Color spec
| Brand | HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Useful Gray |
| SKU | HGSW 3497 |
| Hex | #CFCABD |
| RGB | 207, 202, 189 |
| HSL | 43°, 16%, 78% |
| LRV | 59 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Neutral |
About HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Useful Gray
At LRV 59, Useful Gray is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. Its orange 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. It holds its undertone in most exposures, which is what makes light shades like this so forgiving room to room.
Useful Gray is an easy whole-room color for living spaces and bedrooms, and light enough to carry onto trim or a ceiling if you want a soft, seamless look. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
Closest matches by brand
19 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all neutral from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Portola Paints
Annie Sloan
Backdrop
Kompozit
Similar HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Useful 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.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #CFCABD in HSL space. Pair Useful 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.
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Useful Gray Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Useful Gray from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams HGSW 3497 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Useful Gray
The closest Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Useful Gray is Useful Gray (SW 7050). At ΔE 0 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59). If Sherwin-Williams is your counter, order Useful Gray and you'll get the same color. See the full Useful Gray swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Useful Gray
Behr's nearest match is Porch Swing Beige (PPF-21), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.75). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 60 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Porch Swing Beige swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Useful Gray
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Useful Gray is Stingray (1529) — very close at ΔE 2.17, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 58 vs 59) and carries a warm yellow undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Stingray swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Useful Gray
Valspar's nearest match is Gentle Soul (8004-26B), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.21). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Gentle Soul swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Useful Gray
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Useful Gray is Dust Bunny (PPG1000-1) — very close at ΔE 2.04, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dust Bunny swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Useful Gray
Glidden's nearest match is Dust Bunny (PPG1000-1), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.25). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 60 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Dust Bunny swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Useful Gray
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Doves Wings (443-1DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.65). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 60 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Doves Wings swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Useful Gray
The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Useful Gray is Petrichor (DEGR29). At ΔE 0.89 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red-orange undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Petrichor and you'll get the same color. See the full Petrichor swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Useful Gray
Magnolia Home's nearest match is Gatherings (JG-18), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.21). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Gatherings swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Useful Gray
Farrow & Ball's nearest match is Shadow Gray (NO. 9904), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.07). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 58 vs 59) and carries a warm yellow undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Shadow Gray swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Useful Gray
Diamond Vogel's nearest match is Whale Bone (0203), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.02). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Whale Bone swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Useful Gray
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Desert Mirage (0231), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.43). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Desert Mirage swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Useful Gray
Rodda's nearest match is Greenware (CA151), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.21). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Greenware swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Useful Gray
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Useful Gray. The nearest is Water Chestnut (C2-818) at ΔE 3.72 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 59 vs 59). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Water Chestnut swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Useful Gray
At Clare, the closest color to Useful Gray is Flatiron (PNT100-LT-17) — very close at ΔE 2.56, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 61 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Flatiron swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Useful Gray
At Portola Paints, the closest color to Useful Gray is Lumiere (LUMIERE) — very close at ΔE 2.22, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 58 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Lumiere swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Useful Gray
At Backdrop, the closest color to Useful Gray is Real Real (BD-RR) — very close at ΔE 2.05, though not an exact twin. It runs noticeably lighter (LRV 65 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Real Real swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Useful Gray
Kompozit's nearest match is Desert Mirage (0231), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.43). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 60 vs 59) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Useful Gray without repainting risk. See the full Desert Mirage swatch →