Knoxville Gray vs Steep Cliff Gray
Both are Benjamin Moore colors. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. At LRV 21 vs 16, Steep Cliff Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 5-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a blue quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 6.5, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Knoxville Gray vs Steep Cliff Gray in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Knoxville Gray and Steep Cliff Gray 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Steep Cliff Gray has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Steep Cliff Gray gives the walls a little more lift.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Steep Cliff Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Steep Cliff Gray gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The brightness difference is modest but present — Steep Cliff Gray gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Knoxville Gray vs Steep Cliff Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Knoxville Gray on one side and Steep Cliff 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 Knoxville Gray comparisons
See how Knoxville Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 16, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Knoxville Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 16, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 16, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 16, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 16, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (16 vs 4) makes Knoxville Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 16 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 16, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (21 vs 16) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Knoxville Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 16, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 16, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (25 vs 16) makes Treron the marginally brighter of the two.
Knoxville Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 16, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (16 vs 7) makes Knoxville Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
A 8-point LRV gap (24 vs 16) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 16, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.