Taos Taupe vs S 4500-N
Taos Taupe (Benjamin Moore) and S 4500-N (NCS) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 3-point LRV gap — 27 for S 4500-N vs 24 for Taos Taupe — means S 4500-N will open up a space more effectively. Where Taos Taupe leans red, S 4500-N reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. ΔE 6.4 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.
Taos Taupe vs S 4500-N in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Taos Taupe and S 4500-N 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.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. S 4500-N has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. S 4500-N has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. S 4500-N reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Taos Taupe vs S 4500-N Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Taos Taupe on one side and S 4500-N 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 Taos Taupe comparisons
See how Taos Taupe stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 24, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
Taos Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 24, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (30 vs 24) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 24, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 24, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 24 vs 4, Taos Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
Taos Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 24, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 24 vs 21), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 24, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Taos Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Taos Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 24, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Taos Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 24), opening up a space where Taos Taupe encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (31 vs 24) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.