Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray (HC-169): Undertones, LRV, & Where it Works Best
Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray is a light-medium depth, stormy gray paint color. It works well on interior walls, especially bedrooms and accent walls.
With its subtle undertones, Coventry Gray can shift in appearance based on surrounding finishes and lighting.
To find out whether it’s the best gray for you and your home, let’s take an up-close and intimate look at this gorgeous shade of gray in its full color review…
WHAT TYPE OF COLOR IS COVENTRY GRAY?
Coventry Gray isn’t an overtly warm gray, and it’s not a cold gray – I fondly refer to it as a ‘stormy gray.’ Cold grays have an icy, crisp, clean look, whereas warm grays pick up a muddiness. Coventry Gray sits between both worlds with more of a moody vibe (leaning slightly warm over cold, but barely).
If your room (or exterior) is south-facing or gets good afternoon western sunshine, Coventry Gray is a great way to balance that warm sunshine. However, tread carefully if your room is north-facing or has flat eastern afternoon or morning western light, as Coventry Gray’s storminess and muted undertones can leave it a little lacking in some spaces like these.
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
WHAT’S THE LRV OF COVENTRY GRAY?
Coventry Gray has an LRV of 48.18. This puts it in the middle of the light-medium range. Traditional medium-depth grays have way more depth than Coventry Gray’s softness…
Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray is a medium-depth gray with an LRV of 23.33
On the other hand, Coventry Gray is much darker than the average shade of gray used on walls.
With this depth, Coventry Gray certainly can be used for all of the walls in a room, as long as there’s enough lighting. However, it’s more often used as an accent wall, on a kitchen island/cabinets, or as an exterior paint color.
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
WHAT ARE COVENTRY GRAY’S UNDERTONES?
Gray paint colors will have blue, green, or purple undertones – most often a blend of two. Coventry Gray has a blue-green undertone. It’s subtle but can show up when you least expect it!
Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Coventry Gray…
WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLOR WITH COVENTRY GRAY?
Whether you’re painting trim or cabinets, Coventry Gray has its favorite shades of white…
- Benjamin Moore White Dove offers a bit of softness
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace has a cleaner contrast with Coventry Gray
- Sherwin Williams Pure White always looks awesome
IS COVENTRY GRAY A GOOD EXTERIOR COLOR?
It certainly could be! With its slightly lower LRV, Coventry Gray can hold itself well on a home with intense south-facing light, more so than an off-white or light paint color that could wash out. Make sure Coventry Grays soft stormy vibe suits your home’s brick, stone, and/or roof.
5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
IS COVENTRY GRAY GOOD WITH CREAM TRIM OR CABINETS?
While its depth makes it a better contender than lighter shades of gray, Coventry comes up pretty cold against the yellow hue of cream cabinets and trims. I would tread carefully, which means it’s not a hard no, it’s just a ‘sample and see’.
DOES COVENTRY GRAY GO WITH WOOD TRIMS, CABINETS, & FLOORING?
It sure can – Coventry Gray is a beautiful partner to many wood stains. I might only exercise caution with woods with a lot of pink.
WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO COVENTRY GRAY?
A few shades of gray are worth comparing with Coventry Gray. Sometimes, the tweak in undertone, temperature, or depth makes one color perfect over another!
- Sherwin Williams Light French Gray offers a shift in undertones and softness.
- Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray is a super popular gray (more popular than Coventry Gray) if you’re open to a lighter look.
- Sherwin Williams Silverplate is an interesting option if you want a slightly muddier, lighter approach with similar intentions.
- Sherwin Williams Gray Clouds and Benjamin Moore Metropolitan are the best direct comparables to Coventry Gray.
Here’s Light French Gray on painted kitchen cabinets…
Here’s Stonington Gray with a gorgeous travertine tile floor…
And if you’re thinking of color matching between brands (i.e., getting BM to make an SW paint color), you might want to read THIS first.
WHAT COLORS GO WITH COVENTRY GRAY?
Having a bit more depth, Coventry Gray has several colors it would like to be partnered with in a room-to-room palette.
- Grays that are lighter than it with similar undertones
- A wide range of warm off-white paint colors complement Coventry Gray’s moody hue
- Subtle cream paint colors can be pretty palette partners
READ MORE
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Silverplate
Need help?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2020, UPDATED IN LATE 2024
KYLIE M INTERIORS E-DESIGN AND ONLINE VIRTUAL PAINT COLOR EXPERT, SPECIALIZING IN BENJAMIN MOORE AND SHERWIN WILLIAMS PAINT COLORS DIY DECORATING AND DESIGN ADVICE BLOGGER
Greetings from Toronto! Love all your posts Kylie! I picked all my paint colours by reading your website! I even ordered Samplize samples to make sure the colours would work! I ended up painting my bedroom Coventry Gray and it is beautiful – definitely a medium gray but with a blue undertone. I went with the lighter Stonington Gray in the living room and kitchen and it is stunning!
Hellooooooo Toronto! I love when a Canadian friend pops in ;). So many assume I’m from the US as I think that’s where a lot of the bloggers are from, but nope, I’m a west coast of Canada girl!
And isn’t Coventry/Stonington a great combo? They are just so SOFT and cool, but not ICY cold – good choices ;).
Would a Coventry gray island go with with my Sherwin Williams sea salt walls and alabaster trim/cabinets?
Hi Hannah! I think Coventry Gray will be too light and not different enough from Sea Salt, I would go for a bit more depth and undertone as well 🙂
Love your reviews! I’ve just repainted my upper and lower cabinets in Stonington Gray and my island with Hale Navy. I’m at a loss of what to put on walls! Pure white is my trim, and ceiling. Should I go lighter or darker on walls ?
Hi Christy! It can be tricky to figure out a wall colour when you have light cabinets! I lean towards PURE WHITE on the walls to get some contrast with the cabinets and a seamless approach with the trim, without going too heavy on the walls. I’d hesitate to go darker with the Stonington/Hale in place 🙂
Hi! Would Coventry Gray be a good match for an interior door? I’m painting the trims/ceiling with Changilly Lace and the walls Classic Gray? Thanks! (Love your blog!!)
Mmmmm, I’m liking the sounds of this combo :).
I NEED your advice!!! IS Coventry Gray too blue for my green granite kitchen countertops? I know you say is has a slight blue-green undertone, but hoping it will work with the green granite (not sure what kind it is, but looks like the green version of baltic brown). The floors are also those beige tuscan tiles from 15 years ago that went with the tuscan look, not pure beige, but varying colors of it with oranges and cream undertones. I sampleized it, but wanted your opinion if this color is going to update my kitchen or make it more dated. PLEASE HELP!!!
Hello! Have you darkened Coventry Gray by 50%? I am painting a wet bar and love Coventry but I think I need a bit darker. Does this change the undertones? Thanks!
I samplized Coventry gray and illusive green. I’m undecided on my south facing stucco exterior. Summers get hot up to 100-105 at its highest. I also don’t want the heat that illusive green may bring. Any opinions? I’ll have extra white trim, iron ore garage door and I have a dark charcoal tile roof.