Edgecomb Gray Benjamin Moore HC-173: The Greige That Gets Everything Right

Edgecomb Gray HC-173 is the Benjamin Moore greige that sits in the most useful position in the entire neutral palette -- deeper than Pale Oak but lighter than Revere Pewter, warm enough to feel inviting but restrained enough to feel sophisticated. It is the neutral that works when Pale Oak feels too pale and Revere Pewter feels too committed. For rooms that need a warm greige with genuine presence but without the weight of a medium-depth neutral, Edgecomb Gray is consistently one of the most reliable choices in the BM range.

This review covers everything you need to know about Edgecomb Gray -- undertone, LRV, light behavior, best rooms, what to pair it with, and an honest verdict on exactly who this color is for.

Edgecomb Gray at a Glance

Color name	Edgecomb Gray
Brand	Benjamin Moore
Color number	HC-173
LRV	~63
Undertone	Warm greige -- beige-grey with a soft taupe quality
Color family	Warm greige / light neutral
Depth	Medium-light -- noticeably deeper than Pale Oak, lighter than Revere Pewter
Best trim	White Dove OC-17, Simply White OC-117, Chantilly Lace OC-65
Best rooms	Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, open-plan spaces
Finish	Eggshell for walls, Semi-gloss for trim
Pairs with	Warm wood, brass, warm stone, White Dove trim, soft navy, warm greens

Undertone and Character

Edgecomb Gray's undertone is warm greige -- a beige-grey blend with a soft taupe quality that prevents it from reading as obviously warm or obviously cool. It sits in the balanced middle ground of the greige family without committing too firmly to either direction. In warm natural light the beige quality is more present and the color reads as a soft, warm greige. In cool or north-facing light the grey quality becomes slightly more visible and the color reads as a more restrained, sophisticated neutral.

At LRV approximately 63, Edgecomb Gray has real presence on a wall -- it reads as a genuine neutral color rather than a near-white. It is noticeably deeper than Pale Oak (LRV ~69) and meaningfully lighter than Revere Pewter (LRV ~55). This middle position is precisely what makes it so useful -- it provides the depth and warmth that Pale Oak lacks in rooms that need a color with presence, without the commitment and risk of Revere Pewter's deeper, more complex undertone.

How Edgecomb Gray Behaves in Different Light

Cabinets: Edgecomb Gray

South-Facing Rooms

South-facing rooms are Edgecomb Gray's most flattering conditions -- in warm, strong natural light the beige quality comes forward and the color reads as a beautiful, warm, settled greige. The warmth of the light brings out the taupe-beige quality without pushing it toward yellow or orange. A south-facing living room or bedroom in Edgecomb Gray is a consistently beautiful result.

North-Facing Rooms

Edgecomb Gray handles north-facing rooms reliably -- the grey component in the undertone prevents the color from feeling heavy or obviously warm in cool indirect light. It reads as a restrained, sophisticated warm neutral that holds its character consistently. It is significantly more reliable in north-facing conditions than Revere Pewter, whose green undertone can surface in cool light and push the color toward olive.

Open-Plan Spaces

Edgecomb Gray is one of the strongest choices for open-plan spaces in the BM greige family -- the balanced undertone adapts gracefully to the varied light conditions across a large, multi-orientation space. Where Revere Pewter can read as olive in the north-facing corner and warm greige in the south-facing corner of the same open-plan room, Edgecomb Gray holds a more consistent character across different light conditions. This consistency is one of its most practically valuable qualities.

Artificial Light

Under warm-toned artificial light (2700K-3000K) Edgecomb Gray reads as warm, settled, and inviting -- the beige quality is enhanced by warm bulb temperature and the room feels grounded and considered. Under cooler artificial light the grey component is more visible. For evening rooms, warm bulbs are recommended to maintain the warm greige character.

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Edgecomb Gray Room by Room

Living Rooms

Walls: Edgecomb Gray

Edgecomb Gray is one of the most reliable living room neutrals in the entire BM range -- the LRV of 63 gives it enough depth to feel considered and present without being heavy or overwhelming. In a living room with warm wood floors, White Dove trim, and warm brass or bronze hardware it creates a beautifully layered, sophisticated neutral scheme. It suits traditional, transitional, and contemporary living rooms equally -- the balanced undertone avoids being style-specific in the way that more directional neutrals can be.

Bedrooms

Walls: Edgecomb Gray

Edgecomb Gray in a bedroom creates a calm, warm, and settled atmosphere -- the depth and balanced undertone make a bedroom feel genuinely cocooning without being obviously dark or heavily coloured. With warm linen bedding and warm wood furniture it reads as a sophisticated, considered neutral that suits both traditional and contemporary bedroom styles.

Kitchens

Cabinets: Edgecomb Gray

Edgecomb Gray on kitchen walls is a strong and popular choice -- the LRV of 63 keeps kitchens feeling open and bright enough while the warm greige undertone creates the inviting, non-clinical quality that makes a kitchen feel like a home. On kitchen cabinets it creates a sophisticated, warm-neutral result that suits transitional and traditional kitchens particularly well. Paired with White Dove or Simply White upper cabinets, Edgecomb Gray on lower cabinets or an island creates a classic two-tone scheme.

Hallways

Walls: Edgecomb Gray

Edgecomb Gray is an excellent hallway neutral -- the depth gives hallways a sense of warmth and character that lighter neutrals like Pale Oak cannot deliver in a narrow, lower-light space. The balanced undertone prevents the heaviness that deeper neutrals can create in a confined hallway.

