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Benjamin Moore HC-165 / Choosing the color

When to Skip Boothbay Gray: The Finishes That Need a Closer Look

Skip Boothbay Gray when its color character or depth conflicts with a fixed finish you plan to keep. The main issue to resolve here is blue-gray cabinets beside a warmer floor.

Color guide · Updated September 23, 2026

Living room with layered natural materials and soft window light

Define a reason to reject the sample

Skip Boothbay Gray when its color character or depth conflicts with a fixed finish you plan to keep. The main issue to resolve here is blue-gray cabinets beside a warmer floor. Boothbay Gray has enough blue-gray body to create a definite cabinet color beside white stone.

Warm oak is the large counterpoint to the cabinetry, so a floor-level view matters more than a chip held high on a white wall.

The material conflict matters more than popularity

Reconsider Boothbay Gray when its defining color direction is the part you are trying to suppress. Accessories should develop an accepted palette, not camouflage a wall you dislike. Compare a different hue or level of restraint before buying furnishings solely to make the original sample work.

Boothbay Gray has an LRV of 43.26; Benjamin Moore Mount Saint Anne 1565 is 41.9. The difference is 1.36 points, with Boothbay Gray returning more light under the reference measurement.

The condition for keeping Boothbay Gray

Evaluate a cabinet-sized panel at floor level so the blue-gray and oak form the intended contrast. The undertones and neighboring colors covers that related choice. The physical-sample checklist covers that related choice.

If making Boothbay Gray work requires replacing materials you intended to keep, revise the paint shortlist first. A successful sample should resolve the room brief, not expand the renovation without a clear reason. Before ordering samples, compare room-planning features in the paint color visualizer roundup.

Sources & notes

Color specifications: Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray HC-165. The recorded LRV is 43.26. Named comparison values come from the respective manufacturers; material schemes are editorial suggestions.

This guide reviews published color information and proposes practical sample checks. It does not claim first-hand paint testing or customer-review scores. Benjamin Moore does not sponsor or endorse this site. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Confirm the color in a physical sample and select the coating for the actual surface and finish.