Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)

Choosing the perfect greige color for their space tends to get confusing for most people. Pretty social media pages do not ease things either—the pictures are pretty but do not give you all the details you need to make the right decision.

If you are currently researching and haven’t found that perfect gray color leaning on the neutral side, how about you try Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray?

I love having this paint color in my rooms because it offers a fantastic neutral backdrop. Being a more neutral color, it gives me the freedom to pair and trim it with colors featuring both warm and cool undertones. The color’s versatility gives me the freedom to tailor-make my rooms, giving them a unique appearance that stays vibrant for years.

If this is the first time you have come across Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray, you may have numerous questions about this paint color. You may want to know its RGB, LRV, and the best trimming and coordinating colors. We will address all these queries in this detailed guide.

What Color is Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray (SW 7043)?

Manufacturer	Sherwin Williams
LRV	57
RGB	R: 206 G: 198 B: 187
Hex Value	#cec6bb
Color Collections	Top 50 Colors, Living Well-Unwind

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray is a greige/gray paint color. The appearance of the color depends on the perception your perception. However, when approaching the paint color from a general point of view, Worldly Gray is greige at heart.

RGB of Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray

RGB is a scale indicating the amount of red, green, and blue that mix to make a specific paint color. This scale starts at zero and tops out at 255. Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray combines red: 206, green: 198, and blue: 187.

LRV of Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray

LRV stands for light reflectance value—it is a scale from zero to 100 and helps interior designers correctly indicate the amount of light a specific paint color can reflect. Pure black reflects zero percent light and hence features an LRV of 0. Pure White reflects 100% of the light, explaining its LRV of 100.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray sits in the medium-light range, with an LRV of 57.

Is Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray a Warm or Cool Color?

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray is a warm color. At a glance, you can quickly tell it sits on the warmer side of the warm-cool scale. However, it is essential to note that Worldly Gray is not the warmest gray paint color.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Undertones

Worldly Gray features mild green and purple undertones. However, Worldly Gray’s undertones tend to be highly passive—so the paint color looks neutral. It will take perfect lighting conditions to glimpse the undertones in this paint color.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Color Strip: Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Color Comparisons

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Agreeable Gray (SW 7029)

Like Worldly Gray, Agreeable Gray is a warm, soft gray paint color that sometimes looks greige. With an LRV of 60, this paint color sits in the same mid-light range as Worldly Gray, reflecting 3% more light.

Agreeable Gray is a more neutral color—like Worldly Gray, the paint color boasts passive undertones. However, in ideal lighting conditions, Agreeable Gray will not hesitate to display some undertones in the right lighting conditions—the paint color has purple, green, and blue undertones.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Repose Gray (SW 7015)

Like Worldly Gray, Repose Gray is also a gray paint color. However, Repose Gray—like Worldly Gray—is also not a true neutral gray. While Worldly gray will display soft purple and green undertones, Repose Gray features violet and green undertones.

Repose Gray has a wink of brown, making it a warm paint color. Repose Gray reflects 3% more light than Worldly Gray, boasting an LRV of 60. Both colors, however, perform well in a room with an abundant supply of light—in a dimly lit room, the paint colors often look bland.

Both colors may work well in a north-facing room. Since most north-facing rooms have a cool light, the two colors can balance the coolness in these rooms with their warmth.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Revere Pewter (HC-172)

A Benjamin Moore’s production, BM Revere Pewter is another gray color. Like Worldly Gray, it also sits in the medium-light range, with an LRV of 55.51—it only reflects about 1.49% less light than Worldly Gray.

BM Revere Pewter boasts warm undertones. When you put Benjamin Moore Review Pewter HC-172 in a room exposed to northern light, it comes off as a reasonably gray color with some hint of green undertones. However, this paint color may feature taupe undertones in other types of lighting.

Due to their warmth, both Worldly Gray and Revere Pewter work well in cool rooms. The coolness in these rooms helps balance their warmth. For example, the two paint colors in the south-facing rooms may bring excessive warmth, making the spaces less comfy.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Accessible Beige (SW 7036)

Accessible Beige is one of the most loved colors among interior designers and homeowners. However, do not allow its name to fool you—Accessible Beige is not traditional Beige color. Instead, Accessible Beige leans on the greige color side.

