Paint colors · Benjamin Moore, as published by the brand

Templeton Gray HC-161: hex #778686, LRV and undertone

Templeton Gray (HC-161) from Benjamin Moore is #778686 with an LRV of 23.9. It measures as cool-leaning neutral, blue-green undertone; black text on it reaches 5.53:1.

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

Updated November 11, 2026

Benjamin MooreTempleton GrayHC-161

Hex: #778686
RGB: 119, 134, 134
LRV: 23.9
Undertone: Cool-leaning neutral, blue-green undertone

LRV 23.9. Dark: a deep color that absorbs most light; often used on cabinets, doors and accent walls.

A neutral with a blue-green cast (OKLCH hue 197°, chroma 0.018). Expect the blue-green to show more in warm evening light and next to cooler whites.

Coordinating colors Benjamin Moore suggests

Guilford GreenHC-116
Snowfall WhiteOC-118
Dinner PartyAF-300
JuteAF-80

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 swatchTempleton Graymedium gray

HEX: #778686
RGB: rgb(119, 134, 134)
HSL: hsl(180, 6%, 50%)

Best text on it: black at 5.53:1

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Templeton Gray#778686

Every code for Templeton Gray

HEX#778686
RGBrgb(119, 134, 134)
HSLhsl(180, 6%, 50%)
HSV180°, 11%, 53%
CMYK11%, 0%, 0%, 47%
Lablab(54.7% -5.7 -2)
OKLCHoklch(60.8% 0.018 196.7)
Decimal7833222

Tints, shades and tones

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

90%#F1F3F3
80%#E4E7E7
70%#D6DBDB
60%#C9CFCF
50%#BBC3C3
40%#ADB6B6
30%#A0AAAA
20%#929E9E
10%#859292
Base#778686
10%#6B7979
20%#5F6B6B
30%#535E5E
40%#475050
50%#3C4343
60%#303636
70%#242828
80%#181B1B
90%#0C0D0D

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#788585
20%#798585
30%#7A8484
40%#7B8484
50%#7C8383
60%#7C8282
70%#7D8282
80%#7E8181
90%#7F8181

Matching colors

Complementary

#778686
#867777

Analogous

#77867F
#778686
#777F86

Triadic

#778686
#867786
#868677

Split complementary

#778686
#86777F
#867F77

Tetradic (square)

#778686
#7F7786
#867777
#7F8677

Monochromatic

#2F3535
#535D5D
#778686
#9FAAAA
#C8CECE

Templeton 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.

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

Templeton Gray
Triad #867786
Triad #868677
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Templeton Gray in use

New collectionAutumn edit

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

Shop nowTag

Headline in Templeton 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#778686
Protanopia (no red cones)#848486
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#818286
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#738786

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	3.79:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	5.53:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	3.79:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	5.53:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	3.31:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --templeton-gray: #778686;
  --templeton-gray-rgb: 119 134 134;
  --templeton-gray-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Templeton Gray is Benjamin Moore HC-161, a mid-dark gray with a cool, blue-green lean. The hex is #778686 and the RGB is 119, 134, 134, so green and blue match exactly.

The facts

The LRV is 23.9, in the dark band. HSL is hsl(180, 6%, 50%) and OKLCH is oklch(60.8% 0.018 196.7). The undertone measures as cool-leaning neutral with a blue-green cast, from a hue of 197 degrees. The matching green and blue channels explain the cyan-ish hue, while the low chroma keeps it a gray at heart. Expect the blue-green to show more under warm lamps and beside cooler whites.

For a wall at this depth, that tint is easiest to judge in a large sample. Small chips often look grayer than a full wall, because the surrounding room supplies more reflected color across a bigger area.

Worked example

Think of a laundry room with a window over the sink that faces west, and a run of open shelving. Templeton Gray on the walls at LRV 23.9 hides splashes and gives white towels and baskets a clear background. The brand's list includes Snowfall White (OC-118) for the shelves and trim, so the contrast between the two stays high. In late afternoon the west light will warm the wall and the blue-green will look closer to a neutral gray; on a cloudy day it should turn crisper and a little greener.

Pairings Benjamin Moore lists

The brand names Guilford Green (HC-116), Snowfall White (OC-118), Dinner Party (AF-300) and Jute (AF-80). No pages exist for these on the site, so only name and code are given. Going by the names, that spans a green, a white and two accents, which suits Templeton Gray as a calm middle value.

Alternatives with ΔE

Within Benjamin Moore, Night Train (1567) is ΔE 3.2 away, related but visible. Wolf Gray (2127-40) at 5.7 and Black Pepper (2130-40) at 6.7 are clearly different.

Sherwin-Williams has Underseas (SW 6214) at 4.5, Software (SW 7074) at 4.9, Downing Slate (SW 2819) at 5.7 and Retreat (SW 6207) at 6.5. None is under 2, so none is a stand-in. Pick the paint you want and compare real samples.

Contrast numbers

On #778686, black text reaches 5.53:1 and white text 3.79:1. Black passes the 4.5:1 level for regular text, and white would be limited to large text.