Hampshire Taupe vs Nocturnal Gray
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Hue-wise, Hampshire Taupe belongs to the beige-greige family and Nocturnal Gray to the blue-grey family. Hampshire Taupe (LRV 51) reflects noticeably more light than Nocturnal Gray (LRV 14), a difference of 37 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Hampshire Taupe runs red while Nocturnal Gray is decidedly blue, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 38.9, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hampshire Taupe vs Nocturnal Gray in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Hampshire Taupe and Nocturnal Gray in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Hampshire Taupe will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Nocturnal Gray would.
Color Details
Hampshire Taupe vs Nocturnal Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hampshire Taupe on one side and Nocturnal Gray 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 Hampshire Taupe comparisons
See how Hampshire Taupe stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 51), opening up a space where Hampshire Taupe encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 51, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Hampshire Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 51), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 51 vs 30, Hampshire Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 10-point LRV gap (60 vs 51) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hampshire Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 43) makes Hampshire Taupe the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 51 vs 4, Hampshire Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hampshire Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hampshire Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 51, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 21, Hampshire Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 51), opening up a space where Hampshire Taupe encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 51), opening up a space where Hampshire Taupe encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 51), opening up a space where Hampshire Taupe encloses it.
Hampshire Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 51), opening up a space where Hampshire Taupe encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (51 vs 41) makes Hampshire Taupe the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 51, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 25, Hampshire Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
Hampshire Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Hampshire Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 51 vs 31, Hampshire Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 7, Hampshire Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 24, Hampshire Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (57 vs 51) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.