Agreeable Gray: the most POPULAR greige-taupe/warm gray
If there is ONE paint color that’s lit MANY fires this year, it has to be Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray. And while I’ve touched on it briefly in other blog posts, I figured it was time to hammer down some finer points on this bad boy.
IS AGREEABLE GRAY STILL POPULAR?
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You bet your BOOTY it is. Agreeable Gray has claimed a top spot for several years, and it’s still going strong.
WHY IS AGREEABLE GRAY SUCH A POPULAR PAINT COLOR?
There’s a long list of reasons why Agreeable Gray is one of the best. For brevity (which isn’t normally my strong suit), here’s a short list…
- Agreeable Gray is a great transition for those not quite ready for the warmer beige trends
- Agreeable Gray NODS at the gray world while not being as traditionally cold
- this flexible greige-taupe/warm gray suits a WIDE variety of interior finishes, even more so than most traditional gray paint colors
- its undertones are relatively non-committal and can flex in their environment
- its moderate LRV parks it right near the sweet spot of the light range (you’ll read more on this shortly).
In fact, not only is Agreeable Gray popular in the greige-taupe worlds but in the GRAY world too. Agreeable Gray is often referred to as ‘the most popular light gray paintcolor‘. It’s not gray, but I get it.
Greige vs Taupe Paint Colors: What’s The Big Difference?
WHAT TYPE OF COLOR IS AGREEABLE GRAY – IS IT MORE GRAY OR BEIGE?
The quick answer is that Agreeable Gray is a wee bit tipsy towards GRAY over beige – but it isn’t TOTALLY gray. Agreeable Gray is a greige-taupe hybrid that can EASILY pass as a warm gray (which we’ll get into shortly). It’s open to perception based on the room/surface it’s on and the person looking at it – some call it greige, others call it gray (but it sure as heck isn’t beige)!
This next image shows how Agreeable Gray favors gray over beige – the walls look more beige in comparison…
In this next image, you can see how Agreeable Gray COULD lean into some considerable warmth under the right circ*mstances…but it ain’t beige.
And one more image, showing Agreeable Gray in its most natural state (and I miiiight even see a wink of green undertone)…
Notice that the previous THREE photos are taken in the same room, just in different spots – WHAAAT? That’s right – same color, same room, different walls. This is exactly what you should do when sampling paint colors, as suggested in the above link.
Overall, Agreeable Gray is one darn non-committal neutral paint color with minimal undertones.
WHAT’S THE LRV OF AGREEABLE GRAY?
Agreeable Gray’s LRV (light reflectance value) comes in at 60, which is DAAMN close to my magic number of 62. If that whole ‘LRV business’ goes RIGHT over your head, that’s okay. If you’re curious, it’s super simple to learn. The gist is that every paint color has an LRV number on a scale of 0-100. 0 is black, and 100 is white (although our useable range only goes up to 94).
A color’s LRV number lets you know how dark or light it is.
See more of this ‘Agreeable’ project HERE
With an LRV of 60, Agreeable Gray is light, but not a ‘washed-out bordering on off-white’ kinda light. I have a great article on the topic of LRV if you want to learn more (it’s saved MANY lives…and marriages).
In the previous dining room photo, notice where the light hits the wall. Anything short of a DARK color will wash out like this with a direct hit of light. However, you’ll see on the other walls that it holds itself well. This is pretty normal for an LRV of 60.
In this next dining room, Agreeable Gray is a great complement to the vintage-style wood cabinet and dining set. If you look from trim to wall, you’ll see what an LRV of 60 gives you concerning contrast…
WHAT ARE AGREEABLE GRAY’S UNDERTONES
For those of you who are sensitive to the USUAL cool undertones, Agreeable Gray is one of the more NEUTRAL greige-taupe paint colors.
Why do I refer to Agreeable Gray as a greige-taupe/warm gray?
Agreeable Gray is flexible and not that committed to an undertone. Greige tends to favor a green undertone; taupe loves a touch of violet. And sure, in some lights, Agreeable Gray picks up a very vague violet, and in others, a wink o’ green. However, a lot of the time, Agreeable Gray registers as having NO undertone at all (perception can be at play).
For example, put Agreeable Gray in a room with violet-pink (taupe) undertones, and it can look a bit green ‘in comparison’…
However, because it’s not that committed to its undertone, given the right environment or exposure, it can flash into violet or blue as well.
Remember, every gray or greige will grab undertones – you can’t run; theywill find you.
