Gray Whale Cove

The kind of neutral that changes name depending on the light, though the blue cast underneath it stays put. 8247, from Vista Paint.

At 4.4 on the chroma scale, this is closer to grey than to color, though the blue cast keeps it from being either. South light flatters it. In a north-facing room it can turn cold, so sample that wall first.

18.0 on the light-reflectance scale puts it in the middle third, which is the part of the scale with the fewest surprises. A practical choice for rooms that will change decor over time, since a true neutral outlasts trends in furniture and textiles.

Benjamin Moore Metro Gray makes a good second wall color here - different enough to read as a real choice, close enough to still feel related (about 40.4 points apart in light reflectance).

Behr Silver Hill (750F-5) runs close enough - delta-E 1.56 - that swapping brands should not change how the room looks. Only 2 other-brand colors land within delta-E 2 of this one, which makes it comparatively unusual. Matte holds the color truest; a subtle sheen will lift it half a shade under lamps.

It is lighter than 16 percent of the Vista Paint range. Vista Paint lists it in the K codes, alongside 1,318 other colors.