Benjamin Moore Wickham Gray HC-171: Paint Color Review -

A light shade of gray with a little bit of love…

Choosing the best gray for your walls or exterior can be tricky. What looked like a pretty ‘neutral gray’ can show up with purple, green, or blue undertones! This is why it’s important you do your research before slapping any paint on your walls, especially when it comes to a color like Wickham Gray. While its undertones aren’t shocking, they can jump up and bite you in the tush if you’re not careful!

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WHAT TYPE OF PAINT COLOR IS WICKHAM GRAY?

Wickham Gray is a gray paint color, no doubt about it. However, whereas some grays are crisp and icy, and others are decidedly warm (Revere Pewter), Wickham Gray offers a more moderate, modest approach to gray, sitting in between warm and cool with more of a stormy approach.

For example, look at Benjamin Moore Classic Gray (left, a warm gray-taupe) and Wickham Gray (right) on a wall that doesn’t get direct natural light…

Sure, Wickham Gray looks coolish, but not crisp and icy. Now, check them out in a different light (below). Both colors look much warmer, but Wickham Gray still doesn’t look traditionally warm…

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

WHAT’S THE LRV OF WICKHAM GRAY?

Wickham Gray has an LRV of 67.87, putting it NICELY in the light range. It’s lighter than the favored color, Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray, without remotely winking at the off-white world.

With this LRV, Wickham Gray will lose a lot of its look with intense light, but overall, it still settles well in the average room. While this higher LRV might make you think it’s good for a dark room, its stormier approach can make it an iffy choice. Dark rooms often need brighter whites and off-whites or colors with more…well, color.

Here’s Wickham Gray on the interior of a front door (I lightened this photo so you could see the color a bit better)…

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

WHAT ARE WICKHAM GRAY’S UNDERTONES?

Unlike some grays, which can flex their undertones on a wall-to-wall basis, I’ve never seen Wickham Gray flash purple. Why? Because it’s pretty committed to its blue-green undertones. I won’t say it’s obnoxious about it, but if you don’t like these hues, you might want to focus on grays with purple undertones instead.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Wickham Gray…

WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLOR FOR IT?

Wickham Gray isn’t too hard to please, but here are a few of my personal favorites…

Sherwin Williams Pure White, for sure
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace for a cleaner contrast
Benjamin Moore White Dove
Benjamin Moore Oxford White can be gorgeous

In the above photo, you’ll see Revere Pewter in the bedroom against the cool look of Wickham in the bathroom. Both are partnered with the soft, warm look of Benjamin Moore Cloud White, which is as warm as I would go as a trim option with Wickham Gray.

Client photo Via Western Exposures

IS WICKHAM GRAY GO WELL WITH CREAM TRIM & CABINETS?

There’s no world where I’d partner Wickham Gray with cream trim or cabinets; it’s too cool and light. Benjamin Moore Cloud White (a warm, creamy white) is the warmest I’d go.

WHAT ABOUT WOOD TRIMS & CABINETS?

Whether you have wood trims, cabinets, flooring, or furniture, Wickham Gray’s blue-green undertones can complement most wood finishes. I might get nervous with darker espresso woods with purple undertones and overly pink-toned stains.

IS WICKHAM A GOOD EXTERIOR PAINT COLOR?

If you have the right roof with a blue-green in its blend, you could consider Wickham Gray for your exterior. However, few brick and stone facades will suit its undertones. I can confidently say that it won’t work for the average home.

5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO WICKHAM GRAY?

Comparing similar shades of gray is the best way to find your home’s best color. Here are a few of my favorite options…

WICKHAM GRAY vs. SHERWIN WILLIAMS FIRST STAR

First Star is a great color to sample with Wickham Gray. They both approach gray in a similar, slightly stormy way. Still, you’ll notice that First Star’s undertones are way more subtle, offering a more whisper-like approach to gray and making Wickham Gray look reasonably colorful in comparison.

As for depth, they’re close enough, with First Star having an LRV of 69, so just a few points higher/lighter than Wickham Gray.

My FULL Paint Color Review of First Star

WICKHAM GRAY vs. STONINGTON GRAY

Comparing these two is natural, as they sit with each other in the fan deck. The first difference between Wickham Gray and Stonington Gray is their depth. Wickham’s LRV is 67.87, putting it on the mid to slightly higher end of the light range. Stonington Gray has an LRV of 59.36, parking its stormy butt on the lower end of the light range. Having more depth, Stonington Gray stands up better to bright light and offers more contrast with white trim.

My FULL Paint Color Review of Stonington Gray

You might also find Wickham Gray’s undertones popping up a bit more than Stonington Gray’s, although they share the same love for blue-green.

WICKHAM GRAY vs. BENJAMIN MOORE GRAY OWL

Oh, the clash of the Titans! Just joking, Gray Owl kicks Wickham Gray’s arse any day of the week. Now, this doesn’t mean it’s the best color for YOUR home, but in terms of popularity, it’s the top dog.

Starting with depth, Gray Owl has an LRV Of 64.51, so it’s more or less in the middle of the light range. I wouldn’t say the depth difference is a dealbreaker for the average room, but this shift might be just what it needs if your room’s fussy.

As for undertones, Gray Owl has more of a smokey green-blue backdrop. It can really change itself, too, committing to green in some rooms and looking legit blue-hued in others!

My FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Gray Owl

Lastly, temperature. If you thought Wickham Gray was slightly stormy (as I do), compare it to Gray Owl, and it will look pretty darn nipply! While both have a stormy look, Gray Owl is ‘technically’ a warm gray (good luck getting it to look warm).