Asphalt
What Asphalt Actually Looks Like
Asphalt reads as a true medium-dark gray, the kind that sits right between a soft charcoal and a mid-tone urban gray. It is neither cool and steely nor obviously warm. In good natural light it shows as a clean, composed gray. Pull back the light and it gets noticeably heavier and more enclosing.
Asphalt Undertones
The RGB values sit closely balanced across red, green, and blue with a slight pull toward warmth. That means Asphalt does not spike blue or green the way cooler grays do. In practice it reads as neutral with a very faint beige lean, though that lean is subtle enough that most people will simply call it gray.
Where Asphalt Works Best
Because its light reflectance is low, Asphalt absorbs a fair amount of light rather than bouncing it back. That makes it most effective where you want presence and depth: an accent wall, a front door, exterior siding, a home office, or a dining room where moodiness is an asset. Rooms that rely on natural brightness are harder territory unless you offset it with light trim and good artificial lighting.
Where to put Asphalt
Asphalt earns its name most literally on an exterior. It works well on siding, shutters, or a garage door where a serious, grounded gray-charcoal reads as intentional rather than drab. Pair with crisp white trim to keep it from feeling flat.
A low-LRV gray like this creates a contained, focused feel in a home office. It cuts glare from screens and gives the room a settled quality. Keep the ceiling and trim lighter so the space does not feel like a cave.
Darker grays have a long track record in dining rooms because candlelight and warm bulbs bring them alive at night. Asphalt in a dining room with warm-toned wood furniture and brass or bronze hardware will look deliberate and comfortable.
If you want depth on one wall without committing to a full room, Asphalt works as an accent behind a bed or sofa. The neutral balance means it cooperates with most existing furnishing colors without fighting them.
What to Pair With Asphalt
No coordinating colors are specified in our database for this color, so pairings below draw from general color principles applied to Asphalt's neutral character.
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Colors that clash with Asphalt
Asphalt's faint warm lean can look dingy or muddy when placed directly against strongly cool blue-green walls or furnishings, because the undertone conflict makes neither color look intentional.
In a north-facing room with limited natural light, Asphalt can read heavier and darker than you expect, making a small room feel compressed.
Common questions
The LRV is 21.27, which is on the lower end of the scale. Colors below roughly 25 absorb significantly more light than they reflect, so Asphalt will make a room feel smaller and more enclosed. That is a feature in moody, intentional spaces and a drawback in rooms that need brightness.
Yes, it is available in Benjamin Moore's full range of finishes for both interior and exterior use. For interiors, a matte or eggshell finish softens the look. For exteriors or trim, a satin or semi-gloss adds durability and gives the color a slightly richer, more defined appearance.
It does, particularly on traditional or industrial-style homes where a dark neutral gray reads as grounded and confident. Make sure the surrounding trim is light enough to give the door definition, otherwise the contrast gets lost.
The Benjamin Moore code is CC-548. The hex and RGB values are displayed in the color spec block on this page.