Like Worldly Gray, Accessible Beige carries some gray in it with a backing of the beige color. The main difference between Worldly Gray and Accessible Beige is that the latter tends to be more beige than greige, although it does not have enough yellow undertones to turn it into a beige-y beige.

Like Worldly Gray, Accessible Beige changes appearance based on the light in the room. For example, if your room is east- or north-facing, you will see a grayer hue in Accessible Beige. In a west- or south-facing room, you will see the authentic greige appearance in Accessible Beige.

Accessible Beige has an LRV of 58. Compared to Worldly Gray, with an LRV of 57, Accessible Beige reflects 1% more light.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Edgecomb Gray (HC-173)

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray is an attractive warm paint color between Beige and gray, making it a subtle taupe.

Like Worldly Gray, Edgecomb Gray is an organic, soft, warm color that is highly versatile in its ability to pair up with different colors. BM Edgecomb HC-173 is one of the most loved colors by interior designers.

Edgecomb Gray behaves similarly to Worldly Gray in different types of lighting conditions. For example, both colors will lean into their gray base when you place them in north-facing natural light. If you place Edgecomb Gray or Worldly Gray in south-facing or western-facing natural light, they look more beige.

The main difference between Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray HC-173 and Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray SW 7043 is their ability to reflect light. Edgecomb Gray reflects 6% more light than Worldly Gray with its LRV of 63.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Modern Gray (SW 7632)

Like Worldly Gray, Modern Gray is another warm paint color. However, in some lighting conditions, Modern Gray will lean more taupe than warm gray, although it is often a matter of perception.

With an LRV of 62, Modern Gray reflects 5% more light than Worldly Gray. Both colors can, however, hold their depth in bright rooms—their medium reflective abilities make them less susceptible to becoming washed out. However, the colors may look bland if painted in a dimly lit room—this is always fixable using artificial lighting.

Like Worldly Gray, Modern Gray is not committed to one undertone; Modern Gray also features multiple undertones. Therefore, Modern Gray will display undertones, including pink, green, and violet, depending on the surroundings and the lighting conditions. However, the pink undertone shows more often than the other two.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Mindful Gray (SW 7016)

Like Worldly Gray, Mindful Gray is also a light and mid-tone gray. However, Mindful Gray reflects less light than Worldly Gray, boasting an LRV of 48—it reflects 9% less light than Worldly Gray, which has an LRV of 57%.

Unlike Worldly Gray, which has green and purple undertones, Mindful Gray has greige and gray undertones and some very subtle green/bluish undertones. While the greige undertones give the paint color its warmth, it has blue and green undertones to balance out its warmth, keeping it from becoming too warm. The greige undertones keep the paint color from getting too chilly or icy, pushing it toward the warmer side of the spectrum.

Both colors are in the middle of the LRV range, making them a tough sell for darker rooms. However, if you can add a source of artificial light in those dark rooms, you can use any of these colors without creating a bland appearance.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Amazing Gray (SW 7044)

Amazing Gray is a greige color—it is not as cool as gray and not as warm as Beige. Combining beige and gray colors—like Worldly Gray—make Amazing Gray a medium-toned grayish color that fits in the neutral category.

However, most people will still consider it a warm paint color regardless of where Amazing Gray leans. In light, Amazing Gray behaves similarly to Worldly Gray—in northern-facing light, both shades will lean toward the cool gray side, while the south-facing light makes the colors lean toward the warm beige side.

Compared to Worldly Gray, Amazing Gray reflects less light. It has an LRV of 47, reflecting 10% less light than Worldly Gray. Both colors, however, are in the medium range regarding their reflective abilities.

For this reason, you would ideally use these colors in a well-lit room to avoid creating a bland look. Otherwise, you will need to invest in artificial light to create an appealing look.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Anew Gray (SW 7030)

Anew Gray is a perfect color if you are looking for the ideal blend of warmth, coolness, and depth. Reflecting 10% less light than Worldly Gray with an LRV of 47, Anew Gray works well in a well-lit room. Just like World Gray, Anew Gray can become bland in a dimly lit room—this, however, is when you do not have artificial light.

Like Worldly Gray, Anew Gray is a warm paint color. However, Anew Gray is not too warm and may look cool when you place it next to warmer colors such as cream, tan, and Beige.

