Kendall Charcoal vs Puritan Gray paint color comparison

Kendall Charcoal vs Puritan Gray

Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Puritan Gray (LRV 34) reflects noticeably more light than Kendall Charcoal (LRV 15), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Kendall Charcoal runs neutral while Puritan Gray is decidedly green, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 21.9, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below, 5 simulated room previews show how each color reads at scale — real-room photos will be added as they become available.

Color Details

Kendall Charcoal
Benjamin Moore · HC-166
Hex#676662
LRV14.6
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberHC-166
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark
Puritan Gray
Benjamin Moore · HC-164
Hex#979F9B
LRV34.3
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberHC-164
UndertoneGreen
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium

Kendall Charcoal vs Puritan Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Kendall Charcoal on one side and Puritan Gray on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Kendall Charcoal comparisons

See how Kendall Charcoal stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Kendall Charcoal vs White Dove
Kendall Charcoal
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 83 vs 15, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Ammonite
Kendall Charcoal
Ammonite
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Iron Ore
Kendall Charcoal
Iron Ore
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

A 9-point LRV gap (15 vs 6) makes Kendall Charcoal the marginally brighter of the two.

Purbeck Stone
Kendall Charcoal
Purbeck Stone
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Evergreen Fog
Kendall Charcoal
Evergreen Fog
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Mizzle
Kendall Charcoal
Mizzle
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

At LRV 52 vs 15, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Agreeable Gray
Kendall Charcoal
Agreeable Gray
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Accessible Beige
Kendall Charcoal
Accessible Beige
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 58 vs 15, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Denim Drift
Kendall Charcoal
Denim Drift
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 27 vs 15, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.

French Gray
Kendall Charcoal
French Gray
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Naval
Kendall Charcoal
Naval
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Kendall Charcoal reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Tranquil Dawn
Kendall Charcoal
Tranquil Dawn
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 55 vs 15, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Bancha
Kendall Charcoal
Bancha
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 15 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Hardwick White
Kendall Charcoal
Hardwick White
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 44 vs 15, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.

Pure White
Kendall Charcoal
Pure White
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Artichoke
Kendall Charcoal
Artichoke
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 15), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Balboa Mist
Balboa Mist
Kendall Charcoal
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 66 vs 15, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Shoji White
Kendall Charcoal
Shoji White
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 74 vs 15, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Snowbound
Kendall Charcoal
Snowbound
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 15, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Pewter Green
Kendall Charcoal
Pewter Green
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 15 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Skimming Stone
Kendall Charcoal
Skimming Stone
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 68 vs 15, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
Kendall Charcoal
Dix Blue
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Calamine
Kendall Charcoal
Calamine
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Treron
Kendall Charcoal
Treron
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 15), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Vintage Vogue
Kendall Charcoal
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 15 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Saybrook Sage
Kendall Charcoal
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

At LRV 45 vs 15, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.

Pale Green
Kendall Charcoal
Pale Green
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.

Pine Needle
Kendall Charcoal
Pine Needle
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

Kendall Charcoal reads slightly lighter (LRV 15 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Cement grey
Kendall Charcoal
Cement grey
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 15), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Guilford Green
Guilford Green
Kendall Charcoal
Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal
HC-166 · LRV 15

Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 15), opening up a space where Kendall Charcoal encloses it.