Whole-House Use

Edgecomb Gray is one of the most successful whole-house neutrals in the BM range -- the balanced undertone adapts consistently across different rooms with different orientations and different light conditions. It creates a cohesive, warm-neutral backdrop throughout an entire home without the risk of reading as obviously warm in some rooms and obviously grey in others.

What to Pair With Edgecomb Gray

Cabinets: Edgecomb Gray

Trim: White Dove OC-17 is the most natural and widely used trim choice alongside Edgecomb Gray -- the two colors share a warm undertone family that creates a cohesive, layered result. Simply White OC-117 provides a slightly crisper boundary. Chantilly Lace OC-65 for a high-contrast contemporary scheme.

Floors: Warm wood in any tone, warm stone, warm tile -- Edgecomb Gray's balanced undertone adapts to most warm floor materials. With cooler floor materials (cool grey tile, bleached wood) it works reliably but the grey component becomes slightly more visible.

Accents: Warm brass and bronze hardware, soft navy, deep charcoal, muted sage green, warm terracotta, natural linen -- Edgecomb Gray is one of the most broadly versatile neutrals for accent colour pairing.

Style: Traditional, transitional, contemporary, organic modern, farmhouse -- Edgecomb Gray is genuinely style-agnostic. This is its defining strength.

Edgecomb Gray vs Other BM Greiges

Walls: Edgecomb Gray

vs Pale Oak HC-170 -- Pale Oak at LRV ~69 is lighter and more airy. Edgecomb Gray has more presence and more depth. In rooms where Pale Oak feels too pale and lacks body, Edgecomb Gray is the correct next step. The full comparison is in the Edgecomb Gray vs Pale Oak guide.

vs Revere Pewter HC-172 -- Revere Pewter at LRV ~55 is significantly deeper and has a more complex undertone with a real green risk in cool light. Edgecomb Gray is lighter, more balanced, and significantly more reliable across different light conditions. For rooms where Revere Pewter feels too committed or too risky, Edgecomb Gray is the correct lighter step. The full Revere Pewter breakdown is in the Revere Pewter review.

vs Agreeable Gray SW 7029 -- Agreeable Gray (SW, not BM) is a close comparison point at LRV 60. Both sit in the warm greige family at similar depth. Edgecomb Gray has a slightly more taupe-forward quality; Agreeable Gray has a slightly more balanced warm-cool greige quality. They are from different brands and not interchangeable on adjacent surfaces.

Is Edgecomb Gray Right for Your Room?

Walls: Edgecomb Gray

Edgecomb Gray is right for your room if: you want a warm greige with genuine depth and presence, Pale Oak feels too pale and Revere Pewter feels too risky, the room is used across different light conditions and needs a neutral that holds consistently, you want a broadly versatile neutral that suits multiple interior styles, or you are using the colour throughout an open-plan space or whole house.

Edgecomb Gray may not be right if: you want a pale, airy neutral that recedes -- Pale Oak is the correct choice. You want a bold, deeply present greige statement -- Revere Pewter delivers more depth and character. Or you want a colour with a specific directional warmth -- Edgecomb Gray's balanced undertone never commits to a strong direction.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the LRV of Edgecomb Gray?

Edgecomb Gray HC-173 has an LRV of approximately 63 -- placing it in the medium-light range of the greige family. It sits between Pale Oak (~69) and Revere Pewter (~55), and is comparable in depth to Agreeable Gray SW 7029 (~60) and Repose Gray SW 7015 (~58).

Is Edgecomb Gray warm or cool?

Edgecomb Gray is warm -- but restrained. The beige-taupe component keeps it clearly in the warm family but the grey anchor prevents it from reading as obviously warm or obviously beige. It sits in the balanced middle ground of the greige family.

Does Edgecomb Gray look green?

Unlike Revere Pewter, Edgecomb Gray very rarely reads as green -- the undertone does not have the green component that makes Revere Pewter risky in cool light. In extreme north-facing conditions with very cool light the grey component can become more visible but it reads as grey rather than green. This is one of Edgecomb Gray's practical advantages over Revere Pewter.

What trim goes with Edgecomb Gray?

White Dove OC-17 is the most widely used and most natural trim colour alongside Edgecomb Gray -- the warm undertone family they share creates a cohesive, layered result. For a crisper contrast, Simply White OC-117 or Chantilly Lace OC-65 both work well.

Is Edgecomb Gray similar to Revere Pewter?

They are in the same greige family but Edgecomb Gray is significantly lighter and more balanced. Revere Pewter at LRV ~55 is noticeably deeper with a more complex undertone that carries a real green risk in cool light. Edgecomb Gray at LRV ~63 is lighter, more restrained, and more reliable across different conditions. The full comparison is in the Pale Oak vs Revere Pewter guide which covers where each color sits in the BM greige family.

Final Verdict

Edgecomb Gray is one of the most practically useful neutrals in the entire Benjamin Moore range -- the LRV and undertone position it precisely in the most useful gap in the greige family, deeper than Pale Oak's airiness and lighter than Revere Pewter's commitment. The balanced warm-greige undertone makes it broadly versatile, reliably consistent across light conditions, and genuinely style-agnostic. It is the neutral to reach for when you need a greige with real presence but without the risk of a more complex or deeper color.

Need help deciding if Edgecomb Gray is right for your home? See our design packages here -- bydesignandviz.com/#interiordesignpackages

About the Author

Beril Yilmaz is a qualified architect and interior designer based in the UK. She runs BY Design And Viz, a design platform covering paint colour reviews, interior design guidance, and residential design projects.