Not all gray paint colors are created equal, and that is especially the case when it comes to Sherwin Williams Austere Gray.
If you are looking for a mid-tone gray with character, Sherwin Williams Austere Gray can provide it with its gray-green coloring and cool blue undertone that can really add that zen factor to a space.
I love this paint color’s many facets, especially how it changes and shifts depending on the room and application.
So, let’s go on a journey together to explore everything there is to know about Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184!
Table of Contents
When to Choose Sherwin Williams Austere Gray?
I have been doing my research on all things Austere Gray for you, finding out every single detail about this paint color including looking up countless pictures and also picking up a sample plaint pot or two!
That means I have been able to narrow down some of the top ways in which you can use Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184.
Not Your Average Gray
Despite its unassuming name, Austere Gray is anything but boring. This paint color not only sits on the fence between being a warm or a cool-toned color, but it also can lean either way depending upon the room setup. The green and blue in this paint color can also take center stage, helping to change it into a different color entirely!
The Cabinet King
I have looked at any different paint colors in my time, but one color that has never been a wrong choice when it comes to painting cabinetry and furniture is Sherwin Williams Austere Gray. The way that this color can work with whites and wood colors both warm and cool means you can easily give your space a facelift without changing any big features.
Calm and Collected
This paint color truly provides a sense of relaxation with its calming blue and green hues that put your mind at ease. This makes it a great fit in rooms where you want to kick back, such as a living room, bathroom, or bedroom.
A Timeless Appeal
Although Austere Gray works beautifully with vintage and Victorian-style color palettes, it should not be discounted in a modern-themed room. Use it where you might normally place a greige and watch it shine.
Of course, these are just some of the ways in which Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184 works amazingly as a paint color. To learn more about it, all you need to do is keep on reading!
What Color is Sherwin Williams Austere Gray?
It’s pretty easy to tell that Sherwin Williams Austere Gray is a gray color thanks to its name, but what about the “austere” part?
The word “austere” means to be strictly plain and unadorned, but I honestly think that this paint color has a lot more going for it than Sherwin Williams has described!
This word always reminds me of the Victorians, and that gray-green color that peeks through in photographs of the time. See what I mean below.
Even these ladies look happy to be in this color, and you should be happy to put Sherwin Williams Austere Gray on your walls, too!
Snapshot of Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Specifications
Of course, my talking about old Victorian photos isn’t enough to help you to make an informed decision about whether Sherwin Williams Austere Gray is the paint color for you.
So, I’ve put together a handy table to let you know all of the technical specifications of this paint.
| Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184 | |
| RGB | R: 190 G: 191: B: 178 |
| Hex Value | #BEBFB2 |
| LRV | 51 |
| Undertones | Blue |
LRV of Sherwin Williams Austere Gray
For those unfamiliar with the term, LRV simply means Light Reflective Value. It’s used to measure how much light a color reflects. The scale goes from 0 to 100, with a true black being 0, meaning it reflects no light, and a pure white being 100 with the maximum reflectiveness.
When it comes down to it, no color is truly black, or white. There is always some sort of pigmentation due to the manufacturing process and just general everyday life! As a result of this, paint is measured using LRV values between 2.5 and 94.
The LRV of Sherwin Williams Austere Gray is 51. This means that it is a mid-tone shade, and toes the line between light and dark. This means that depending on the space you put it in you can get the best of both worlds!
Undertones of Sherwin Williams Austere Gray
As a gray-green paint color, some people may consider green to be more of an undertone of Sherwin Williams Austere Gray. However, the real undertone is actually blue!
Let me show you what I mean with this image below.
Here you can see the blue undertone poking out from the gray and the green, especially when you contrast this wall color with the green table lamps on the console table.
Is Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Too Cold?
Being a gray paint color that has green and blue notes to it, you might be wondering whether Sherwin Williams Austere Gray is too cold or stark to be a good choice in a space.
In actuality, this paint color can be quite welcoming and peaceful, especially in larger rooms and paired with warm accents and accessories.
You can see what I mean in this image below.
In this laundry room, Sherwin Williams Austere Gray leans into its green notes and actually helps this room to feel strangely warm for a supposedly cool-toned paint! Granted, it is helped by the warm light of the lamp and skylight, but even still this paint color holds its own.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray is Warm or Cool Color?
When it comes to Sherwin Williams Austere Gray, it is much harder to be able to give a clear answer on whether it is a warm or cool paint color. Although, yes, it has that cool blue undertone, the gray and green within the main body of the paint have a warmth about them.
