Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Stately Gray |
| SKU | 720F-5 |
| Hex | #A09E94 |
| RGB | 160, 158, 148 |
| HSL | 50°, 6%, 60% |
| LRV | 35 |
| Undertone | warm yellow tone |
| Family | Gray |
What Color Is Stately Gray, Really?
Behr Stately Gray (720F-5) is a warm mid-tone gray, the kind most people would call greige once it is on the wall. Its saturation sits at just 6 percent, so it reads as a true neutral at first glance, but the hue leans toward yellow, which keeps it from ever feeling cold or blue the way many grays do. With an LRV of 35, it is squarely in the mid range: darker than a typical wall color, but far from a charcoal.
It keeps showing up in Behr's whole-home spec sheets for a reason. It is dark enough to give a room weight and definition, warm enough to sit comfortably next to wood floors and cream trim, and neutral enough to repeat from room to room without anyone noticing a theme.
If you want a gray that feels settled rather than stark, and your rooms get decent daylight, Stately Gray is a practical whole-home pick.
The measured numbers tell a clear story: hue 50 puts Stately Gray on the yellow side of the wheel, but saturation is only 6 percent. That means it is a near-neutral gray with a slight warm, yellow lean, not a beige and not a green. In most rooms it simply reads as soft warm gray.
The lean shows up in two situations. Next to a crisp cool white or a blue-gray, Stately Gray suddenly looks khaki. And in low, warm evening light, the yellow side comes forward and it drifts toward taupe. Against warm woods, brass, and cream fabrics, the undertone disappears and it just looks gray.
Before committing, hold a sample against your trim white, your flooring, and any large fixed finishes like countertops or tile. If your trim is a stark bright white, expect the warmth to be more visible than it looks on the chip.
Best Rooms and Uses for Stately Gray
A 35 LRV is the versatile middle of the range, and Stately Gray behaves that way. It is dark enough to be a full wall color with presence, but not so dark that it turns a room into an accent-wall-only situation. Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and home offices with average or better daylight can take it on all four walls, especially with a light ceiling and pale trim to keep things open.
It is also a strong cabinet color. On kitchen or bathroom cabinetry it gives a furniture-like, gray-brown finish that hides fingerprints better than a pale gray and pairs easily with both nickel and brass hardware.
Outside, mid-tone warm grays like this are common body colors: dark enough to show trim contrast, light enough not to bake in the sun visually. Skip it for trim; it is too mid-toned to frame anything. In a small, dim room, test carefully, since low light pushes it darker than the chip suggests.
How Lighting Changes Stately Gray
At an LRV of 35, Stately Gray reflects about a third of the light that hits it, so the room's light source does a lot of the work. This is a mid-tone that shifts visibly through the day rather than staying one flat color.
In north-facing rooms the color deepens and cools slightly; it can look like a moodier stone gray, which some people like and others find heavy. South-facing rooms are its best case: steady warm daylight brings out the soft greige character without pushing it yellow. East light makes it warmer in the morning and grayer in the afternoon; west light does the reverse, with a noticeable warm-up around sunset.
Bulbs matter just as much. Warm bulbs around 2700K emphasize the yellow lean and pull it toward taupe. Neutral 3000K to 3500K bulbs keep it closest to the chip. Very cool bulbs flatten it into a plain gray.
Most complaints about Stately Gray are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Stately Gray vs Similar Colors
Behr Fashion Gray (PPU18-15) is the closest match in the Behr deck: LRV 34 to Stately Gray's 35, with the same warm-gray character. Side by side, Fashion Gray carries a touch more of a soft, slightly rosier cast, while Stately Gray stays a hair more yellow-gray. On a wall the difference is subtle; pick Fashion Gray if your furnishings lean warm brown, Stately Gray if they lean tan and cream.
Shiitake (N220-4), also LRV 34, tips toward green rather than yellow. In daylight it reads more organic and sage-adjacent, which suits earthy, plant-heavy rooms; Stately Gray is the calmer, more conventional gray of the two.
Rustic Taupe (N200-4), LRV 34 again, is warmer and browner, sitting closer to true taupe. Choose it if you want the wall to read brown-gray on purpose; choose Stately Gray if you want people to say gray, not tan.
Colors That Go With Stately Gray
For trim and ceilings, Behr Polar Bear (75) is the safest pairing: at LRV 86 it is a soft white with enough warmth to sit next to Stately Gray without making it look dingy or khaki. If you want a creamier, more traditional trim and ceiling white, Swiss Coffee (12), at LRV 80, warms the whole scheme up a step.
As a second wall color for connected spaces, Light French Gray (720E-2), LRV 56, is essentially a lighter cousin from the same warm-gray territory, so hallways and bedrooms flow naturally from a Stately Gray living room.
For accents, Behr Back to Nature (S340-4), a muted green at LRV 38, sits at the same depth and makes an easy accent wall or powder room partner. On a front door or island, Cracked Pepper (PPU18-01), a soft black at LRV 5, gives real contrast without harshness. Warm woods like oak and walnut, plus aged brass or matte black metals, all work here.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr 720F-5 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Stately Gray within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #A09E94 in HSL space. Pair Stately Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Behr Stately Gray warm or cool?
Warm, but only slightly. Its saturation is about 6 percent, so it is a near-neutral gray with a mild yellow lean rather than a beige. In most rooms it reads as soft warm gray; next to a cool blue-gray or a stark white it can look a little khaki, and in warm evening light it drifts toward taupe.
What trim white goes with Behr Stately Gray?
Behr Polar Bear (75) is the easiest choice. At LRV 86 it is a soft white with a hint of warmth, so it frames Stately Gray cleanly without clashing with its yellow lean. For a creamier, more traditional look, Behr Swiss Coffee (12), at LRV 80, also works well on trim and ceilings.
Does Stately Gray work on cabinets or exteriors?
Yes to both. On cabinets it gives a furniture-like warm gray that hides wear better than pale grays and suits nickel or brass hardware. On exteriors it is a classic mid-tone body color: dark enough to contrast with white trim, light enough to stay readable in full sun. Sample outside first, since daylight lightens it noticeably.
What does Stately Gray's LRV of 35 mean in practice?
LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (white), and 35 means the color reflects about a third of the light hitting it. That puts Stately Gray in the mid-tone band: it will make a room feel grounded rather than airy, it needs decent daylight or good lamps, and it will look darker in dim corners than on the paint chip.
How is Stately Gray different from Behr Fashion Gray?
They are very close. Fashion Gray (PPU18-15) has an LRV of 34 versus 35 for Stately Gray, so depth is nearly identical. The practical difference is cast: Fashion Gray reads slightly softer and rosier, while Stately Gray leans a touch more yellow-gray. Sample both on the same wall; lighting will decide it more than the chips do.
Should I sample Stately Gray before painting?
Yes. As a mid-tone with an LRV of 35, it shifts visibly between morning and evening and between exposures, so paint at least a two-foot square, or use a large peel-and-stick sample, on two different walls. Check it in daylight and under your actual bulbs at night, and next to your trim color and flooring before buying gallons.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Stately Gray behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY STATELY GRAY ON YOUR ROOM →
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