Start with the documented color character
Cedar Key is a driftwood-like neutral; the manufacturer does not specify a single universal undertone in its short description. Temperature is a useful description, but neighboring materials can change the impression. Cedar Key's driftwood description supports a muted-neutral direction but does not establish a single precise undertone for every setting.
Weathered oak and ivory linen supply a real gray-beige context, making the authentic sample more useful than guessing from the evocative name.
Use Smokey Taupe as a control
Use Cedar Key and Smokey Taupe to clarify the temperature choice against weathered oak and ivory linen. 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.
Cedar Key has an LRV of 61.05; Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe 983 is 54.53. The difference is 6.52 points, with Cedar Key returning more light under the reference measurement. Smokey Taupe is a neutral with a slight warm cast. This supplies a named color control; the LRV gap alone does not identify the warmer, greener or pinker paint.
The condition for keeping Cedar Key
Use a physical board to judge the gray-beige balance rather than inventing an undertone from its name.
Judge the temperature description against the full weathered oak and ivory linen arrangement. A warm or cool label is a useful starting category; it cannot guarantee that Cedar Key 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 Cedar Key OC-16. The recorded LRV is 61.05. 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.