Amherst Gray vs S 6000-N
Amherst Gray (Benjamin Moore) and S 6000-N (NCS) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 19 vs 17 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Amherst Gray leans yellow, S 6000-N reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 2.8 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Amherst Gray vs S 6000-N in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Amherst Gray and S 6000-N are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Amherst Gray vs S 6000-N Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Amherst Gray on one side and S 6000-N on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Amherst Gray comparisons
See how Amherst Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 19, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.
At LRV 19 vs 6, Amherst Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 19, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 19, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (27 vs 19) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.
Amherst Gray reflects far more light (LRV 19 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 19, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (19 vs 13) makes Amherst Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 19, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 21 and 19, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 19, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 19, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 19, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (19 vs 12) makes Amherst Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 19, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (19 vs 12) makes Amherst Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 19, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.
Amherst Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 19), opening up a space where Amherst Gray encloses it.