Natural light, exposure, and light bulbs can affect how a paint color looks – how could they NOT? And Agreeable Gray is definitely sensitive to its surroundings, as shown in this next photo…
North, East, South, West: Which Paint Color is the Best?
As for whether it’s a warm gray or greige-taupe, it depends on which camp you’re in and how you see things. I like to cover my bases, even though, in MOST situations, Agreeable Gray looks greige-taupe – not gray. Just keep in mind that while I mention these colors, MOST ofmy clients love Agreeable Gray because it’s so darn neutral.
WILL AGREEABLE GRAY EVER LOOK PINK?
Agreeable Gray doesn’t NATURALLY want to look pink, so that would be more about its surroundings. Another way that Agreeable Gray could look pink is if you don’t get it mixed by a Sherwin-Williams technician (try not to color-match).
This is pretty typical of Agreeable Gray!
WILL AGREEABLE LOOK VIOLET-PURPLE?
I’ve seen Agreeable Gray go overly violet ONE TIME in my many experiences (coming up shortly). This is an exception as Agreeable Gray is more likely to read as a relatively NEUTRAL warm gray or greige-taupe paint color. Any undertone should be SUPER subtle.
WILL AGREEABLE GRAY LOOK GREEN?
I’ve seen a green undertone pop up once in a while in Agreeable Gray, ESPECIALLY when it’s partnered with finishes with a soft violet or violet-pink undertone.
This next space, which is SO well-decorated (I have such great clients), shows how Agreeable Gray has a slightly green hue compared to the violet in the flooring (she hired me to fix it)…
AGREEABLE GRAY IN A NORTH-FACING ROOM
You can anticipate Agreeable Gray cooling down slightly in a north-facing room. Northern light is a gray light that can further encourage the gray tucked in Agreeable Gray, which is probably why it isn’t called Agreeable Greige.
The Best Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms
AGREEABLE GRAY IN A SOUTH-FACING ROOM
A south-facing room is where Agreeable Gray is at its best, or ‘most expected’ – as a soft, light greige-taupe with a minimal undertone. This next photo makes me ALL kinds of happy. However, it’s ALSO as warm as you can ever expect Agreeable Gray to look – you’d almost think it was Edgecomb Gray!
And yes, I know there are east and west-facing rooms too. However, those buggers change their light SO much throughout the day that it would add MANY paragraphs to my blog post (I have separate blog posts on them here).
The gist is that in an east-facing room, you can expect Agreeable Gray to act a bit more like a north-facing room but perhaps a touch flatter. In a west-facing room, in the morning, it can fall a bit flat and dull. However, in the afternoon, it will warm up nicely, especially in the later hours.
Here are a few more shots of Agreeable Gray in random rooms, giving you a well-rounded look at this gorgeous neutral color…
The Best Paint Colors for a South-Facing Room
Get your Samplize PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF AGREEABLE GRAY
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SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANEW GRAY vs AGREEABLE GRAY
Anew Gray is the slightly darker version of Agreeable Gray, so more of a light-medium depth (LRV of 47 for all of my color nerds). Anew Gray has a similar approach to Agreeable Gray, being a gray-beige blend. However, Anew Gray leans just a WINK warmer.
And while Anew Gray can lean a bit cooler in some lights, it doesn’t go as far as Agreeable Gray…
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Anew Gray
And just like Agreeable Gray, Anew Gray isn’t very married to a particular undertone and can flex its muscles on a per-room basis.
WHAT WHITE TRIM COLOR SHOULD YOU USE WITH AGREEABLE GRAY?
Agreeable Gray is WILDLY flexible when it comes to white paint colors for cabinets or trims. And while SW Pure White is my fave choice, there are a few others worth exploring…
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster is BORDERLINE too warm – I’d rather see…
- Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
- Sherwin Williams Extra White
- Benjamin Moore’s White Dove is about as warm as Agreeable Gray wants
On a side note, I often get clients asking if Agreeable Gray and Incredible White look good together. That would be a hard no. Incredible White loses too much of its neutral base in being so light and can flash a lot of violet-pink. This makes it too colorful for Agreeable Gray.
WILL SW AGREEABLE GRAY LOOK GOOD WITH CREAM CABINETS?
Generally speaking, NO, Agreeable Gray won’t work with many cream cabinets or wall paint colors. However, this is open to opinion (isn’t everything, though?). My PERSONAL opinion is that it’s a very touchy combination that isn’t usually in the best interest of either color or the surrounding finishes.
