Sure, Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams (SW 7029) has the word "agreeable" in its name and is one of Sherwin Williams' most popular gray wall colors, but that doesn't mean it's a perfect paint color for your home. There are many things to consider when choosing a greige paint like lighting, the makeup of the color and its undertones, how you want your home to feel, and your home color palette.
Today we'll dive deep into everything you need to know about SW Agreeable Gray paint color so you can decide if painting your walls with this popular greige color is right for you. And you'll see examples of Agreeable Gray walls in various homes, too.
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Why Is Agreeable Gray So Popular?
Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray is a popular paint color because it is one of the truest greige paint colors out there. If you're interested in knowing more about greige, you'll want to read my post on how to choose the perfect greige paint, but basically, the term "greige" stems from combining gray and beige and results in a color that's still gray but with a hint of warmth to it.
Take a straight gray, which has become popular but sometimes gets a bad rap for being too stark or cold, and mix in a bit of brown to warm it up, and you've got an interior wall color that feels current without feeling like a jail cell, and goes with almost any color palette.
In order to really understand this mix, it's important to look at the undertones of Agreeable Gray.
Agreeable Gray Undertones Explained
The name makes it obvious that this color contains a lot of gray which naturally has black undertones. But upon further inspection you'll find that the darkest shade of the color when looking at the color strip reveals a lot of brown undertone, making it a warm gray paint color.
PinBeyond that it's important to mention that there are slight green and even violet undertones present in Agreeable Gray (SW 7029) as well, and they can drastically affect how a room feels when this color is painted on the walls.
The undertone issue is one reason I always recommend Samplize peel and stick paint samples so you can easily test Agreeable Gray on the wall in your own unique lighting conditions and avoid costly paint mistakes.
The Best Way To Test Paint Colors On Your Walls
No need to buy paint samples and paint big squares of each color on your walls! Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples from all major paint brands delivered to your door so you can put them up on the wall with no mess.
Does Agreeable Gray look more gray or beige?
It depends. This wall color will appear more beige if you have a lot of warm light (direct sunlight or warm colored bulbs) because the warm undertones will be highlighted. It will also appear more beige if you decorate with a lot of warm colors like wood flooring, brown furnishings, and warm accent colors because again, these tones in the paint color will be highlighted.
This popular Sherwin Williams color will appear more gray if you have a lot of cool light (indirect sunlight or white bulbs) because the cool undertones will be highlighted. And if you have a lot of cool tones in your flooring, furnishings, or accent colors it will also read more gray because the cool undertones will be highlighted.
You'll see examples of this later in this post with photos of Agreeable Gray rooms.
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What Is Agreeable Gray's Light Reflective Value?
The LRV of Agreeable Gray is 60, which means it reflects a good amount of light, but as you'll read below it needs a lot of light to look good.
The Light Reflective Value, or LRV, measures how much light a paint color reflects and indicates on a scale from 1-100 how light or dark a color is with 1=dark and 100=light.
The higher the LRV, the lighter the color is and the lower the LRV, the darker the color is.
Pro Tip: When you look at the Agreeable Gray color strip you’ll notice that there isn’t a lighter shade of this color. However you can always have the color mixed 20% (or more) lighter. Just put in the request when having your color mixed at the paint store.
When To Use SW Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray interior paint works best in rooms with a lot of natural or artificial light that spreads throughout a room decently evenly. It will read more beige or more gray depending on how cool or warm the light in the room is, so you'll want to take that into consideration when deciding if this color is right for your space.
Even with cool north facing light, this gray paint color reads just warm enough to make your room feel inviting.
Because it's a neutral paint with both warm and cool undertones, it's easy to find coordinating colors for Agreeable Gray.
When To Avoid Using Agreeable Gray Paint Color
You won't want to select Agreeable Gray interior paint if you don't have a lot of light flooding a space (natural or artificial.) This is because without the light, the slight purple undertones become evident and it can make your room feel drab and flat... think jail cell.
Other greige paint colors to consider:
Examples Of Agreeable Gray Walls In Different Rooms
Agreeable Gray living room walls
This versatile paint color makes a perfect backdrop for many different color palettes in main living spaces like living rooms and family rooms.
When used with warm accent colors and a lot of warmer artificial light, it reads just a bit more beige than when used in a room with a lot of cool north-facing natural light flooding the space.
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Agreeable Gray color in the kitchen
These Agreeable Gray kitchens have very different color palettes, but in both situations this gray wall color looks great.
When paired with light gray floors, white kitchen cabinets, and a lot of cool light the wall color looks a bit more gray than when paired with dark wood cabinets and wood floors with warmer tones.
