Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray

Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams may be THE most popular paint on the market right now. It seems like every time I turn around, I see a new room painted that soft, pretty greige shade.

But, just because it’s popular doesn’t make it right for your space. So, is Agreeable Gray the color for you? Let’s find out!

If you have considered painting a room within the last year, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Agreeable Gray. It’s Sherwin Williams’ top-selling paint…and for good reason! This unobtrusive, warm shade is touted as the perfect “greige” (more on that below) by many.

Spoiler alert: I also happen to love this shade, and have it in my own home!

I get a ton of questions about the paint colors in my home, and thought it’d be fun to put together a new series featuring what shades I use (and why!). In this post, we’ll dive into all things about this hue, including the LRV, undertones, what colors pair well with it, and how to know if it’s right for your space.

So whether you’re just starting your search or you’re ready to start painting, read on for all the info you need about Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray!

Note: as you’ll learn below, this paint looks very different depending on where and how you use it. If you are considering using this paint, I highly highly recommend you buy a sample of it first and see how it looks on your own walls before painting an entire space. In fact, swatching your walls is probably the most important step in choosing your paint colors. Don’t skip it!

What color is Agreeable Gray?

Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams (SW 7029) is a greige. If you haven’t heard of that term before, it’s a catchy name that describes an entirely new category of neutral shades: colors that are a combination of gray + beige.

If you find gray paint too cool and beige paint overly warm, shades of greige may be just the perfect fit. While you’ll find greiges in all sorts of tones (they are surprisingly versatile!), this particular one is a somewhat warm greige that really is almost equal parts beige and gray.

Undertones

Undertones refer to the underlying color that is used in a paint. This can be anything from warm yellows or reds, cool blues or greens, and even purple or gray, depending on the shade. There can also be several undertones in one paint—it’s all part of what makes a color that particular color.

The undertones in Agreeable Gray are, for the most part, neutral, and can shift throughout the day depending on the lighting. Different decor pieces may also make one or more undertones stand out.

For example, this shade may look like a warm gray (and it is), but if you look closely, you’ll begin to notice some subtle green undertones. I can really see the hint of green peek through in this photo from my living room, probably because of the green chairs as well as the greenery outside the window.

I’ll also freely admit that I love this pair of velvet armchairs, and part of why I went with Agreeable Gray is that it looks SO good with them. 

It’s worth noting that undertones will show more or less depending on which way your room is facing. My living room is north-facing, which means I get pretty crisp light versus a south or west-facing room which would pull out more of the warm purple tones in this shade.

LRV

When it comes to interior design, the LRV (Light Reflectance Value) of a color is an important factor to consider.

In case you are like most people and have no idea what LRV means, it’s a value that helps tell you how much light will be reflected off of a painted surface. The range is from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white).

A high LRV number indicates that a color reflects more light, making it appear brighter and lighter, while a lower value means the color will absorb more light – creating a darker look overall. It’s just another tool you can use to determine if a shade is a good fit for you!

SW Agreeable Gray has an LRV of 60, meaning it is considered to be a mid-toned paint color. It’s not too bright, nor overly dark, making it the perfect option for many rooms in your home.

LRV only tells us how the paint will reflect the light, but how it looks is very much dependent on how much light there actually is in a space.

As an example, my living room receives a lot of natural light, so there is plenty of light to be bounced around. Because of that, the shade appears brighter in my home than it might in a room with very little natural light.

Take a look at the photo below. Do you see how the color shifts based on where the light is? Above my cabinet and in the corner, the paint reads quite a bit darker than the space to the left in the photo.

Where to Use

Aptly named, this shade really is quite agreeable. It works well in practically any setting!

Here’s where you will really start to see why this shade is so popular. It has this chameleon-like quality that allows it to blend into the background and work in so many places.

While I used it in my living room, it also would look lovely in a dining room, bedroom, or bathroom, either on all 4 walls or as an accent wall paired with a complementary color (see below).

If you are a fan of white trim and want it to really pop, Agreeable Gray is a great option. I love how it looks in kitchens with white cabinets—it just adds a warm, soft tone to the room. But, you can also flip it and have white walls with Agreeable Gray cabinetry for a surprisingly modern take. Both look fab!

It also works surprisingly well as an exterior shade. If you are looking for a warm shade that isn’t too bright or stark and will stand the test of time, give it a try!

Lastly, this soft shade looks lovely as a trim and door paint on its own. I particularly like this application when it’s paired with soft white walls.

Complementary Colors

It honestly would be easier to tell you which colors don’t go well with this shade—and none really come to mind.

That’s actually why I chose it for my own living room. If you have been a reader for any amount of time, you probably know that I love to decorate for the holidays. I wanted a shade that would look good with anything from Easter pastels to crisp Christmas greenery.

I’m happy to report that Agreeable Gray has looked incredible with pretty much anything I’ve thrown at it. I really don’t think you can go wrong with this shade!

In terms of painted accents, crisp whites are probably my favorite. In my own home, I paired this shade with SW Extra White (SW 7006) for trim. I used another crisp white, SW Bright White (SW 7007), for the cabinetry and ceiling. You can see how well they work together in this image:

Sherwin-Williams itself has a few ideas for coordinating colors. They recommend 3 shades in particular:

• Incredible White (SW 7028)
• Extra White (SW 7006)
• Coral Rose (SW 9004)

Because of its neutral color and unassuming undertones, there is very little that this color won’t look amazing with. I’ve seen it look beautiful with dozens of shades, including:

• navy
• charcoal
• soft blues
• sage green

Colors Similar to Agreeable Gray

If you are considering this popular Sherwin Williams color for your next painting project, but want to explore other options, I have a few suggestions for you:

• Anew Gray (SW 7030) is another popular shade from Sherwin Williams, and is in the same color family as Agreeable Gray. It’s a darker shade with an LRV of 47, but has many of the same undertones. I actually love this color too, and used it in my own bedroom makeover.
• Worldly Gray (SW 7043) has a similar LRV to Agreeable at 57 (vs 60). However, this shade is decidedly warmer, and while it is still a greige, it reads more taupe than gray.
• Edgecomb Gray (HC 173) is a Benjamin Moore offering that many have compared to SW Agreeable Gray. Again, the LRV is similar at 63. But, Edgecomb is a warmer shade that has even stronger green undertones. To me, it reads more like a taupe than greige.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray is a popular greige that works well in many settings. It’s an easily adaptable color that can fit in with almost any range of colors and wood tones. It’s perfect for daylight spaces for an airy look, but also can be used in darker spaces if you want to create a cozy feel.

From walls to ceilings to trim and furniture pieces, you can use Agreeable Gray pretty much anywhere! While I still STRONGLY recommend you swatch this shade on your own walls before committing, it may be as safe to a close bet as you’ll get.

More Paint Colors You May Love:

• Pigeon – cozy green-gray perfect for cabinetry
• Snowbound – the perfect off-white
• Naval – the ultimate navy paint
• Sage – my FAVORITE green
• North Star – sophisticated blue-gray
• Alabaster – soft warm white

So, what do you think? Is agreeable gray the right hue for you? Let me know in the comment section!

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