3.2. Most people can see the difference between Edgecomb Gray and Drift of Mist side by side.
- Which is lighter, Edgecomb Gray or Drift of Mist?
- Drift of Mist, with an LRV of 69 against 63.1.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Edgecomb Gray: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02); Drift of Mist: 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.