Start with the documented color character
Smokey Taupe is a neutral with a slight warm cast. Temperature is a useful description, but neighboring materials can change the impression. Smokey Taupe offers a slightly warm neutral direction without the extra depth of Stone Hearth.
A beige carpet and gray stone surround establish two large anchors, so the paint is best assessed as a connection between them.
Use Stone Hearth as a control
Use Smokey Taupe and Stone Hearth to clarify the temperature choice against beige carpet and a gray stone surround. Keep the sample edges touching the fixed material, and cover one color before judging the other. Near-neutrals can look noticeably different side by side; the final choice still needs to work on its own. Record the specific relationship you prefer, such as a clearer trim outline or a quieter connection to the floor.
Smokey Taupe has an LRV of 54.53; Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth 984 is 48.45. The difference is 6.08 points, with Smokey Taupe returning more light under the reference measurement. Stone Hearth is a stony neutral with a little warmth and noticeable depth. This supplies a named color control; the LRV gap alone does not identify the warmer, greener or pinker paint.
The condition for keeping Smokey Taupe
Place the two permanent finishes together in the test instead of trying to match only one. The undertones and neighboring colors covers that related choice.
Judge the temperature description against the full beige carpet and a gray stone surround arrangement. A warm or cool label is a useful starting category; it cannot guarantee that Smokey Taupe agrees with every material assigned the same label. The wood-floor pairing guide covers that related choice. Before ordering samples, compare room-planning features in the paint color visualizer roundup.
Sources & notes
Color specifications: Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe 983. The recorded LRV is 54.53. 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.