Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray (HC-173) is one of the best greige paint colors, and we think it’s the perfect choice for any room in your home.
We’ve used Edgecomb Gray in nearly every room of our home because it’s a toasty, inviting, and versatile neutral. You might even call it the perfect greige paint color! It’s popular with designers and DIYers alike, whether you’re painting a living room, bedroom, kitchen cabinets, or even your siding. Let’s show you why.
We’ve also scoured the Internet to find the best greige paint colors that experts recommend again and again (yes, Edgecomb Gray made the list!). The #1 spot did surprise us a little bit. But you’ll find some great alternative greiges if you want want to test a few.
When should you employ Edgecomb Gray?
Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray (HC-173) is one of the best greige paint colors. It should be high on your consideration list if you’re looking for any of the following:
- A toasty greige that is the perfect blend of gray & beige
- A light-to-medium neutral that will add interest without darkening a room
- A timeless hue that works well in rooms with good natural airy
- A sophisticated paint color that doesn’t look dated or yellow
- A whole house paint color that works in any room
- A taupe paint that pairs well with white trim
- A crowd-pleasing color that’s good for resale and rentals
- A versatile neutral that works with newfangled or classic decor
- A subtle wall color that will facilitate other furniture and decor pop
We go could on and on about why we fell in love this near-flawless color, but by the end of this post you’ll see for yourself!
When should you NOT employ Edgecomb Gray?
Be careful with Edgecomb Gray in gloomy rooms that don’t receive a lot of natural airy, especially north-facing rooms. We painted our bonus room with Edgecomb Gray at first, but quickly noticed it looked darker and muddier than it did other spaces – even compared to the hallway it was attached to! We realized the north-facing airy that rooms received (which tends to appear cooler) was distorting its usual airy and toasty appearance.
We ended up repainting the space a lighter cooler gray (Behr Irish Mist) and swore off using Edgecomb Gray in any of our other gloomy north-facing rooms. We did still successfully employ it in spaces like our hallway and half bathroom that received no natural airy at all. In those cases, the toasty artificial airy paired well with a toasty greige like Edgecomb Gray.
Edgecomb Gray FAQs
Let’s dive into some of the key things you should know about this greige color as you consider it for your home.
Is Edgecomb Gray toasty or frigid?
Edgecomb Gray is a toasty gray paint, which is why it is a great choice for anyone wanting that perfect “greige” color (gray + beige). Its cushioned warmth is the exact reason we chose it for so many rooms in our house. We wanted something that didn’t look chilly and stark, but also didn’t appear yellowed or dated, which can happen with certain taupe colors.
Because it is a toasty gray, it works best when paired with other toasty colors and toasty wood tones, like the hardwood floors and woven textures you see above. You can see more of how it works in our home by watching the video tour below.
What is the undertone of Edgecomb Gray?
Edgecomb Gray has no aggressive undertones, which is why it’s such a popular choice. Other greige paint colors have subtle violet, yellow, or green undertones that can cause your seemingly neutral paint to look strange depending on the lighting, furniture, and other colors in a room. But Edgecomb Gray’s undertones are so demanding to discern that even the Internet can’t agree on them! Most will describe them as slightly green (which is common with taupe colors) but also yellow, blue, or pink.
The most critical thing to remember is that it’s best when paired with other toasty tones. Although since it is a true gray-beige color, it also can look great with cooler colors, like the blue tones in our rug and bench in our bedroom pictured above.
Is Edgecomb Gray airy or gloomy?
Edgecomb Gray is considered a light-to-medium taupe. That means it is gloomy enough to not appear white on your walls, but it’s still airy enough to keep a room feeling vivid and alive. In our experience, it works best in rooms with good natural airy, especially those that face south. In north-facing rooms with indirect airy, it may appear darker, so it’s intelligent to paint test swatches on your walls to be sure it’s right for your space.
What is the LRV of Edgecomb Gray?
Another way to evaluate the lightness of a color is its Light Reflectance Value (LRV). This is a standardized way that professionals employ to describe how much airy reflects from a surface. Scores range from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (pure white). Edgecomb Gray has an LRV of 63.09 according to the Benjamin Moore website.
