Classic Gray (BM OC-23) vs Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Swiss Coffee, LRV 81.9 vs 73.7.
- Warmer
- About the same, both warm white (Lab b* 4.8 vs 5.6).
- North rooms
- Swiss Coffee keeps more brightness (L* 89.4 vs 85.2 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- White Dove BM PM-19, #EFEEE5, LRV 85.4: 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
Classic Gray
More comparisons with Classic Gray
Classic Gray (BM OC-23) is darker than Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45) and about as warm: LRV 73.7 vs 81.9, deltaE 2.8 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Classic Gray | Swiss Coffee | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | OC-23 | OC-45 | |
| Hex | #E3E0D7 | #EEECE1 | |
| RGB | 227, 224, 215 | 238, 236, 225 | |
| HSL | 45°, 18%, 87% | 51°, 28%, 91% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 73.7 | 81.9 | −8.2 |
| Lab L* | 89.2 | 93.3 | −4.1 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | -1.2 | +0.7 |
| Lab b* | 4.8 | 5.6 | −0.8 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | neutral | warm | |
| Color family | Off-white | White |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Classic Gray (BM OC-23), published as #E3E0D7
#D1D6D5
#F5EAD7
Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45), published as #EEECE1
#DCE2DF
#FFF6E1
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 Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 8.2 LRV points lighter (81.9 vs 73.7), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Classic Gray in other brands
Closest matches to Swiss Coffee in other brands
Common questions
- Is Classic Gray the same color as Swiss Coffee?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 2.8. Most people can see the difference between Classic Gray and Swiss Coffee side by side.
- Which is lighter, Classic Gray or Swiss Coffee?
- Swiss Coffee, with an LRV of 81.9 against 73.7.
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.