If I were to characterize Sherwin Williams Austere Gray I would probably call it a neutral paint with slight warm notes. This paint color is a true shapeshifter, and it is hard to pin down!
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Color Strip: Lighter or Darker Exploration
It may be that you like what Sherwin Williams Austere Gray has going for it, but it just isn’t quite right for what you are going for. If this is the case, then you might just need to make a little tweak to the color, and perhaps a lighter or darker shade might be the right one for you!
I have had a look through the Sherwin Williams paint catalog for you to find a list of similar paints running from light to dark for you to explore. For reference, I’ve put Sherwin Williams Austere Gray in the middle.
- Sherwin Williams Ethereal White SW 6182
- Sherwin Williams Conservative Gray SW 6183
- Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184
- Sherwin Williams Escape Gray SW 6185
- Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog SW 9130
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Complementary Colors
Once you have decided you are going to use Austere Gray by Sherwin Williams, you’ll need to figure out what colors to go with it. I am here to help you with a good way to start!
One of the ways to find suitable colors is to look for complementary colors. This is the color that is an equal distance away on the opposite side of the color wheel to your original shade. Usually, this color provides a contrast, but one that can be more appealing than a complete clash!
I have had a look for you and found out that the complementary color to Sherwin Williams Austere Gray is a purple-gray color. This is best represented in Sherwin Williams paint by the color Grape Mist SW 6548.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Coordinating Colors
If you don’t want to make a big splash with a complementary color, then coordinating colors to go with Sherwin Williams Austere Gray might be more up your street. These are colors that have more of a relation to the original shade, meaning they make for a pretty harmonious match!
Below you can find my top 3 coordinating colors for Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184.
- Sherwin Williams Ethereal White SW 6182: This lighter gray-green than Austere Gray works wonderfully as they share many similarities. Try using it as a trim or paneling color for a subtle look.
- Sherwin Williams Antique White SW 6119:This warm off-white picks up on the green notes of Austere Gray, helping it to make a room feel cozy.
- Sherwin Williams Barro Verde SW 9123:This deep, rich brown can be used with Austere Gray to create a real vintage and historical vibe in your home, perfect for a study or home office.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Color Palettes
To continue our color journey further, I have prepared 3 color palettes which all have something different to offer when you put them with Sherwin Williams Austere Gray, whether it’s an eye-catching contrast or a more mellow vibe.
Contrasting Color Palette
- Sherwin Williams Valiant Violet SW 6818: This deep indigo color is a darker complementary shade to Sherwin Williams Austere Gray. It works amazingly when used as an accent wall to really bring your eye through a space.
- Sherwin Williams Peppercorn SW 7674:This deep gray shares the same quality as Austere Gray in the fact that it toes the line between warm and cool.
- Sherwin Williams Arcade White SW 7100:This warm white has a touch of violet, helping it to bring together the strong notes found in Valiant Violet. It also makes for a refreshing trim color that works with this ensemble.
Coordinating Color Palette
- Sherwin Williams Antique White SW 6119: This bright peachy white loves working with the green notes in Austere Gray, which means it also works amazingly with the next color in this palette.
- Sherwin Williams Dard Hunter Green SW 0041:This deep green with its gray undertones from the Sherwin Williams Historic Collection works beautifully to create a real earthy feel.
- Sherwin Williams Pewter Tankard SW 0023: Another color from the Sherwin Williams Historic Collection, Pewter Tankard has stone gray notes within it that blend harmoniously with Austere Gray.
Monochromatic Color Palette
- Sherwin Williams Ethereal White SW 6182:This paint color is a lighter, off-white version of Austere Gray, that is perfect as a trim.
- Sherwin Williams Dried Thyme SW 6186:This color works amazingly in the same way that Ethereal White does, mainly because it is a darker shade of Austere Gray! Perfect for adding depth to cabinets or as a feature wall.
