Classic Gray (BM OC-23) vs Agreeable Gray (SW 7029)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Classic Gray, LRV 73.7 vs 60.
- Warmer
- About the same (Lab b* 4.8 vs 5.7). Classic Gray reads warm white; Agreeable Gray reads greige.
- North rooms
- Classic Gray: keeps more brightness (L* 85.2 vs 77.9 in north light) and drifts less gray (chroma drop 2.9 vs 4.6).
- Trim that works
- Barely There BM CSP-725, #E8E6DE, LRV 77.5: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 5.0, noticeably different. At 5.0, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
More comparisons with Agreeable Gray
Classic Gray (BM OC-23) is lighter than Agreeable Gray (SW 7029) and about as warm: LRV 73.7 vs 60, deltaE 5.0 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Classic Gray | Agreeable Gray | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | OC-23 | SW 7029 | |
| Hex | #E3E0D7 | #D1CBC1 | |
| RGB | 227, 224, 215 | 209, 203, 193 | |
| HSL | 45°, 18%, 87% | 37°, 15%, 79% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 73.7 | 60 | +13.7 |
| Lab L* | 89.2 | 81.9 | +7.3 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | 0.3 | −0.9 |
| Lab b* | 4.8 | 5.7 | −1.0 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Warm Beige | |
| Temperature | neutral | warm | |
| Color family | Off-white | Greige |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Classic Gray (BM OC-23), published as #E3E0D7
#D1D6D5
#F5EAD7
Agreeable Gray (SW 7029), published as #D1CBC1
#C0C1BF
#E3D5C1
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 Classic Gray (BM OC-23) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 13.7 LRV points lighter (73.7 vs 60), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Classic Gray in other brands
Closest matches to Agreeable Gray in other brands
Common questions
- Is Classic Gray the same color as Agreeable Gray?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 5.0. Most people can see the difference between Classic Gray and Agreeable Gray side by side.
- Which is lighter, Classic Gray or Agreeable Gray?
- Classic Gray, with an LRV of 73.7 against 60.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Classic Gray: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02); Agreeable Gray: 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.