Benjamin Moore Charcoal Slate HC-178: Is it Gray or Blue? -

Benjamin Moore Charcoal Slate is often referred to as blue. Just as often, it gets called gray. So which is it?

You’ll find out below as we dive into this dark paint color. You’ll learn about its best (and worst) uses, undertones, LRV, and more. Let’s see if this charmingly moody hue could be the color that your home is looking for.

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WHAT TYPE OF COLOR IS CHARCOAL SLATE?

Charcoal Slate is a dark, cool gray paint color. Like lighter grays, dark grays have undertones, including blue, green, or violet (or a blend of the 3). We’ll look at Charcoal Slate’s undertones shortly. First, let’s talk about exposures (no indecent ones…this time).

Being a cool gray paint color, Charcoal Slate can be a great way to balance out the heat of warm afternoon western sunshine or intense southern exposure. As for northern exposure, it’s an ‘each to their own’ thing. Cool colors don’t always settle as well in north-facing light, since northern light is gray and cold, so you’re giving your room a bit of a double whammy.

However, cool colors often seem cozy and more intimate when they’re DARKER vs lighter.

Benjamin Moore Charcoal Slate with Sherwin Williams City Loft paint color on the walls.

North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?

CHARCOAL SLATE’S LRV

According to Benjamin Moore, Charcoal Slate has an LRV of 14.51, meaning it’s a medium-dark paint color. Because of its lower chroma (degree of color/undertone), it can look a bit drab in a dark room.

Dark rooms often need dark colors with less gray and more color. This said, its lower LRV is great for bright rooms or intense exterior light as it won’t wash out as much as lighter shades.

Sherwin Williams On the Rocks walls | The Best Paint Colors to Go With Marble

Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

WHAT UNDERTONES DOES CHARCOAL SLATE HAVE?

Ahhh, the answer we’ve all been waiting for! Charcoal Slate is gray with considerably strong blue-purple undertones, giving it a subtle, inky vibe. Is it more gray or more blue-purple? Well, that’s open to perception—I think it’s an interesting mix of all 3 (although I find the blue-gray stronger than the purple).

If you’re unsure what the term ‘undertones’ means, it’s a homeowner-friendly way of describing a color’s natural bias, or its built-in tendency to lean toward one color or another.

The Ultimate Guide to Paint Colors & Undertones

Here’s your Charcoal Slate Peel & Stick sample…

WHAT WHITE TRIM COLOR GOES WITH CHARCOAL SLATE?

The question should be ‘What white trim colors DON’T go with Charcoal Slate?‘ Seriously, Charcoal Slate is pretty darn flexible and humors a wide range of whites for trims or cabinets, including…

Benjamin Moore White Dove
Benjamin Moore Simply White
If you want a slightly more clean, brighter white look, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace is gorgeous.
If you prefer cool whites, Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White is an interesting choice.

The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors

The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams

DOES IT GO WITH CREAM CABINETS OR TRIM?

I wouldn’t do it. Choosing a color like Charcoal Slate risks your cream finish looking even yellower than it already does.

The Best Paint Colors for Cream Trim & Cabinets

DOES CHARCOAL SLATE GO WITH WOOD TRIMS & CABINETS?

A thousand times over, yes. While not everyone is into dark walls with wood trim, if you love a moody vibe, Charcoal Slate hits it out of the park. I might be careful with wood stains with a good degree of yellow or pink, but even then, Charcoal Slate is known to slide in quite well.

Look at how friggin’ STUNNING Charcoal Slate looks with a dark wood with a red-purple stain…

The Best Paint Colors to ACCENT Red Wood Stains

IS ITA GOOD EXTERIOR PAINT COLOR?

Charcoal Slate is an awesome contender for your siding or stucco (or front door!). You’d be surprised how many stone and brick exteriors are happy to see a dark gray-blue like Charcoal Slate show up, as it often leans into them or directly contrasts and complements their color needs.

This next front door shows Charcoal Slate, but truth be told, it reads WAY more like Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart…

The Best Front Door Paint Colors

IS CHARCOAL SLATE A GOOD COLOR FOR KITCHEN CABINETS?

Heck yes. While not many people would paint their entire kitchen a color like Charcoal Slate, it’s amazeballs for a kitchen island or bathroom vanity (smaller scale).

The Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Island & Bathroom Vanities

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO CHARCOAL SLATE?

Oh, a whole whack of shades compete with Charcoal Slate. Sample and compare these to see which best suits your finishes and tastes.

Sherwin Williams Web Gray (you might notice a bare wink o’ green pop-up compared to Charcoal Slate).
Benjamin Moore Gray 2121-10 is one of my favorites. It offers a bit more density than Charcoal Slate.
Sample and compare Benjamin Moore Anchor Gray to see a bit more blue hue peeking through.

Benjamin Moore Anchor Gray

WHICH PAINT COLORS GO WITH CHARCOAL SLATE?

Charcoal Slate has a reasonable spread of colors it likes to be partnered with in a palette, including…

WARM GRAYS: Especially warm, light grays with purple undertones
COOL GRAYS: Focus on cool grays with blue-purple hues.
LIGHT TO LIGHT-MEDIUM GREIGE: It can be an exciting partner to some shades of greige in the light-to-medium range.
GENTLE TAUPES: Anchor Gray loves soft, pretty shades of taupe.