Architectural Gray
HGSW 3426 · #C2B6B6 · LRV 48 — warm red tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
What Color Is Architectural Gray, Really?
Architectural Gray reads as a warm red tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams HGSW 3426 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Architectural Gray
Architectural Gray is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
How Lighting Changes Architectural Gray
Architectural Gray sits in the mid-range at LRV 48, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its red undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Architectural 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams HGSW 3426 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | ImagineSW 6009 · Sherwin-Williams | 0.0 | 48 | Color page → |
| Behr | Moonlit MauveN130-3 · Behr | 2.5 | 49 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Victorian Mauve2114-50 · Benjamin Moore | 1.2 | 48 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Sun Painter8004-2C · Valspar | 2.5 | 49 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | LuxuriousPPG18-04 · PPG / Glidden | 1.6 | 49 | Color page → |
| Glidden | LuxuriousPPG18-04 · Glidden | 0.9 | 49 | Color page → |
Similar HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Architectural Gray within HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #C2B6B6 in HSL space. Pair Architectural Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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