Benjamin Moore Cement Gray and Portland Gray: LRV, Undertones and a Little More

When choosing the best gray paint colour for your room, NOTHING matters more than undertones – and Cement Gray and Portland Gray have a BIT more undertone than the average gray, which is why we’re taking a close look at both of them in this colour review.

I love to show RELATEABLE & REAL homes, so ONLY use photos from my Online Colour Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality pics I need (hence the ‘QUICK Review’), but DEFINITELY have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!

What type of paint colours are Portland Gray and Cement Gray? Are they warm or cool grays?

Portland Gray is a WARM gray paint colour, whereas Cement Gray is a COOL gray paint colour. This is an important distinction because you can use colours like these to balance out the visual temperature of a room, for example…

If you have a north-facing room or an east-facing room in the afternoon, you might prefer the warmth of Portland Gray to balance the cool gray-blue light coming in the windows
If you have a south-facing room or a west-facing room in the afternoon, you might prefer the COOL tone of Cement Gray to balance those warm sun rays!

What are the LRV’s of Portland Gray and Cement Gray?

Portland Gray has an LRV of 61.22, whereas Cement Gray has an LRV of 61.21 – which means they really are the SAME depth and in the LIGHT RANGE of paint colours.

NOT SURE WHAT LRV IS? It could save your paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

What are the undertones of Portland Gray and Cement Gray? Will they look like TRUE gray paint colours?

Portland gray has a REASONABLY strong purple undertone. Now, purple can be cool (purple-blue) or warm (purple-pink). Portland Gray has a slightly WARM purple undertone. As for Cement Gray, NORMALLY, ‘cement gray’ has more of a green undertone (if we were referring to actual CEMENT), however, THIS one has a slightly COOL purple undertone.

Benjamin Moore Abalone is along similar lines to these paint colours but has slightly more muted undertones…

If you LOVE purple, then you’re in luck, however, if you’re looking for a more NEUTRAL approach to gray, you may want to read this instead!

Want MORE PURPLE? Check THIS out.

What’s the best way to sample Portland Gray and Cement 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 Portland or Cement Gray, what’s the best white paint colour for my trim?

With BOTH of these gray paint colours, I lean towards…

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace for a clean, simple contrast

Is Portland or Cement Gray a good colour for the exterior of my home?

NO! Oh, wait, did I say that out loud? I mean, it could work, but on most homes, the undertones are too strong. When I’m working with my Online Paint Colour Consulting clients and looking for gray paint colours, 99% of the time we’re looking for more neutral and flexible grays.

What Sherwin Williams paint colours are the same as or similar to Portland and Cement 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 colours with kindred spirits…

Sherwin Williams Individual White is similar to Portland Gray
Sherwin Williams Grayish is similar to Cement Gray

BTW, if you’re thinking of colour matching between brands, you might want to read THIS first.

What type of paint colours look good with Portland Gray and Cement Gray?

Generally speaking, if you’re looking for paint colours that look good in a palette with these gray paint colours, you’d want to look at some…

Grays with undertones that are equally as strong, but blue or green instead
Darker grays with the same undertone blend
Slightly stronger LIGHT cream paint colours, in other words, creams that have a reasonable degree of yellow in them

Not sure if these grays are right for you?

BENJAMIN MOORE COLLINGWOOD