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Shale 861
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Noticeable yellow undertone
In CIELAB, Shale sits at L* 76.8, a* 0.0, b* 6.8. Its hue angle is 90° and its chroma is 6.8, so it leans yellow clearly enough to notice on a full wall. It classifies as warm. Among Benjamin Moore colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 40%.
LRV 50.5: light
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 50.5, Shale is lighter than 55% of Benjamin Moore colors. The most forgiving range for whole-house walls. Keeps rooms bright without glare.
Closest Sherwin-Williams match to Shale
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roycroft Mist Gray | SW 2844 | 0.52 | Practically identical | |
| Viaduct | SW 9567 | 0.68 | Practically identical | |
| Skyline Steel | SW 1015 | 0.77 | Practically identical |
Closest Behr match to Shale
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanglewood | N320-3 | 0.55 | Practically identical | |
| Sierra Madre | ECC-46-1 | 0.94 | Practically identical | |
| Glasgow Fog | HDC-NT-06G | 1.60 | Very close |
Similar Benjamin Moore colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder | AF-685 | 1.47 | Very close | |
| Himalayan Trek | 1542 | 1.58 | Very close | |
| Cumulus Cloud | 1550 | 1.74 | Very close | |
| Tyler Gray | CW-50 | 2.05 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Greenwich Gate | CSP-170 | 2.05 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Old Soul | CSP-65 | 2.07 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Benjamin Moore with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Gray Wisp 1570 · lighter, LRV 54.4
- Gray Wisp CC-670 · lighter, LRV 54.4
- Coastal Fog 976 · lighter, LRV 52.7
- Bone Black CW-715 · darker, LRV 47.5
- Iced Marble 1578 · darker, LRV 47.2
- Imperial Gray 1571 · darker, LRV 46.8
Colors that go with Shale
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Benjamin Moore color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Lavender Blue 1438 · complementary (180°)
- Knitting Basket CSP-405 · analogous (−30°)
- Horizon Gray 2141-50 · analogous (+30°)
- Soft Chinchilla 2135-50 · triadic (120°)
- African Violet 2116-50 · triadic (240°)
Shale vs popular colors
- Colonnade Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW 7641, ΔE 1.2) is lighter (LRV 53.0 vs 50.5), more blue/cool.
- Mindful Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW 7016, ΔE 1.8) is darker (LRV 47.7 vs 50.5), more blue/cool.
- Revere Pewter (Benjamin Moore HC-172, ΔE 2.5) is lighter (LRV 55.0 vs 50.5).