Asphalt vs Cinder
Asphalt and Cinder come from the same Benjamin Moore collection. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 3-point LRV gap — 24 for Cinder vs 21 for Asphalt — means Cinder will open up a space more effectively. Where Asphalt leans yellow, Cinder reads red — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 3.9 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Asphalt vs Cinder in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Asphalt and Cinder 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Asphalt vs Cinder Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Asphalt on one side and Cinder 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 Asphalt comparisons
See how Asphalt stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 21), opening up a space where Asphalt encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 21, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 21, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 21), opening up a space where Asphalt encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 21, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 21), opening up a space where Asphalt encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 21), opening up a space where Asphalt encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 21, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 21), opening up a space where Asphalt encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 21), opening up a space where Asphalt encloses it.
Asphalt reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Asphalt reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 21), opening up a space where Asphalt encloses it.
Asphalt reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 21), opening up a space where Asphalt encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (31 vs 21) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.