Refracted
HGSW 3396 · #B5B1B5 · LRV 45 — neutral with no strong undertone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Kendall Charcoal15
- 2Retreat21
- 3Refracted45
- 4Upward57
- 5Sea Salt63
What Color Is Refracted, Really?
Refracted reads as a neutral with no strong undertone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams HGSW 3396 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Refracted
Refracted 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 Refracted
Refracted sits in the mid-range at LRV 45, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Refracted 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 3396 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 | Swanky GraySW 6261 · Sherwin-Williams | 0.0 | 45 | Color page → |
| Behr | SilverstonePPU26-08 · Behr | 4.3 | 45 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Silver Dollar1460 · Benjamin Moore | 3.1 | 44 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Frisky Whiskers8004-1C · Valspar | 0.9 | 46 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Silver BellsPPG1003-3 · PPG / Glidden | 0.9 | 46 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Silver BellsPPG1003-3 · Glidden | 1.3 | 46 | Color page → |
Similar HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Refracted 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 #B5B1B5 in HSL space. Pair Refracted with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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