While Sherwin Williams Anew Gray does feature some undertones, it mostly appears neutral. However, Sherwin Williams Anew Gray will either show green or violet when it grabs an undertone in the right lighting conditions. Anew Gray, however, prefers the green undertone, just like Worldly Gray.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs. Colonnade Gray (SW 7641)

Colonnade Gray borders the edge between warm gray and greige colors. Like Worldly Gray, it is considered a warm paint color.

Colonnade Gray and Worldly Gray are pretty close on the LRV scale—however, Worldly Gray takes the lead with an LRV of 57, and Colonnade Gray follows closely with an LRV of 53.

The colors will perform well in bright rooms because they have enough depth, meaning they will not get washed out. However, if you plan to use any of these colors in a dimly lit room, the best thing you can do is ensure it has enough artificial light to avoid a bland look.

Like Worldly Gray, Colonnade Gray minorly favors the green undertone. However, depending on the light in the room, Colonnade Gray can also look greige, and sometimes it may display gray-blue undertones.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Color Palette

Coordinating Colors for Worldly Gray SW 7043

Worldly Gray pairs and work well with numerous colors as a neutral color. Some of the colors you may want to pair with Worldly Gray include:

Sherwin Williams Whirlpool (SW 9135)

Neutral gray colors have always worked with blue colors. In this case, instead of going for just any blue shades, you can consider Whirlpool SW 9135. This color boasts a gray undertone—with its leading tone being a cool blue, you can expect it to be an overall cool color. It will let you balance the warmth in Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray.

However, check the lighting before using Whirlpool and Worldly Gray in the same room. The two colors have reduced reflectivity, with Worldly Gray leading with an LRV of 57 and Whirlpool featuring an LRV of 29.

In a dimly lit room, the two colors can look bland. However, the good thing about interior design in the 21^st century is that you can always leverage artificial light to improve your dim room.

Sherwin Williams Shoji White (SW 7042)

While the name “White” in Shoji White can make you think that we are dealing with a white color, this is not the case. When pairing this with Worldly Gray, you will pair your neutral gray with a creamy and versatile color that works well with almost all hues.

Shoji White sits in the orange color family. For this reason, it boasts some creamy-beige undertones. In some lighting conditions, you may see peach or pinkish hues—these, however, are extremely rare.

While the color is warm, like Worldly Gray, Shoji White never looks yellow, making it much easier to use. Pairing it with Worldly Gray in a north-facing room will balance the coolness in the room, creating a relaxing environment.

Sherwin Williams Naval (SW 6244)

Naval is another bold blue color that works well with Worldly Gray. Naval SW 6244 is a very cool color. Therefore, it can help you balance the slight warmth in Worldly Gray, keeping it from taking over in a south-facing room.

Naval leans on the dark side. With an LRV of 4%, you can be sure it absorbs 96% of the light. Therefore, using it in a dark room means you will have a bland appearance. You can, however, quickly avoid this issue using artificial light.

You can pair Naval with Worldly Gray in your bedroom, where both colors will bring out calming and cooling effects, inspiring tranquility and soothing you to sleep. Once the lights are off, the colors will create an excellent environment for you to enjoy deep sleep.

Sherwin Williams Pure White (SW 7005)

Pure White is yet another versatile white paint color. It is a lovely color in a dimly lit room, considering it sits in the upper end of the off-white range with an LRV of 84. The color will add interest in the dim room without getting washed out.

Pure White is classified in the living well color collection by Sherwin Williams. It helps you unwind and relax. When you pair it with Worldly Gray, you create an environment that allows maximum relaxation.

Pure White is just as neutral as Worldly Gray. It is neither icy nor cold, nor is it creamy or warm. Sitting in the middle creates a balanced feeling when you use it with Worldly Gray.

Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (SW 7048)

Urbane Bronze is a glorious warm greige color. The paint color stands out for its undertones and depth. With an LRV of 8, the paint color will still hold its ground in the brightest spaces. However, its impressive depth makes it less ideal if you use it in a dimly lit room, as it can give off a bland appearance.

Like Worldly Gray, the color boasts a greige base and a splash of green undertone. This color will, however, allow you to blend it perfectly with your Worldly Gray, creating a look that will be attractive to the eye.

