Metropolitan (AF-690)
BM's 2019 Color of the Year. A soft, warm gray with purple-taupe undertones. Sophisticated and calming.
About Benjamin Moore Metropolitan
Metropolitan (AF-690) is a gray from Benjamin Moore's collection with an LRV of 50.37 and warm taupe-gray undertones. BM's 2019 Color of the Year. A soft, warm gray with purple-taupe undertones. Sophisticated and calming.
At an LRV of 50.37, Metropolitan is a medium-depth color with real presence on the wall. It will add noticeable color and warmth to a room, creating a more cocooning, intimate atmosphere than lighter colors. It works beautifully in rooms with good natural light, and can be used on accent walls in rooms where a full application might feel too enclosed. Pair it with a bright white trim color (LRV 85+) for clean contrast.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
Metropolitan has an LRV of 50.37, placing it in the medium range on the 0-to-100 scale. LRV measures the percentage of visible light a color reflects. A pure black has an LRV of 0 and a pure white has an LRV of 100. Understanding a color's LRV helps you predict how it will feel in your space: higher LRV means brighter and more spacious, lower LRV means cozier and more intimate.
Undertone Analysis
Metropolitan has warm taupe-gray undertones. Undertones are the subtle background colors that become visible in different lighting conditions. Even colors that look "neutral" in the store will reveal their undertones once they are on your walls and interacting with natural light, artificial light, and the colors around them.
BM's 2019 Color of the Year. A soft, warm gray with purple-taupe undertones. Sophisticated and calming. Warm undertones like these pair naturally with other warm elements: honey-toned wood floors, brass and gold hardware, cream-colored textiles, and warm-toned furnishings. They can clash with strongly cool elements like icy blue accents or chrome fixtures, though the effect depends on the strength of the undertone.
Lighting Behavior
The purple-taupe warmth is gentle. In bright light, it reads as a soft warm gray. In dim rooms, the warmth provides a cozy feel.
Every paint color looks different depending on the light source in your room. South-facing rooms get warm, direct sunlight that brings out yellow and warm undertones. North-facing rooms get cool, indirect light that emphasizes blue and gray undertones. East-facing rooms are bright and warm in the morning, cooler in the afternoon. West-facing rooms are the opposite: cool morning, warm afternoon. Incandescent and warm LED bulbs push colors warmer, while cool-white LEDs and fluorescent tubes push colors cooler. To avoid surprises, always test Metropolitan with a physical sample on your actual wall, and observe it at different times of day before committing.
Best Rooms for Metropolitan
Benjamin Moore recommends Metropolitan for: living room, bedroom, hallway, dining room, whole house.
Metropolitan is versatile enough to use as a whole-house color, providing a consistent, cohesive look as you move from room to room. Whole-house colors need to work in multiple lighting conditions and alongside various furnishings, which is why a balanced LRV (50.37) and manageable undertones are essential. Metropolitan handles this well.
Closest Matches in Other Brands
Find the closest equivalent to Benjamin Moore Metropolitan from other paint brands. Matches are calculated using Delta E (CIE2000), the industry standard for measuring perceptual color difference.
Sherwin Williams Matches
Repose Gray shares the purple-warm quality. Close match.
View all Sherwin Williams matches →Behr Matches
Dolphin Fin is similar in depth and warmth.
View all Behr matches →Coordinating Colors
These colors pair beautifully with Metropolitan for a cohesive palette. Use them for trim, accents, adjacent rooms, or furniture to create a well-designed space.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for Benjamin Moore Metropolitan is Repose Gray (SW 7015) with a Delta E of 3.8, which rates as a "good match" match. Repose Gray shares the purple-warm quality. Close match. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart, while 2 to 4 means the difference is subtle.
Metropolitan has warm taupe-gray undertones. BM's 2019 Color of the Year. A soft, warm gray with purple-taupe undertones. Sophisticated and calming. Undertones become most visible when the color is on a large surface like a wall, and they shift depending on the light source in your room. Always test with a physical sample in your specific space to see how the undertones interact with your lighting, flooring, and furnishings.
Metropolitan (AF-690) has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 50.37, which puts it in the medium range. LRV measures the percentage of light a color reflects on a scale from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white). At 50.37, this is a medium-depth color that adds warmth and character while still reflecting a reasonable amount of light.
Metropolitan leans warm. The warm taupe-gray undertones give it a cozy, inviting quality. It pairs naturally with other warm elements like wood tones, brass hardware, and cream textiles. In north-facing rooms, the warmth is especially welcoming.
Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.