Paint colors · Benjamin Moore, as published by the brand

Benjamin Moore Platinum Gray HC-179: hex #A8A9A3, LRV, undertone

Platinum Gray (HC-179) from Benjamin Moore is #A8A9A3 with an LRV of 39.64. It measures as a true neutral with almost no undertone.

By Paul Gunder. Every value is computed from published standards; see how ColorPlum works.

Updated November 11, 2026

Benjamin MoorePlatinum GrayHC-179

Hex: #A8A9A3
RGB: 168, 169, 163
LRV: 39.64
Undertone: True neutral

LRV 39.64. Dark: a deep color that absorbs most light; often used on cabinets, doors and accent walls.

Almost no undertone (chroma 0.009): it reads as a clean gray in most light.

Coordinating colors Benjamin Moore suggests

Philipsburg BlueHC-159
SeapearlOC-19
White WispOC-54
Lavender Blue1438

Closest colors from other brands

ΔE is the CIEDE2000 difference between the published values: under 2 is hard to tell apart on a wall, 2 to 5 is a visible but related shade. Always compare real chips before you buy.

Name, code, LRV and color value as published by Benjamin Moore on its color page (checked 2026-11-11). A screen can only approximate paint: sheen, lighting and the screen itself all change it, so check a physical sample. ColorPlum is not affiliated with Benjamin Moore.

ColorPlum swatchPlatinum Graylight gray

HEX: #A8A9A3
RGB: rgb(168, 169, 163)
HSL: hsl(70, 3%, 65%)

Best text on it: black at 8.86:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Platinum Gray#A8A9A3

Every code for Platinum Gray

HEX#A8A9A3
RGBrgb(168, 169, 163)
HSLhsl(70, 3%, 65%)
HSV70°, 4%, 66%
CMYK1%, 0%, 4%, 34%
Lablab(69% -1.2 3)
OKLCHoklch(73.2% 0.009 114.3)
Decimal11053475

Tints, shades and tones

From white to black in 10% steps, with Platinum Gray in the middle. Tap a code to copy it.

90%#F6F6F6
80%#EEEEED
70%#E5E5E3
60%#DCDDDA
50%#D4D4D1
40%#CBCBC8
30%#C2C3BF
20%#B9BAB5
10%#B1B2AC
Base#A8A9A3
10%#979893
20%#868782
30%#767672
40%#656562
50%#545552
60%#434441
70%#323331
80%#222221
90%#111110

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#A4A5A0
20%#A0A19C
30%#9C9D99
40%#989995
50%#949592
60%#90908E
70%#8C8C8B
80%#888887
90%#848484

Matching colors

Complementary

#A8A9A3
#A4A3A9

Analogous

#A9A7A3
#A8A9A3
#A5A9A3

Triadic

#A8A9A3
#A3A8A9
#A9A3A8

Split complementary

#A8A9A3
#A3A5A9
#A7A3A9

Tetradic (square)

#A8A9A3
#A3A9A7
#A4A3A9
#A9A3A5

Monochromatic

#5C5D56
#83847B
#A8A9A3
#CDCECB
#F3F3F2

Platinum Gray in 3D color space

OKLab, the space ColorPlum does its math in: lightness runs up the pole, hue goes around it and saturation grows outward. The faint shell is every color a screen can show (saturation is drawn wider than lightness so hues separate). Drag to turn it.

Platinum Gray with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Platinum Gray
Triad #A3A8A9
Triad #A9A3A8
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Platinum Gray in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; platinum gray carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Platinum Gray

A paragraph with a link in dark text, because this color is too light for text on white; use it for fills instead.

How it looks with color-vision deficiency

A simulation (Machado and colleagues, 2009) of how the color and its complement read without one type of cone.

Typical color vision#A8A9A3
Protanopia (no red cones)#AAA8A3
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#AAA8A3
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#A9A8A7

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	2.36:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	8.86:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	2.36:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	8.86:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	2.06:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --platinum-gray: #a8a9a3;
  --platinum-gray-rgb: 168 169 163;
  --platinum-gray-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Platinum Gray is HC-179 at Benjamin Moore, a medium gray with hex #A8A9A3 and RGB 168, 169, 163. Red and green differ by a single step, and blue is only five lower.

Reading the data

HSL gives hsl(70, 3%, 65%) and OKLCH gives oklch(73.2% 0.009 114.3). Chroma is just 0.009, so the undertone measures as true neutral and nothing pulls it away from gray. With an LRV of 39.64 it is a mid-tone that holds about two fifths of the light, so it feels more substantial than the pale grays often chosen for whole houses. A color this neutral will pick up whatever is around it, such as green foliage outside or a warm floor.

Mid-tone grays like this are often used where a space needs more definition than a pale wall can offer, such as a mudroom, a hallway lined with coat hooks or a media wall. Because the tint is so slight, the surrounding furniture and flooring supply most of the character.

Brand-listed coordinates

Benjamin Moore lists Philipsburg Blue (HC-159), Seapearl (OC-19), White Wisp (OC-54) and Lavender Blue (1438). No page exists on this site for any of them. Collect the chips and check how each one sits beside the gray.

Worked example

Picture a home office with north light, built-in shelves and a laptop dock. Platinum Gray on the shelving and wall behind the desk makes a calm backdrop for screens, and it will not tint a white monitor frame. If you also design a label or button in this gray, black text measures 8.86:1 and white text 2.36:1, so black reads far better.

Gaps to nearby colors

Benjamin Moore's Fieldstone (1558) is ΔE 3, related but visible. Coventry Gray (HC-169) is 4.8 and Silver Fox (2108-50) is 5.2, the latter clearly different.

Sherwin-Williams has a few close picks: Oyster Bay (SW 6206) at 3.8, Pewter Cast (SW 7673) at 5.4, Mindful Gray (SW 7016) at 5.5 and Rushing River (SW 7746) at 5.6. Only Oyster Bay is in the related-but-visible band.

Taken together, those figures show how many Sherwin-Williams grays circle this color without landing on it.

The OKLCH lightness of 73.2% is higher than the LRV suggests at first glance, because the two scales measure different things. That makes Platinum Gray less forgiving to replace than a pale white would be, since mid-tone gaps are easier to see on a large surface. Buy a sample first and paint a poster-size square.