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PinAgreeable Gray cabinets and built-ins
If you're looking for a soft neutral to paint your cabinets, Agreeable Gray can look amazing, especially when paired with a white wall color because it gives just enough contrast to make the cabinets stand out while still staying soft and neutral.
Agreeable Gray kitchen cabinets
During her kitchen remodel, Jennaye Herrmann painted her cabinets Agreeable Gray and used gold accents with warm light so the cabinet color appears slightly warm.
The same cabinet color in a laundry room paired with a cool color tiled floor, grey backsplash, and cooler light makes this color appear more gray, but still goes well with some gold accents as well.
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PinAgreeable Gray built-ins
Another great use for this fantastic neutral is to use it on built-ins. Again it gives a slight contrast against pure white walls and ties in warmer wood tones at the same time.
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PinAgreeable Gray bathroom paint color
The shiplap in this bathroom is painted with SW 7029 and again gives just enough contrast to the white trim while creating a light and bright, but not stark, atmosphere.
PinBedroom with SW 7029 Agreeable Gray walls
This beautiful master bedroom by The Home I Create is a perfect example of how easy it is to mix both warm and cool accent colors with Agreeable Gray and still have a fresh cohesive look.
PinRoom examples tell a story far better than words, so I've rounded up even more examples for you of other popular Sherwin William greige colors in action.
Agreeable Gray Vs. Other Greige Paint Colors
When deciding which greige to paint your walls there's a lot to consider: lighting, undertones, and coordinating colors.
Requisite Gray vs. Agreeable Gray
Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray is darker than Agreeable gray with a LRV of 45 vs. 60. (Remember 1=dark and 100=light.) Requisite Gray also has stronger violet undertones than Agreeable Gray, but Agreeable Gray has more green undertones than Requisite Gray.
Both will appear more gray with lots of cool light.
PinAgreeable Gray vs. Repose Gray
These two colors have almost identical LRV scores with Agreeable Gray being 60 and Repose being 58; however, Repose Gray has a lot more black in its undertones so it will definitely show up more gray on your walls. Repose also has violet undertones, but it doesn't have any green undertones like Agreeable.
PinMindful Gray vs. Agreeable Gray
Mindful Gray by Sherwin Williams is one shade darker than Repose Gray with an LRV of 48 so it's definitely darker than Agreeable Gray but still has violet undertones, whereas Agreeable gray has some green in it.
PinFinal Thoughts About Using Agreeable Gray SW 7029
There's a reason why this is such a popular color, but before you take on your paint project you need to decide if you have enough of the right lighting to avoid making the wrong choice. Like any paint color the color of the light in the room and the surroundings will affect the final outcome of the color on your walls and should be taken into consideration.
This is why I recommend these 8 tips for choosing the right paint color.
Frequently Asked Questions - Agreeable Gray By Sherwin Williams
Why does Agreeable Gray look purple?
Agreeable Gray may look too purple and unappealing in rooms with not enough light. I don't recommend this color for dark rooms without a lot of light.
Does Agreeable Gray go with brown?
Yes. This color is a warm gray with brown undertones so it will naturally go with brown. Brown wood flooring or brown furniture goes well with this neutral paint color while giving an updated more current feel to a room.
Does Agreeable Gray go with blue?
Yes. Blue is a great accent color for Agreeable Gray because it allows you to use a cool color palette yet still have some warmth from the brown undertones in the paint on the wall.
Who makes Agreeable Gray Paint?
Sherwin Williams makes this popular greige paint color.
Where can I buy Agreeable Gray paint?
I recommend going to a Sherwin Williams brick and mortar store to buy this paint. You can also find it at most Lowe's stores because it is part of their HGTV Home line, but it will be mixed with Valspar brand paint.
What is one shade lighter than Agreeable Gray?
Some Agreeable Gray swatches will show Incredible White as one shade lighter, but some don't. A good way to get a slightly lighter shade of the color is to have it mixed 25% lighter.
Is Agreeable Gray warm or cool?
Agreeable Gray is a warm gray meaning it is a gray (cool) color with brown (warm) undertones. A gray with black undertones would be considered a traditional cool gray. This color is (sometimes) the best of both worlds.
Other Things to Consider When Choosing Colors For Your Home
A lot of factors go into selecting colors for your home, and it goes way beyond paint color.
Things like your home color palette, existing colors in your home (that you may not be able to change), and the color of the natural light, or lack of natural light can change the way a color shows up in your home.
In my self-paced online color course, Color Made Clear, I walk you through all the steps to choosing and using color in your home to create a pulled together and cohesive look, even if you have things like cabinet color or floors you can't change.
LEARN MORE ABOUT COLOR MADE CLEAR
