Smoke vs Bancha
Where Smoke belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Bancha is a Farrow & Ball color. Smoke reads as blue-grey, while Bancha reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Smoke (LRV 56) reflects noticeably more light than Bancha (LRV 13), a difference of 43 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Smoke runs cool while Bancha is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 41.9, 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
Smoke vs Bancha Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Smoke on one side and Bancha 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 Smoke comparisons
See how Smoke stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Smoke encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (56 vs 52) makes Smoke the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 56 vs 30, Smoke is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (60 vs 56) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 56, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Smoke reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 56 vs 43, Smoke is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 56 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Smoke reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 56, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 56), opening up a space where Smoke encloses it.
Smoke reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Smoke reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Smoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 56 vs 31, Smoke is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 7, Smoke is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 24, Smoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 56), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 72 vs 56, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.