Classic Gray (BM OC-23) vs Drift of Mist (SW 9166)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Classic Gray, LRV 73.7 vs 69.
- Warmer
- About the same (Lab b* 4.8 vs 4.4). Classic Gray reads warm white; Drift of Mist reads greige.
- North rooms
- Classic Gray keeps more brightness (L* 85.2 vs 82.5 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- Barely There BM CSP-725, #E8E6DE, LRV 77.5: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 1.9, very close. At 1.9, test both side by side if the room is dim or north-facing.
See each color
More comparisons with Classic Gray
More comparisons with Drift of Mist
Classic Gray (BM OC-23) is slightly lighter than Drift of Mist (SW 9166) and about as warm: LRV 73.7 vs 69, deltaE 1.9 (very close).
Side by side
| Measure | Classic Gray | Drift of Mist | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | OC-23 | SW 9166 | |
| Hex | #E3E0D7 | #DCD8D0 | |
| RGB | 227, 224, 215 | 220, 216, 208 | |
| HSL | 45°, 18%, 87% | 40°, 15%, 84% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 73.7 | 69 | +4.7 |
| Lab L* | 89.2 | 86.5 | +2.7 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | 0.0 | −0.5 |
| Lab b* | 4.8 | 4.4 | +0.3 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | neutral | neutral | |
| Color family | Off-white | Gray |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Classic Gray (BM OC-23), published as #E3E0D7
#D1D6D5
#F5EAD7
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 Classic Gray (BM OC-23) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 4.7 LRV points lighter (73.7 vs 69), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Classic Gray in other brands
Closest matches to Drift of Mist in other brands
Common questions
- Is Classic Gray the same color as Drift of Mist?
- They are very close: a CIEDE2000 difference of 1.9. Side by side you may see a slight difference between Classic Gray and Drift of Mist.
- Which is lighter, Classic Gray or Drift of Mist?
- Classic Gray, with an LRV of 73.7 against 69.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: Classic 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.