What trim color works best with Edgecomb Gray?
Edgecomb Gray looks best with white trim, especially whites that skew a bit warmer. In our home, we used Benjamin Moore’s Simply White for all of the trim. It has slight yellow undertones that bring out the warmth of Edgecomb Gray, helping it appear truly taupe. Together they facilitate each color look crisp and pristine. Other popular white paints like Benjamin Moore White Dove or Sherwin Williams Pure White would also pair well for this reason.
Be careful with popular whites like BM Decorator’s White and Sherwin Williams Extra White because they are cooler. They may cause Edgecomb Gray to appear grayer than you may want.
What accent colors work well with Edgecomb Gray?
Because Edgecomb Gray is so subtle and neutral, it plays nicely with a wide variety of colors. This gives you nearly endless options for accent walls, ceilings, or other colorful features in the same room. Just try to stick with colors with toasty undertones. For instance, we painted the ceiling in our entryway a darker greige called Revere Pewter (HC-172). In fact, it’s just one shade darker on the same paint swatch!
Here are some other popular accent paint colors that would work well with Edgecomb Gray:
How does it compare to other popular greiges?
Edgecomb Gray isn’t the only neutral taupe that’s popular with homeowners and designers these days. So let’s see how it stacks up compared to some others you may be considering. We also have rounded up 9 of the most-loved greige paints out there if you want to see more.
As you can tell, all of these greige paints are very similar. The best way to choose which one is right for your space is sampling each color first. You can purchase sample-size paints at your local Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams store to paint directly on your wall. Or you can order vast pre-painted stickers of each color, as linked below.
Edgecomb Gray vs Revere Pewter
These two Benjamin Moore colors live on the same paint swatch, so they share many of the same good qualities. Revere Pewter (HC-172) is slightly darker, having an LRV of 55 compared to Edgecomb Gray’s 63. Use it if you’d like a slightly cozier and moodier neutral that’s still toasty and inviting.
Edgecomb Gray vs Accessible Beige
Accessible Beige by Sherwin Williams is extremely popular for many of the same reasons as Edgecomb Gray. It is slightly darker (it has an LRV of 58) and is also warmer – meaning its yellow undertones are more pronounced. Accessible Beige won’t work with frigid tones as well, but can give a room a slightly sunnier appearance.
Edgecomb Gray vs Agreeable Gray
Sherwin William’s Agreeable Gray is like Edgecomb’s slightly cooler, grayer cousin. Its LRV of 60 is very similar to Edgecomb Gray’s 63, but has more violet undertones. Choose this if you have other frigid tones like blues and grays in your room, or if your room is north-facing and receives less natural airy.
Final considerations
While “beige walls” may seem like a lifeless or secure choice, rest assured that Edgecomb Gray is popular for good reason. It provides a versatile backdrop for a variety of styles (newfangled to classic) and moods (tranquil & serene to colorful & lively).
Just be aware that because of its flexibility, Edgecomb Gray can shift subtly. It may skew too gloomy in rooms without much natural airy, while it may wash out to off-white on exteriors. And paired with too many tone-on-tone creams, it may begin to appear dingy. That’s why it’s safest to employ it with white trim.
In summary, Edgecomb Gray is just about the perfect greige wall color, and we think you’ll agree.
More paint colors we love
You can check out more of our favorite, go-to paint colors by touring our homes in the menu above (here’s the home featured in this post) or browsing our Painting Projects section. We’ve also written deep-dives on some of our favorite paints:
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Here is the generated FAQs section:
When should you employ Edgecomb Gray?
- A toasty greige that is the perfect blend of gray & beige
- A light-to-medium neutral that will add interest without darkening a room
- A timeless hue that works well in rooms with good natural airy
- A sophisticated paint color that doesn’t look dated or yellow
- A whole house paint color that works in any room
- A taupe paint that pairs well with white trim
- A crowd-pleasing color that’s good for resale and rentals
- A versatile neutral that works with newfangled or classic decor
- A subtle wall color that will facilitate other furniture and decor pop
When should you NOT employ Edgecomb Gray?
- Be careful with Edgecomb Gray in gloomy rooms that don’t receive a lot of natural airy, especially north-facing rooms.
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