Northern Cliffs
Often used for its versatile qualities, Northern Cliffs remains a staple for Benjamin Moore designers. It is widely considered one of the best colors in its class to add character and warmth to any space. We've gathered 10 real-home scenarios to help you visualize this color alongside our expert data.
Hex
#BAB5A7
LRV
45.53
Northern Cliffs in Real Rooms
Northern Cliffs has a medium-high LRV of 45.53 — present enough to register on the wall without making a room feel heavy. It's neutral in temperature, making it adaptable across different lighting conditions and room orientations. Grouped in the Gray and Neutral family, the photos below show it applied in a living room, misc and kitchen.
6 Living Room Photos
Northern Cliffs anchors the living room with a quiet, architectural confidence. Its depth shifts subtly through the day — cooler in the crisp morning light and significantly warmer by lamplight in the evening — making it a natural fit for a space meant for both high-energy gathering and silent unwinding. To maximize the effect, layer in natural white oak, heavy linen, and soft metallics to let the color truly breathe.
Living room walls painted Northern Cliffs provide restful neutrality.
@mrpaintnj
2 Misc Photos
Northern Cliffs shows up in some unexpected spaces in these photos — hallways, laundry rooms, and accent walls. Each one makes the case that the color's versatility extends well beyond the obvious applications into every corner of the home.
Wall surfaces in Northern Cliffs offer sophisticated neutral grounding.
@susannecasey
Wall paneling in Northern Cliffs adds architectural interest and depth.
@jdhuntcustomhomes
2 Kitchen Photos
The challenge with kitchen color is longevity: it needs to look right at 7am under bright task lights and at dinner with the pendants dimmed low. Northern Cliffs manages to bridge all three lighting scenarios with ease, which is a rarer quality in a paint pigment than it sounds.
Kitchen cabinetry and walls in Northern Cliffs work beautifully together.
@mrpaintnj
Kitchen walls painted Northern Cliffs complement natural wood elements.
@mrpaintnj
Coordinating Colors
At LRV 82 vs 46, Swiss Coffee is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 46 vs 7, Northern Cliffs is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 46, Cloud White is decisively the brighter choice.
Tapestry Beige reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 46), opening up a space where Northern Cliffs encloses it.
Similar Colors
With LRVs of 48 and 46, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 47 and 46, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 48 and 46, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 46 vs 46), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Complementary Colors
Northern Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 24), opening up a space where Bachelor Blue encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (46 vs 34) makes Northern Cliffs the marginally brighter of the two.
Northern Cliffs reads slightly lighter (LRV 46 vs 36), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 46 vs 14, Northern Cliffs is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 46 vs 12, Northern Cliffs is decisively the brighter choice.
Northern Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 8), opening up a space where Hale Navy encloses it.
Northern Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 22), opening up a space where Luxe encloses it.
Lighter Colors
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 46 vs 46), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Cumulus Cloud reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 46), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Barren Plain reflects far more light (LRV 62 vs 46), opening up a space where Northern Cliffs encloses it.
At LRV 59 vs 46, Nimbus is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 48 and 46, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Darker Colors
A 6-point LRV gap (46 vs 39) makes Northern Cliffs the marginally brighter of the two.
Northern Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 33), opening up a space where River Gorge Gray encloses it.
Northern Cliffs reads slightly lighter (LRV 46 vs 37), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Northern Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 26), opening up a space where Copley Gray encloses it.
Northern Cliffs reads slightly lighter (LRV 46 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.