Winter Solstice vs Minimalist

Winter SolsticeBenjamin MoorevsMinimalistCloverdale PaintΔE 0.7Imperceptible difference

Winter Solstice is a Benjamin Moore color while Minimalist comes from Cloverdale Paint. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. With LRVs of 51 and 51, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 0.7, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Winter Solstice vs Minimalist in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Winter Solstice and Minimalist 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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.

Winter SolsticeBenjamin Moore 1605 living room paint review

@johnrowan_the_painter

MinimalistMinimalist EX338 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

Winter SolsticeBenjamin Moore 1605 bathroom interior

@johnrowan_the_painter

MinimalistMinimalist EX338 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

Color Details

Winter Solstice
Benjamin Moore · 1605
Hex#B9BFBE
LRV50.7
BrandBenjamin Moore
Number1605
UndertoneGreen and Blue
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Minimalist
Cloverdale Paint · EX338
Hex#B9BEBC
LRV50.8
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberEX338
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium

Winter Solstice vs Minimalist Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Winter Solstice on one side and Minimalist 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 Winter Solstice comparisons

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

White Dove
Winter Solstice
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Winter Solstice
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads noticeably lighter

Iron Ore
Winter Solstice
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Winter Solstice
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Nearly identical in tone

Evergreen Fog
Winter Solstice
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Winter Solstice reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Winter Solstice
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Nearly identical in tone

Agreeable Gray
Winter Solstice
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter

Denim Drift
Winter Solstice
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Winter Solstice reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Winter Solstice
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Winter Solstice
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Winter Solstice
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Winter Solstice
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Winter Solstice reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Winter Solstice
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Winter Solstice
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice

Black grey
Winter Solstice
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice

Piazza
Winter Solstice
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads noticeably lighter

Humble Yellow
Winter Solstice
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow reads slightly lighter

Windmill Lane
Winter Solstice
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Winter Solstice reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Winter Solstice
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Winter Solstice reads slightly lighter

Lamp Black
Winter Solstice
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Winter Solstice
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads slightly lighter

Tea with Florence
Winter Solstice
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Winter Solstice
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Winter Solstice reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Winter Solstice
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Winter Solstice
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Nearly identical in tone

Teton Blue
Winter Solstice
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Winter Solstice reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Winter Solstice
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-1
Winter Solstice
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Winter Solstice
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Winter Solstice
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Winter Solstice is the lighter choice