- Sherwin Williams Skipping Rocks SW 9551:This stony neutral helps to bring this palette together and provides a harmonious bridge between the other colors in this scheme.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray vs Other Paint Colors
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray vs Ancient Marble
One of the first things to point out when looking at these two colors is the fact that Austere Gray is much darker, with an LRV of 51 to Ancient Marble’s 60. Ancient Marble also leans more towards a yellow-tinged base, meaning that you lose some of the green notes within it as opposed to Austere Gray which is helped out by its blue undertone.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray vs Aloof Gray
Both of these colors are pretty similar, both being gray-green shades, but Aloof Gray is a touch lighter. It also leans more to the cool side than Austere Gray does.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray vs Contented
Both of these colors have a similar lightness, but the real difference comes in their color. While gray is a big part of Sherwin Williams Austere Gray, Contented is much more of a green, only really seeing gray come through in its undertone.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Benjamin Moore Equivalent
If you are a fan of Benjamin Moore paints, but Sherwin Williams Austere Gray has you hooked, I might just have a solution for you! I have had a look through the Benjamin Moore catalog and I have managed to find a paint that is incredibly similar.
Although it’s not an exact match, Horizon Gray from Benjamin Moore is pretty close to Austere Gray if I do say so myself! This paint color is of a similar lightness, and the main difference is it tends to be just a small amount more to the green side.
Where Can You Use Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184?
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Bedroom
This super calming color makes a fantastic choice when redecorating a bedroom, thanks to its blue and green notes nurturing a tranquil vibe.
I’ve got two examples of bedrooms with Sherwin Williams Austere Gray to show you, and this first one is bright and airy, with contrasting pink and purple textiles that fit within the mesh of Austere Gray’s complementary colors.
This second bedroom has gone a lot more neutral, with natural colored woods and accessories, and just a small amount of blue poking out from the bedsheets to break up the look a little.
If I am honest, I would be perfectly happy with either two of these bedrooms, but it just goes to show that a bedroom based around Sherwin Williams Austere Gray can easily be switched up with just a few changes to create a different vibe!
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray on Furniture
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray is also a popular choice when it comes to picking a neutral furniture paint. Austere Gray can really up the refined, vintage vibes, and this wardrobe vanity goes to show it!
I love this inspiration photo not only because of the way that it shows off the gray notes of Austere Gray, but also how it can carry a busy vintage wallpaper print and still be a star of the show in its own right too!
In this example where Austere Gray has been used on a display cabinet, you can see how its historically inspired appeal really lends itself to displaying porcelain and other heirlooms with ease. The way that a lighter and warmer white draws the eye to the back of the cabinet here as well is truly show-stopping.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Laundry Room
For a clean and fresh look in your laundry room without going for the safe option of white paint, why not give Sherwin Williams Austere Gray a try? These green notes create a refreshing space perfect for helping you to feel refreshed and productive when going about your chores.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Kitchen Walls
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184 is also an amazing choice for your kitchen walls. It adds just enough of a splash of color without going overboard, and it meshes beautifully with not only white cabinets and counters but also darker wood aspects too. If you don’t get what I mean, just take a look at this kitchen below.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Bathroom
Thanks to its calming blue and green notes, Sherwin Williams Austere Gray is a great addition to a bathroom. It’s bright enough to keep the room feeling fresh and airy but still has enough of an air of tranquility about it to help you enjoy a luxurious soak.
See what I mean with these two examples below, one which has gone for a fully bright and light feel, and the second which has broken up the lighter tones with some darker cabinetry to draw the eye.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Living Room
When Austere Gray really leans into its green coloring, boy does it shine! A perfect example of that is this living room that I have found, which shows how versatile and what a chameleon this paint color truly is! I love how it has been mirrored onto the fireplace, and the way in which it works with both the warm and cool tones in the room.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray on Kitchen Cabinets
If you don’t want to put it on your walls, consider using Sherwin Williams Austere Gray on your kitchen cabinets instead. As this color works well with not only wood but also other grays and whites, it means you can give your kitchen a whole new look without having to change out any tiles or countertops.
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray Exterior Brick
Sherwin Williams Austere Gray can also add refined air to the outside of your property as well as on the inside. This paint color works incredibly well with exterior brick as seen in this example below, but I have also seen examples where it has been used on wood shingles as well and still looked stunning!
The versatility of this paint means you have almost free rein when it comes to accompanying colors for your shutters, door, and trim!
Conclusion
In summary, Sherwin Williams Austere Gray isn’t all that austere at all, and actually this paint color has a lot to give! It’s a true shape shifter, able to lean into gray, green, or even blue with ease, meaning that depending upon the space it can give you a whole host of different vibes.
I am personally a big fan of colors that give off a historical or antique feeling, and I think this is why I love Austere Gray so much. But, the magic of this paint is that it still works even if you shake things up with a more modern color combo!
Why not pick up a pot of sample paint for yourself and find out what Sherwin Williams Austere Gray SW 6184 can transform in your home?
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