Elmira White (BM HC-84) 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 64.7.
- Warmer
- Elmira White, both greige (Lab b* 8.9 vs 5.9).
- North rooms
- Pale Oak: keeps more brightness (L* 82.8 vs 80.8 in north light) and drifts less gray (chroma drop 4.0 vs 4.6).
- Trim that works
- Collector's Item BM AF-45, #F1EADC, LRV 81.3: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 2.7, noticeably different. At 2.7, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Elmira White
More comparisons with Elmira White
Elmira White (BM HC-84) is slightly darker than Pale Oak (BM OC-20) and warmer: LRV 64.7 vs 68.6, deltaE 2.7 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Elmira White | Pale Oak | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | HC-84 | OC-20 | |
| Hex | #DBD3C3 | #DDD9CE | |
| RGB | 219, 211, 195 | 221, 217, 206 | |
| HSL | 40°, 25%, 81% | 44°, 18%, 84% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 64.7 | 68.6 | −4 |
| Lab L* | 84.8 | 86.7 | −1.9 |
| Lab a* | 0.0 | -0.5 | +0.6 |
| Lab b* | 8.9 | 5.9 | +3.0 |
| Undertone | Warm | Warm Greige | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Beige | Greige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Elmira White (BM HC-84), published as #DBD3C3
#CAC9C1
#EDDDC3
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 4 LRV points lighter (68.6 vs 64.7), 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 8.9, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Elmira White (BM HC-84) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 8.9), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Elmira White in other brands
Closest matches to Pale Oak in other brands
Common questions
- Is Elmira White the same color as Pale Oak?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 2.7. Most people can see the difference between Elmira White and Pale Oak side by side.
- Which is lighter, Elmira White or Pale Oak?
- Pale Oak, with an LRV of 68.6 against 64.7.
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.