What is the most popular Sherwin Williams gray?

Repose Gray SW 7015 has been one of the most popular Sherwin Williams grays for years. Worldly Gray SW 7043 is the one we see used most often inside Denver homes, because it works throughout a house to create a cohesive flow and pairs well with both warm and cool colors.

Why does my gray paint look blue or green?

Nearly every gray has an undertone, and lighting is what brings it out. The natural and artificial light in a room, plus fixed features and furniture, bounce color around and can make a gray read very differently than it did on the chip. If you dislike a blue or green cast, choose a warm gray or one with a red undertone.

Can you get a gray paint with no undertone at all?

Not really, and you would not want it. A completely neutral gray needs an even mix of pigments or black pigment, and the result looks flat and one dimensional. The undertone is what makes a gray feel rich and dynamic.

How should I test a gray paint color before committing?

Look at samples somewhere other than the store. Store lighting is poor and often hides an undertone. Get sample quarts, put them up in the actual room or on the actual exterior, and look at them across the day so you can see how the gray behaves in your own light.

Best Sherwin Williams Gray Colors

If you have ever tried to choose a gray paint then you know how tricky it can be. Nearly all grays have an undertone which adds depth and dimension, but it can also result in your gray paint looking different than you expected.

Our goal is to always make the painting experience as enjoyable as possible for our paint clients in Denver and beyond. So, today we are breaking down the best Sherwin Williams Gray Colors.

Acier

Acier SW 9170 from Sherwin Williams is a fantastic gray for both exteriors and interiors. We consider this a warm gray, because of its slightly red undertone. We often lean towards warm grays, because they are rich, dynamic, and able to play off both cool and warm elements.

Repose Gray

Repose Gray SW 7015 has been one of the most popular Sherwin Williams grays for years. You might look at this color and think, "that doesn't feel like a gray." And you are right! Repose Gray is a very warm gray. Its beige undertone could also make it considered a greige.

What is great about Repose Gray is it can balance both warm and cool elements very well (much like Acier). However, it is more of a true gray when compared to other popular greige colors like Agreeable Gray SW 7029.

A living room painted in Repose Gray SW 7015, a warm gray with a beige undertone — Repose Gray SW 7015 reads warm enough that many people call it a greige.

Agreeable Gray SW 7029

Agreeable Gray SW 7029 is a warm, versatile greige (gray plus beige) with soft undertones that adapt to different lighting. It is a popular neutral that complements both warm and cool color schemes, making it perfect for any room.

Light French Gray

If you are looking for a light and fairly neutral gray, then Light French Gray SW 0055 might be a great option for you. Light French Gray can be used on exteriors and interiors and it has a fairly balanced pigment mixture. It has a very slight warmth, which helps the color from feeling too flat and dull.

When it comes to searching for a "true" gray, they should not contain a blue or green undertone. For that reason, Light French Gray is a great "true" gray option.

A home exterior painted in Light French Gray SW 0055, a balanced light gray — Light French Gray SW 0055 holds up as a true gray on an exterior.

Chelsea Gray

Not to be confused with Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Gray, Sherwin Williams' Chelsea Gray SW 2850 is a great option for both exteriors and interiors. This is the coolest toned gray on our list, but overall it is still fairly neutral with a slightly warm, green undertone. Thanks to the green and red pigments used here, Chelsea Gray is versatile and welcoming.

Summit Gray

This list contains a lot of lighter grays, but if you are looking for something darker, look no further than Summit Gray SW 7669. When we asked our team what the most neutral gray was, Summit Gray was a popular choice. It is easy to see why.

This gray does not have a blue or green undertone, which is what most clients are trying to avoid when they choose a gray. This gray is particularly great for painting the exterior of your home.

A living room painted in Summit Gray SW 7669, a darker neutral gray — Summit Gray SW 7669, the darkest neutral on our list.

Jogging Path SW 7638

Jogging Path is almost more of a greige color, but we will allow it because it is just so beautiful! This gray has a lot of warmth in it, so it is a great option if you are a little nervous about taking the plunge into gray.

We particularly love this for a large open floor plan or in areas that you want to feel a bit bigger. Pair this color with deep navy and blues, oranges, deep reds, or earthy greens to create your perfect space.

Gray Matters SW 7066

For a neutral gray without a blue undertone, consider Gray Matters from Sherwin Williams. This is a light to medium gray that feels very neutral. It is a great gray option if you have a lot of cooler-toned features in your home or if you are just looking for that neutral gray color.

Neutral grays can end up feeling a little dull, so we recommend incorporating some kind of pop of color through your furniture, accessories, or an accent feature.

Requisite Gray SW 7023

This is one of the warmest grays on our list, but we love a warm gray because it helps the color feel more dynamic and modern. Requisite Gray has a very red undertone so it will pair nicely with warm wood floors and crisp white trim. A color like this creates a little more interest than a flat, "true" gray because it opens up the space while adding warmth.

Colonnade Gray SW 7641

Here we have another warm gray, Colonnade Gray. This is a little bit lighter so it makes for a great interior color. It is not quite as warm as Worldly Gray and has a little bit more depth to it, but should still keep your space nice and bright. As always, we highly recommend ordering some samples to test your colors before you commit.

Pussywillow SW 7643

Pussywillow has been a popular exterior color for several years running. It is not too dark and not too light, which means it has enough depth to keep from looking washed out on an exterior. This color also works very well on the interior and has a nice warm and welcoming finish.

Downing Stone SW 2821

Downing Stone is straight from the Sherwin Williams historical collection which means it has been around for quite some time. This is a beautiful gray that pairs well with the other Victorian colors and it works with both warm and cool color schemes.

Worldly Gray SW 7043

This might surprise you, but this is one of our most popular interior colors. Worldly Gray is often used throughout a home to create a cohesive and harmonious flow. It is a very warm gray and it works exceptionally well with both warm and cool colors.

If you have a room that has both warm and cool fixed features, such as flooring and tile work, this color can help bring the space together.

A Denver home painted in Worldly Gray SW 7043 by the Kind Home Painting crew — Worldly Gray SW 7043 on a home we painted here in Denver.

Tips for Choosing Gray Paint

We have seen clients get overwhelmed trying to pick a gray. This is typically caused by the struggle to find a gray without an undertone but trust us, that is not what you want. Most paints are composed of red, green, yellow, and blue pigments and to get a completely neutral gray you need to mix an even amount of colors or use black pigment.

So, why don't paint companies make a completely neutral gray? Well, because it doesn't look good. A completely neutral gray would not have an undertone and would therefore appear very flat and one-dimensional.

That is not ideal for any paint color. To get a rich, dynamic color you have to have an undertone. If you hate the blue or green undertone of a gray, then stick with the warmer grays we have recommended, or look for a gray with a red undertone.

Gray does not have to be a challenge if you approach it the right way. Make sure you are looking at samples outside of a store. Store lighting is terrible and you may not be able to see an undertone while under fluorescent lighting.

Get some samples and try them out at your home so you can see how the gray will react in your space or on the exterior of your home. If white is also on your shortlist, our guide to the best Sherwin Williams white paint colors walks through the same undertone question.

We hope this helps! To see some of our favorite gray homes be sure to follow us on Instagram where we post weekly, or get in touch if you would like our team to take a look at your project.