Paint colors · Benjamin Moore, as published by the brand

Smoke 2122-40: hex #BAC8C9, RGB, LRV and undertone

Smoke (2122-40) is a Benjamin Moore Color Preview paint at #BAC8C9 with an LRV of 56.39. It measures as a cool-leaning neutral with a blue-green undertone.

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

Updated November 11, 2026

Benjamin MooreSmoke2122-40

Hex: #BAC8C9
RGB: 186, 200, 201
LRV: 56.39
Undertone: Cool-leaning neutral, blue-green undertone

LRV 56.39. Mid-tone: noticeably colored; best in rooms with good daylight.

A neutral with a blue-green cast (OKLCH hue 202°, chroma 0.015). Expect the blue-green to show more in warm evening light and next to cooler whites.

Coordinating colors Benjamin Moore suggests

Chantilly Lace2121-70
Steel Wool2121-20
Cloud CoverOC-25
Wind's BreathOC-24

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 swatchSmokelight, grayish cyan

HEX: #BAC8C9
RGB: rgb(186, 200, 201)
HSL: hsl(184, 12%, 76%)

Best text on it: black at 12.19:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Smoke#BAC8C9

Every code for Smoke

HEX#BAC8C9
RGBrgb(186, 200, 201)
HSLhsl(184, 12%, 76%)
HSV184°, 7%, 79%
CMYK7%, 0%, 0%, 21%
Lablab(79.5% -4.8 -2.2)
OKLCHoklch(82.2% 0.015 202)
Decimal12241097

Tints, shades and tones

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

90%#F8FAFA
80%#F1F4F4
70%#EAEFEF
60%#E3E9E9
50%#DDE4E4
40%#D6DEDF
30%#CFD9D9
20%#C8D3D4
10%#C1CECE
Base#BAC8C9
10%#A7B4B5
20%#95A0A1
30%#828C8D
40%#707879
50%#5D6465
60%#4A5050
70%#383C3C
80%#252828
90%#131414

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#B4C1C2
20%#AEBABA
30%#A9B2B3
40%#A3ABAC
50%#9DA4A5
60%#979D9D
70%#919696
80%#8C8E8F
90%#868787

Matching colors

Complementary

#BAC8C9
#C9BBBA

Analogous

#BAC9C3
#BAC8C9
#BAC1C9

Triadic

#BAC8C9
#C9BAC8
#C8C9BA

Split complementary

#BAC8C9
#C9BAC1
#C9C3BA

Tetradic (square)

#BAC8C9
#C3BAC9
#C9BBBA
#C1C9BA

Monochromatic

#678183
#8FA6A7
#BAC8C9
#E5EAEB
#F4F6F6

Smoke 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.

Smoke with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Smoke
Triad #C9BAC8
Triad #C8C9BA
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Smoke in use

New collectionAutumn edit

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

Shop nowTag

Headline in Smoke

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#BAC8C9
Protanopia (no red cones)#C6C7C9
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#C3C4C9
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#B6C9C8

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	1.72:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	12.19:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	1.72:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	12.19:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	1.50:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --smoke: #bac8c9;
  --smoke-rgb: 186 200 201;
  --smoke-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Smoke is Benjamin Moore 2122-40, listed under the Color Preview collection. The hex is #BAC8C9, the RGB is 186, 200, 201, and the LRV is 56.39, which the file bands as mid-tone.

Color data

In HSL this is hsl(184, 12%, 76%), and in OKLCH it is oklch(82.2% 0.015 202). The hue of 202 degrees is a cool, slightly teal-leaning blue, and chroma of 0.015 is very low. The computed label is cool-leaning neutral, blue-green undertone. In plain terms, it looks like a pale gray that leans cool.

The blue-green gets more visible under lamplight and next to bluer whites. Among other gray-blue surfaces it can fade into the background, which is useful if you want a calm shell for artwork or furniture.

Coordinating colors

The brand file names Chantilly Lace (2121-70), Steel Wool (2121-20), Cloud Cover (OC-25) and Wind's Breath (OC-24). None is linked here, so treat them as names and codes. Collect real chips of all four and lay them against a Smoke sample under the lighting in your room before choosing one for trim or an accent.

Similar colors, measured

Within Benjamin Moore, Palladian Blue HC-144 is 4.8 away, visible but related. Revere Pewter HC-172 sits at 10.6 and October Mist 1495 at 10.7, both clearly different.

Across to Sherwin-Williams, Copen Blue SW 0068 is 4.6, Sea Salt SW 6204 is 6.3 and Light French Gray SW 0055 is 7.9. No match falls under 2, so none replaces Smoke without a noticeable change.

Worked example

A laundry room with a small window facing north often feels flat. Smoke on the walls brings an LRV of 56.39, which reflects a decent share of the light but still reads as a color. Compare it with Palladian Blue: the 4.8 gap means Palladian Blue looks greener and a touch lighter, while Smoke stays cooler and grayer. Hold both beside the washer, since white appliances shift how each looks.

Choose Smoke if your cabinets are crisp white and you want the wall to look intentionally gray-blue. Choose the other if you lean toward a gentler sage feel. Sample both on the actual wall.

Text contrast

On #BAC8C9, black text measures 12.19:1 and white text 1.72:1. Use dark text for anything readable. The color converter will turn the hex into other formats for a design handoff.