Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray: LRV, Undertones and a Little More

There’s NO shortage of light gray paint colours from any NUMBER of brands, but boy, can it be hard to find JUST THE RIGHT dark gray paint colour.

Why? Well, those sneaky undertones that are found in EVERY gray paint colour can be even more passive in some darker charcoal gray paint colours, which is why it’s even more important you do your research. Which is why TODAY, we’re taking an up-close and personal look at this bad boy – Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray.

What type of paint colour is Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray? Is it warm or cool? Is it a TRUE NEUTRAL GRAY?

Believe it or not, Amherst Gray is actually a VERY SLIGHTLY warm gray, and while in some lights it can look quite neutral, it actually has a pretty sneaky undertone (which we’ll get into shortly).

If you have south-facing light shining on your wall or exterior, Amherst Gray can lean that bit warmer, stepping further away from the neutral gray end of things. However, if you have north-facing or other flat light, you may see it fall back into its gray base quite nicely.

What’s the LRV of Amherst Gray?

Amherst Gray has an LRV of 17.12 which puts it nicely in the medium-dark end of things. Whereas DARK colours can look black in some lights, Amherst generally holds its depth, unless you have an EXCEPTIONALLY dark room.

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

What are the undertones of Amherst Gray? Will it look blue, green or purple?

Amherst Gray has a slight green undertone. However, like MANY grays, with the right environment and exposure it can drop that, but RARELY does it grab blue or purple.

What’s the best way to sample Amherst Gray?

Like with every paint colour, I highly recommend using SAMPLIZE. Samplize is a peel & stick paint sample that you can easily move around your room for over HALF THE COST of traditional sample pots – and they deliver right to your front door!

Learn all about Samplize HERE

If I’m painting my walls Amherst Gray, what’s the best white paint colour for my trim?

If you’re painting your walls Amherst Gray, I would suggest the following white paint colours…

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace for a clean, crisp approach
Benjamin Moore White Dove or Cloud White for a softer, warmer look

Is Amherst Gray a good colour for the exterior of my home?

If you have the right stone, brick and/or roof, Amherst Gray could be an AWESOME choice for your exterior, but they HAVE to be able to humour that subtle green undertone! You can also check out the DARKER, but similar approach of Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal which is WICKED gorgeous.

Is Amherst Gray a good paint colour for kitchen cabinets?

Amherst Gray is VERY popular for kitchen cabinets but is OFTEN misused. With its subtle green undertone, it’s important that it CONNECTS on some level with what’s happening in the countertop.

Before, the STRONG orange stain on the wood cabinets was overwhelming the space and clashed with the flooring…

After, everything looks more modern – including the older-style granite countertop!

(this is from about 12 years ago, so the photo quality isn’t super)

What Sherwin Williams paint colours are the same as or similar to Amherst Gray?

GOOD QUESTION! Every colour has its own particular nuances and there will be NO perfect match – you WILL see shifts in undertones, temperature and depths, but you could check out similar colours like…

Sherwin Williams Classic French Gray
Sherwin Williams Westchester Gray

Shown above, Sherwin Williams Classic French Gray

And if you’re thinking of colour matching between brands (ie: getting BM to make an SW paint colour), you might want to read THIS first.

What type of paint colours look good with Amherst Gray?

Because Amherst Gray is MOST often used as an ‘accent’ colour, either on a feature wall, kitchen island/cabinets or bathroom vanity, it’s VERY FLEXIBLE as to its partners (just like me, just joking), such as…