BENJAMIN MOORE SMOKE 2122-40: Paint Color Review

Smoke is a smoke show of a color – a gorgeous muted blue-gray

Choosing the perfect paint color can be SCARY, especially with so many great options on the market. However, if you’re considering Benjamin Moore Smoke 2122-40 for your home, you’re looking in the right place, and I’ve put together a guide to help you (hopefully) finalize your color choice.

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BEFORE WE GET STARTED…

To show you RELATEABLE & REAL homes, I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality photos I need or the RIGHT photos, but I DEFINITELY have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!

IS SMOKE A WARM OR COOL PAINT COLOR?

Benjamin Moore Smoke 2122-40 is a cool paint color. It’s a moody (not fresh) blue-green hue that, combined with its depth (LRV), gives it a cool, calming look.

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

WHAT’S SMOKE’S LRV?

Smoke is a light-medium depth paint color, coming in with an LRV of 56.39.

Smoke could be a wee bit COLD looking in a north-facing room, so sample it carefully to ensure it holds the look you originally wanted.

In a south-facing room, Smoke should be cooking with grease, as it will REALLY help balance off that warm southern light (same with west-facing light)!

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

The Best Paint NUMBER for Your Home – 62

The Best LIGHT Paint Colors for a DARK room

WHAT UNDERTONES DOES SMOKE HAVE?

Smoke is a BLUE paint color at heart, with a soft, subtle green undertone. But not only that, Smoke is a calm, soothing paint color because it has a gorgeous gray backdrop. The blue-green gives Smoke its ‘color,’ and the gray grounds it (not in a “go to your room, no TV” kinda way, but in a GOOOOOD way).

The Ultimate Guide to Paint Colors & Undertones

SAMPLING PAINT COLORS WITH PEEL & STICK

I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel-and-stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER, and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a few reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…

samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1 DAY, depending on the location

they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling

if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room

Get your Samplize PEEL & STICK SAMPLE

WHAT WHITE TRIM COLORS GO WITH SMOKE?

When it comes to white trim colors that pair well with Benjamin Moore Smoke 2122-40, options include

The ULTIMATE GUIDE to White Paint Colors

3 Steps to Picking the Best White Paint Color

IS SMOKE A GOOD COLOR FOR THE EXTERIOR OF A HOME?

Smoke cooould be a great choice for the exterior of a home (depending on your existing hard surfaces and their undertones, of course), particularly when paired with crisp white trim.

5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color

Does Your Exposure REALLY MATTER When Choosing EXTERIOR Paint Colors?

IS SMOKE A GOOD COLOR FOR KITCHEN CABINETS?

Smoke has the potential to be a beautiful and unique choice for kitchen cabinets, although I’ve yet to have a client use it. Smoke could be nicely paired with warm wood tones to balance out the coolness of the color. I would proooobably prefer it on just the lowers or just an island instead of everywhere, though! More of a nice side dish and not the main course.

How to Choose the Best White Paint Color for Your Kitchen Cabinets

The 4 Best Gray & Greige Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets & Vanities

WHAT OTHER COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO SMOKE?

Comparison is the BEST way to choose a paint color for your home. Don’t be afraid to explore other colors to see how undertones, temperatures, and LRVs shift…

If you like Smoke but are looking for other options, similar colors include:

Benjamin Moore Silver Gray
Sherwin Williams Niebla Azul
Sherwin Williams Tradewind

By the way, if you’re considering getting one brand to match another’s paint color, I DON’T recommend it. Read why HERE.

WHICH PAINT COLORS GO WITH SMOKE?

When looking for coordinating colors with Smoke, check out the following:

soft muted off-whites – both gray, beige, and cream
stormy grays like Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray
Soft, warm whites, as well as BRIGHT whites
Shades of green with similar degrees of gray in them
Shades of violet with similar degrees of gray in them

A FEW COMPARISONS…

BENJAMIN MOORE SMOKE VS. BEACH GLASS

The main difference between Smoke and Beach Glass is that while Beach Glass is also a blue-green-gray blend, it has MORE green than Smoke. As for depths, Beach Glass is a bit darker than Smoke, with respective LRVs of 49.7 and 56.39.

SMOKE VS. PALE SMOKE

Smoke and Pale Smoke are similar as they favor blue over green or gray. However, there are two main differences.

Pale Smoke has a bit more green and gray in it than Smoke.
Pale Smoke is lighter than Smoke with an LRV of 63.6.

SMOKE VS. WOODLAWN BLUE

While both colors favor blue, Woodlawn Blue picks up more green than Smoke and can look a bit cheerier vs. the slightly moodier look of Smoke. Woodlawn Blue is also lighter than Smoke with a higher LRV of 60.65 to Smoke’s 56.39.

Sherwin Williams Upward: Color Review (Color of the Year 2024)

How to Choose the Best Blue Paint Color

The 3 Undertones of Cool Gray Paint Colors

The 8 Best Blue-Green Paint Colors

Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!