Color spec
| Brand | PPG / Glidden |
| Name | Cool December |
| SKU | PPG1156-3 |
| Hex | #C7CCC4 |
| RGB | 199, 204, 196 |
| HSL | 98°, 7%, 78% |
| LRV | 60 |
| Undertone | cool green tone |
| Family | Gray |
What Color Is Cool December, Really?
Cool December (PPG1156-3) is a soft, light gray with a quiet green cast. Its saturation is only about 7 percent, so on the wall it reads as a calm neutral first and a color second. Think of it as a gray that has spent time near sage: the green is there in the right light but never loud.
With an LRV of 60, it sits in the light range and bounces daylight around a room without turning stark or clinical. That balance is why it shows up so often in PPG's coastal-greige and color-trend picks.
It suits homes that want a restful, airy neutral with a touch more life than a plain gray. If you like coastal, farmhouse, or transitional rooms and find true grays too cold, Cool December gives you softness with a green-leaning warmth underneath.
Cool December leans green, but gently. Its hue sits at 98 degrees, which is squarely in the green range, while saturation of just 7 percent keeps that green whispering rather than shouting. In practice this is a near-neutral gray with a slight sage or greige lean, not a green paint.
The undertone shows up most in bright, even daylight and against clean whites, where the green separates from the gray. Put it next to a warm cream and it can look cooler and greener; put it next to a true cool gray and it looks softer and slightly warmer.
Test it against a bright white trim sample and a plain gray card at the same time. If the green worries you, view it on the darker, north-facing wall of the room, where low light mutes the color and pushes it closer to a straight neutral gray.
Best Rooms and Uses for Cool December
With a mid-to-light LRV of 60, Cool December is a versatile whole-room wall color rather than a statement shade. It works across bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, and hallways, where its softness keeps spaces calm and open. It is especially at home in coastal and transitional interiors that want a restful backdrop.
On cabinets it reads as a gentle, spa-like alternative to plain white or gray, particularly in a bathroom vanity or a kitchen island you want to feel quiet. It also makes an easy, understated exterior body color for homes going for a soft coastal look, paired with crisp white trim.
Because it is light, it is not a high-contrast accent on its own. If you want drama, use it as the main field color and bring contrast in through a deep front door, darker trim, or a grounding lower cabinet.
How Lighting Changes Cool December
At an LRV of 60, Cool December has enough reflectance to stay light in most rooms, but lighting still moves it noticeably. In north-facing rooms, the cool, indirect light deepens the gray and can bring the green forward, so it reads cooler and a touch more muted. South-facing rooms flood it with warm light that lifts it and softens the green, making it look fresher and closer to a warm gray.
East light is cool and bright in the morning, then neutral by afternoon; west light warms it up late in the day. Bulb choice matters too: warm 2700K bulbs calm the green and add coziness, while cooler 4000K and up sharpen it and can make it feel slightly clinical.
Because it bounces daylight well, it holds its lightness in dim rooms better than lower-LRV grays. Always sample on more than one wall.
Most complaints about Cool December 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 →Cool December vs Similar Colors
Cool December's closest sibling is Steely Gaze (PPG0996-2), also at LRV 60. Steely Gaze is a truer, cleaner gray with almost no green lean, so choose it when you want a straight neutral and Cool December when you want that subtle sage warmth.
Life Lesson (PPG1128-3, LRV 57) pushes further in the direction Cool December only hints at: it is a touch darker and more clearly greige-green. If your room gets strong warm light and you want the green to read on purpose, Life Lesson delivers more of it; Cool December stays more neutral.
Pittsburgh Gray (PPG0994-2, LRV 59) is another near match at similar lightness but sits more squarely gray, without the green cast. Between the three, pick by how much green you want to see: none (Pittsburgh Gray), a whisper (Cool December), or a clear lean (Life Lesson).
Colors That Go With Cool December
For trim and ceilings, Pure White (PPG1001-1), at an LRV of 88, gives a clean, bright frame that lets the soft green in Cool December read clearly. Glidden White on White (GLN-29, LRV 88) is a near-identical alternative if you prefer that line.
For a second, slightly deeper wall color in an adjacent space, Limited Gray (PPG1010-3, LRV 56) keeps the same soft neutral mood a shade down. To ground the scheme, Chinchilla (PPG1001-4, LRV 38) works as a mid gray for a kitchen island, lower cabinets, or a built-in.
For a real accent, lean into the green undertone with Ivy League (PPG1130-7, LRV 5) on a front door or a moody feature wall, or go navy with Mariner Blue (PPG1162-7, LRV 8). Warm oak or walnut wood tones and brushed nickel or matte black hardware all sit comfortably alongside it.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint PPG / Glidden PPG1156-3 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar PPG / Glidden colors
closest in the PPG / Glidden deckThe nearest shades to Cool December within PPG / Glidden'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 #C7CCC4 in HSL space. Pair Cool December 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 Cool December warm or cool?
Cool December is a cool-leaning gray, but only mildly so. Its green undertone sits at a hue of 98 degrees with very low saturation, so it reads as a soft, near-neutral gray rather than an obviously cool color. In warm daylight or under 2700K bulbs it softens and feels almost warm, while cool light and daylight bulbs bring the cooler green forward.
Is Cool December more gray or more green?
It is more gray than green. With saturation of only about 7 percent, Cool December is a neutral gray with a slight green lean rather than a true green paint. The green shows up mainly in bright, even daylight or when it sits next to a clean white. Against warmer creams it can look a little greener; against true grays it looks softer.
What trim white goes with Cool December?
Pure White (PPG1001-1), with an LRV of 88, is a strong trim and ceiling partner. It is bright and clean enough to frame Cool December and let its soft green undertone read clearly without competing. If you prefer the Glidden line, Glidden White on White (GLN-29) is a near-identical white at the same LRV and works the same way.
Does Cool December work on cabinets and exteriors?
Yes. On cabinets it reads as a quiet, spa-like alternative to plain white or gray, and it suits bathroom vanities and kitchen islands you want to keep calm. As an exterior body color it gives a soft coastal look, especially paired with crisp white trim like Pure White (PPG1001-1). Always confirm the finish and sheen suit the surface before committing.
What does an LRV of 60 mean for Cool December?
LRV, or light reflectance value, runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white). At 60, Cool December sits in the light range: it reflects a good amount of light and keeps rooms feeling open and airy without going stark white. It holds its lightness in dimmer rooms better than darker grays, but it is not bright enough to act as a high-contrast accent on its own.
How is Cool December different from Silver Strand?
They are extremely close. Sherwin-Williams Silver Strand (SW 7057) sits at LRV 59 versus Cool December's 60, and the two are within about one deltaE, meaning most eyes would struggle to tell them apart on a wall. If you are matching an existing Silver Strand room but buying PPG or Glidden paint, Cool December is a practical stand-in. Always confirm with a sample.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Cool December behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY COOL DECEMBER ON YOUR ROOM →Ask a Question
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