Pale Oak (BM OC-20) vs Calm (BM OC-22)
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Calm, LRV 75.8 vs 68.6.
- Warmer
- Pale Oak (Lab b* 5.9 vs 2.7). Pale Oak reads greige; Calm reads neutral white.
- North rooms
- Calm: keeps more brightness (L* 86.7 vs 82.8 in north light) and drifts less gray (chroma drop 0.1 vs 4.0).
- Trim that works
- Dove Wing BM 960, #E9E6DB, LRV 77.5: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 3.7, noticeably different. At 3.7, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Pale Oak (BM OC-20) is darker than Calm (BM OC-22) and warmer: LRV 68.6 vs 75.8, deltaE 3.7 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Pale Oak | Calm | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | OC-20 | OC-22 | |
| Hex | #DDD9CE | #E6E4DF | |
| RGB | 221, 217, 206 | 230, 228, 223 | |
| HSL | 44°, 18%, 84% | 43°, 12%, 89% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 68.6 | 75.8 | −7.2 |
| Lab L* | 86.7 | 90.6 | −3.9 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | -0.2 | −0.4 |
| Lab b* | 5.9 | 2.7 | +3.2 |
| Undertone | Warm Greige | Neutral | |
| Temperature | warm | neutral | |
| Color family | Greige | Off-white |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Pale Oak (BM OC-20), published as #DDD9CE
#CCCFCC
#EFE3CE
Calm (BM OC-22), published as #E6E4DF
#D4DADD
#F8EEDF
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 Calm (BM OC-22) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 7.2 LRV points lighter (75.8 vs 68.6), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Calm (BM OC-22) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 2.7 against 5.9, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Pale Oak (BM OC-20) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 5.9), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Pale Oak in other brands
Closest matches to Calm in other brands
Common questions
- Is Pale Oak the same color as Calm?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 3.7. Most people can see the difference between Pale Oak and Calm side by side.
- Which is lighter, Pale Oak or Calm?
- Calm, with an LRV of 75.8 against 68.6.
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.