Benjamin Moore Graphite 1603

Contents

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Graphite for bedroom (2 photos)
Graphite for living room (5 photos)
Benjamin Moore 1603 on kitchen cabinets (1 photo)
Graphite for exterior (6 photos)
Benjamin Moore Graphite reviews (3 photos)
What are Benjamin Moore Graphite undertones?
Is Graphite 1603 cool or warm?
How light temperature affects on Graphite
Monochromatic color scheme
Complementary color scheme
Color comparison and matching
LRV of Graphite 1603
Color codes
Color equivalents

Official page:	Graphite 1603
Code:	1603
Name:	Graphite
Brand:	Benjamin Moore

What color is Benjamin Moore Graphite?

Benjamin Moore Graphite 1603 is a deep charcoal gray with a nearly neutral cast and a faint cool edge. Its low-light value gives walls a grounded, near-black appearance, while brighter daylight reveals more of its smoky gray character. Use it for a dramatic dining room, a den, or built-in cabinetry where a strong dark tone can add definition without reading as pitch black. Graphite pairs cleanly with warm white trim, pale oak, brushed nickel, and natural stone. On an exterior, it can give shutters or a front door crisp contrast against lighter siding.

Graphite for bedroom (2 photos)

We’ve hand-picked a beautiful collection of photos of this amazing grey shade used in real bedrooms. Take a look and imagine how this wonderful cool dark paint color could transform your own bedroom space.

@freshuprestoration

@amynellbrown

Graphite for living room (5 photos)

Check out this stunning dark color used in real living rooms. Explore how this grey shade can create a unique space

@freshuprestoration

@industrial.housewares

@industrial.housewares

@industrial.housewares

@angela.fahl

Benjamin Moore 1603 on kitchen cabinets

Want a stylish kitchen? View real-life photo examples of this fascinating cool grey hue is paired with backsplashes, countertops, and hardware.

@everickbrowndesign

Graphite for exterior (6 photos)

Looking for a fresh new look for your house exterior or starting from skretch? We’ve collected pictures of real-life homes that have been painted with this cool grey hue. Find inspiration for your house’s exterior, front doors, gates, shutters, frames or windows.

@studio_pinc

@jillwarrrealty

@mycasualcasita

@melissahon

@balancepaintingpdx

@angela.fahl

Benjamin Moore Graphite reviews (3 photos)

View the photos of real spaces painted with this grey that were not included in specific categories. Close-ups, painted furniture, storages and dressers, hallways, stairs and ceilings.

@littlemugsphotography

@angela.fahl

@shoemakesnew

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What are Benjamin Moore Graphite undertones?

Graphite 1603 reads as a deep, low-saturation gray that is close to neutral, with a very subtle cool, blue-leaning cast in the supplied digital sample. Its dark value gives it a strong, charcoal-like presence rather than the softness of a mid-tone gray. Benjamin Moore describes it as a “deep gray hue,” which aligns with its visibly gray main color family; the digital sample alone does not show a strong enough bias to make a confident undertone claim beyond that slight cool direction. Warm artificial light may make its grayness feel a little less cool, while cool daylight can make the subtle blue-leaning cast easier to notice.

Manufacturer information used in this description: official color page.

HEX value:

#444647

RGB code:

68, 70, 71

Is Benjamin Moore Graphite cool or warm?

warm

cool

With a hue of 200°, this black leans cool, but it is near the neutral line and may feel warmer in certain lighting.

1603 Graphite HSL code: 200, 2%, 27%

Hue - degree on a color wheel from 0 to 360. 0 is red, 120 is green, and 240 is blue.
Saturation is expressed as a percentage. At 0%, it appears as a shade of grey, and at 100%, it is in full color.
Lightness is also a percentage value. 0% is black, and 100% is white.

How light temperature affects Graphite

Natural Lighting. During the day, natural light shifts from about 2000 K at sunrise/sunset to 5500–6500 K at noon.

Sunrise

Morning

Noon

Afternoon

Sunset

In addition, natural-light temperature depends on its direction:

Direction of sunlight	Visible temp.	Hue	Duration
North	Cool	Bluish	All day
East	Warm	Yellow	Before noon
West	Warm	Orange-red	After noon
South	Warm	Orange-yellow	All day

Artificial Lighting. When choosing bulbs, pay attention to their color temperature in Kelvins.
Use the slider to see how this black shade looks under different lighting:

4000K

2000K

3000K

4000K

5000K

6000K

7000K

Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Benjamin Moore Graphite:

Monochromatic color scheme

This scheme consists of various shades, tints, and tones of a single color. While it offers a perfect combination of hues, without accent décor it may become monotonous.

Lighter shades

1603
Graphite

Darker shades

1603
Graphite

Complementary color scheme

This color scheme is a combination of two shades that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The high contrast between these colors creates a vibrant and dynamic visual effect. For the color Graphite with a green hue, complementary colors are those with a red hue close to 20, such as Benjamin Moore Quietly Violet and Desert Shadows.

1603
Graphite

Compare
Benjamin Moore
Graphite 1603
to any other colors

Benjamin Moore
Graphite 1603
color equivalents

LRV of Graphite

Graphite has an LRV of 7.59% and refers to Dark colors which means that this color almost does not reflect light. Why LRV is important?

Light Reflectance Value scale illustration

Light Reflectance Value measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from a painted surface.
Simply put, the higher the LRV of a paint color, the brighter the room you will get.
The scale goes from 0% (absolute black, absorbing all light) to 100% (pure white, reflecting all light).

Act like a pro: When choosing paint with an LRV of 7.59%, pay attention to your bulbs' brightness. Light brightness is measured in lumens. The lower the paint's LRV, the higher lumen level you need. Every square foot of room needs at least 40 lumens. That means for a 200 ft² living room you'll need about 8000 lumens of light – e.g., eight 1000 lm bulbs.

Color codes

We have collected almost every possible color code you could ever need.
Not sure what the difference between HEX and RGB is? We break down color models in plain language. Understanding color models

Format	Code
HEX	#444647
RGB Decimal	68, 70, 71
RGB Percent	26.67%, 27.45%, 27.84%
HSV	Hue: 200° Saturation: 4.23% Value: 27.84%
HSL	hsl(200, 2, 27)
CMYK	Cyan: 4.23 Magenta: 1.41 Yellow: 0.0 Key: 72.16
YIQ	Y: 69.516 I: -1.513 Q: -0.112
XYZ	X: 5.711 Y: 6.064 Z: 6.829
CIE Lab	L:29.574 a:-0.601 b:-0.888
CIE Luv	L:29.574 u:-1.099 v:-0.962
Decimal	4474439
Hunter Lab	24.626, -1.697, 0.796