Benjamin Moore Smoke 2122-40: Undertones, Real Rooms, & More
Choosing the best blue paint color can be scary, especially with so many great options on the market. However, if you’re considering Benjamin Moore Smoke 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.
When learning about colors, pay attention to their undertones (natural tendencies), LRV (light reflectance value, or depth), and how they change under different lighting conditions. Combine these with how it looks with your finishes, and you’re well on your way to finding your best shade.
99.5% of the photos in my blog are of REAL HOMES from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, and friends. While not always magazine-perfect, they’re packed with ideas and proven color choices to help you create a home you’ll love.
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?
BENJAMIN MOORE SMOKE’S LRV
Smoke is a light-medium depth paint color with an LRV of 56.39 (according to BM).
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 almost always appears as a blue paint color on a smoky gray backdrop, sometimes with a touch of green. This is curious, as its color-science readings would put it as a green paint color.
Often, color-science doesn’t relate well to how a color acts in real-life, which is why sampling and comparing a color in your lighting conditions is so FRIGGIN’ important!
Smoke is a calm, soothing paint color because of its gorgeous gray backdrop. The blue-appearing hue gives Smoke its ‘color,’ and the gray grounds it (not in a “go to your room, no TV” kinda way, but in a good way).
The Ultimate Guide to Paint Colors & Undertones
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 can be a beautiful, unique choice for kitchen cabinets, though I’ve yet to have a client use it. Smoke could pair well with warm wood tones to balance its coolness. 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. Smoke’s slightly moodier look. Woodlawn Blue is also lighter than Smoke with a higher LRV of 60.65 to Smoke’s 56.39.
READ MORE
The 10 Best Blue-Gray Paint Colors: Calming, Relaxing & Cool’
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
Get the color expert that Designers hire with Kylie M’s Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
Hi Kylie🙂 I’m looking for a blue-green colour for a short run of lower cabinets and an island in a south-facing, low light/dark kitchen. (My 1880 house has a log infrastructure which, I surmise, blocks a lot of sunlight.)
My floors are a deep brown engineered hardwood. I’m planning to use White Dove on the walls, trim and upper cabinets..and through an open space I’m going to create by taking a wall out. I’ll then have south, east and west light, come to think if it!
I was thinking that a mid-tone might make a good transition between the floor and the walls to soften the contrast.. Does this sound optimal or do you have a better solution about what would work? Thanks!