Since it is a warm color, you may want to use it in a cool room. Therefore, I would advise using Urbane Bronze and Worldly Gray in a north-facing room for their balancing effect.

Sherwin Williams Anonymous (SW 7046)

Anonymous SW 7046 is a neutral dark-toned color that boasts deep green-gray undertones. Like Worldly Gray, it will display green undertones in certain lighting conditions.

The color has an LRV of 20. Absorbing 80% of light, Anonymous SW 7046 is an ideal pair color in a well-light room. If you do not have natural light in the room, you can always create interest with artificial light.

You can pair Anonymous with Worldly Gray when you have a huge room that you want to make slightly compact. Anonymous performs exceptionally well in such a case, bringing your walls together and creating a compact feel and appearance.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Complementary Color

The best Worldly Gray complementary color will sit directly opposite Worldly Gray on the color wheel. It is the color that is 100% opposite of Worldly Gray. If you mix Worldly Gray with its complementary color, the two colors will lose their hues and produce a grayscale color like black or White.

The opposite color for Worldly Gray has a hex value of #313944. This color, however, lacks an official paint color. Therefore, the paint color close to #313944 is Squid ink. Squid Ink combines red: 49, green: 57, and blue: 68.

What Trim Colors Go with Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray SW 7043?

If you are worried about finding perfect trim colors for Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray, you should not. The color works well with white paint colors on its trims—some popular options include:

Sherwin Williams Extra White (SW 7006)

A cool white, Extra White does not have any warmth in it. While it has a hint of blue, you should not worry because you cannot see blue at all. This color features an LRV of 86, making it perfect for dim lighting conditions.

One reason I love using Extra White on my trims is that it is so versatile; it works with all types of colors, including Worldly Gray. If you aim to implement a crisp and clean white on your trims, you can never go wrong with Extra White SW 7006.

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (OC-65)

Chantilly Lace OC-65 is another favorite color for trims when I use Worldly Gray. It has an LRV of 92.2, meaning it will always show, irrespective of how dull the space is.

This color stands out for its purity. Unlike SW Extra White, which has a blue undertone, Chantilly Lace is a true white with no undertones. Moreover, this color does not have warmth or iciness—it is a neutral white color. It is clean and crisp White that will separate your trims from other parts featuring the Worldly Gray paint color.

Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17)

A designer and homeowner favorite, White Dove is a lovely, soft, and clean color that makes the trims stand out positively. BM White Dove boasts a good balance of cool and warmth, giving it a smooth yet slightly creamy feel.

The subtle warmth in White Dove makes it perfect for warmer paint colors like Wildly Gray. It also allows you to update your space.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW 7008)

Sherwin Williams Alabaster will work for you if you prefer a creamier trim color sitting on the off-white side. This paint color brings warmth into your room without being too yellow.

With an LRV of 82, this color will work well even in dimmed rooms. It is one of my favorite warm whites for my trims.

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Benjamin Moore Version

On the Benjamin Moore Catalog, Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray matches the BM London Fog (1541). London Fog combines red: 204, green: 199, and blue: 189. The Benjamin Moore London Fog and Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray have an almost similar LRV—London Fog has an LRV of 57.23 while Worldly Gray boasts an LRV of 57.

How Does Light Affect Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray?

If you use this Worldly Gray in a north-facing room, it will appear more like warm gray. It will look slightly cool as the cool gray will be the dominant tone.

The color leans more on the warmer side when the room has south-facing light. Its cooler tones will take a back seat, allowing the warm tones to show.

Best Rooms to Paint Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray SW 7043

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray in Living Room

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray in Bedroom

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray in Bathroom

Overview

Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray is a greige paint color that behaves more like a chameleon. While most will consider it gray paint color, it does have beige in it.

While I would consider Worldly Gray a warm greige, it is more neutral, taking a medium position between warmth and coolness. A warm, earthy greige, if you give this color the proper amount of light, it will act as a perfect neutral backdrop for the rest of your décor—not hogging the space and giving your décor a chance to make its statement.

I hope this article has answered all your questions regarding Worldly Gray. If there are some questions I did not answer fully, please let me know in the comments. I will respond as soon as possible.