The 16 Best Paint Colors for Cream Cabinets or Trim
As shown in this next photo, a warm, soft white/off-white is really STRETCHING Agreeable Gray’s comfort zone. If these cabinets and trims were any warmer, it would be a hard no for this combo…
Notice how BLUE Agreeable Gray looks ‘in comparison’ to the creamy warmth of the cabinets. This is a great example of Agreeable Gray shifting its look and undertones based on its environment.
IS AGREEABLE GRAY A GOOD CABINET COLOR?
Heck yes! With cabinet trends leaning into the non-white look, Agreeable Gray is a popular choice in the average home. It’s so popular that I wrote an entire blog post on it!
The gist is that this flexible warm gray-greige-taupe humors a wide range of popular white quartz countertops. And while it isn’t quite as easy to find a coordinating wall color, it’s not impossible!
Agreeable Gray on the island and board and batten with Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
IS AGREEABLE GRAY A GOOD COLOR FOR THE EXTERIOR OF A HOME?
Agreeable Gray can be AWESOME on exteriors, either as a siding or trim color. It’s well-suited to many of the popular stone and brick coverings. However, be aware that in reasonable natural light, it can look lighter than expected.
This next photo is the one I alluded to earlier – where Agreeable Gray grabs a TON of violet undertone. This is more of an exception than a rule. Agreeable Gray usually comes off WAY more neutral than this, with minimal to no undertone at all…
However, the above is a professional photo, so the color is likely edited.
On this next exterior, look at HOW MUCH MORE MUTED Agreeable Gray looks…
The stone on this exterior is pretty common. If your stone has MORE violet than this one, be careful with Agreeable Gray. Instead, you might shift to Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray or Knitting Needles.
WHY?
Surfaces with a more noticeable violet or violet-pink undertone may demand more violet than Agreeable Gray can offer.
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO AGREEABLE GRAY?
Paint companies CAN’T match each other’s colors perfectly, so it’s about finding colors that are similar or that people often compare. While I did a full blog post on some Agreeable Gray comparisons, here’s a summary of the two most common comparisons…
AGREEABLE GRAY vs. BENJAMIN MOORE REVERE PEWTER
These are two of the top-selling, popular colors for each brand. Agreeable Gray is lighter (LRV 60) than Revere Pewter (55), making it slightly better suited to the ‘average room’ or low-light space, although you still need to be careful. Revere Pewter’s also a bit more likely to pick up an earthy green hue.
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
AGREEABLE GRAY vs. REPOSE GRAY
While Repose Gray was popular a few years ago, it’s recently fallen out of favor for more predictable, warmer colors – colors like Agreeable Gray. Repose Gray is a touch darker (LRV 58) than Agreeable Gray (60), but it’s the WARMTH of Agreeable Gray that makes it a more popular choice for walls, cabinets, exteriors, and even interior trims and doors!
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
Once you’re done with this blog post, check out THIS bad boy –
Benjamin Moore Collingwood
WHAT COLORS GO WELL WITH AGREEABLE GRAY?
Agreeable Gray will be a bit fussy about some warmer beige, tan, and cream paint colors. However, there’s still a WIDE range of other colors to explore, such as…
- Some soft and subtle off-whites like Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White
- Gray-green-blue blends can be stunning with Agreeable Gray, i.e. Sherwin Williams Argos and Comfort Gray
- Gray paint colors with a bit more depth than Agreeable Gray, i.e. Sherwin Williams Dovetail
- a wide range of white paint colors, as long as they aren’t too warm
PROS AND CONS OF AGREEABLE GRAY
While the full details are in this blog post, here’s a quick summary of why Agreeable Gray is one of the most popular warm gray/greiges. But also, why it might not work for you regardless of it being a top-selling shade!
- Agreeable Gray’s non-committal undertones make it flexible for a wide range of rooms and walls.
- While it can pick up a flash of green, it’s rare. However, if your finishes cater to a violet undertone, Agreeable Gray might not work.
- Agreeable Gray responds best to average (or reasonably bright) natural light. If your room is dark, it could look drab and flat.
- With an LRV of 60, Agreeable’s a great depth for the average room.
- Agreeable Gray suits a wide range of exterior finishes.
- Agreeable Gray loves whites like Sherwin Williams Pure White.
- As far as cabinet colors go (that aren’t white), Agreeable Gray and Revere Pewter are two of my top choices.
Not sure if Agreeable Gray is the color for you? Check these out…
READ MORE
Paint Color Review: Sherwin Williams Taupe of the Morning
Sherwin Williams Touch of Grey – Paint Color Review
The Best Gray Paint Colors With VIOLET Undertones
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Gossamer Veil
Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige: Paint Review
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Originally written in 2019, updated in JAN 24
