Color spec
| Brand | PPG / Glidden |
| Name | Steely |
| SKU | PPG1011-5 |
| Hex | #7C8995 |
| RGB | 124, 137, 149 |
| HSL | 209°, 11%, 54% |
| LRV | 26 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Gray |
What Color Is Steely, Really?
Steely (PPG1011-5) is a mid-tone blue-gray. The color sits in the blue part of the wheel, but its saturation is only about 11 percent, so it reads mostly as gray with a soft denim-blue lean rather than a true blue. Its lightness lands in the middle of the range, giving it an LRV of 26, which is dark enough to feel grounded but not so dark that it turns a room into a cave.
PPG lists it as their most-searched soft denim-blue alternative, and that is the draw. It gives you the calm, cool quality of blue without committing to a bold saturated color. People reach for it when plain gray feels flat and navy feels like too much.
Steely suits transitional and modern homes, coastal-leaning rooms, and anyone who wants a wall color with a bit of mood and personality that still behaves like a neutral.
Steely leans cool and blue. On the numbers its hue sits at 209 degrees, squarely in the blue range, but its saturation is only 11 percent. That is just past the near-neutral line, so most of the time it behaves like a gray with a whisper of denim in it rather than a color that shouts blue.
The blue shows most in soft, cool, or north-facing light and on large flat walls, where the eye has more surface to read. In warm lamplight or a bright sunny room, it settles down and looks grayer.
To judge it honestly, tape a large sample next to a pure gray and a true blue. Against the pure gray you will see Steely's blue; against the true blue you will see how muted and gray it really is. Also check it beside your flooring and any existing trim, since a warm floor can pull the blue forward.
Best Rooms and Uses for Steely
At LRV 26, Steely is versatile but not a light whole-home color. It has enough depth to carry a room without going dark, which makes it a strong full-wall choice for bedrooms, living rooms, home offices, and dining rooms where you want calm and a little mood.
It also works well as an accent wall behind a bed or in a niche, and it is a popular cabinet color. On kitchen islands, lower cabinets, or a bathroom vanity, its blue-gray depth pairs cleanly with white counters and warm wood.
Outside, Steely holds up as a soft blue-gray body or shutter color on coastal and traditional homes, and it makes a handsome front door. For trim you would generally choose a much lighter white rather than Steely itself. Because mid-tones show light shifts, view exterior samples in full sun and shade before deciding.
How Lighting Changes Steely
With an LRV of 26, Steely is a mid-tone that visibly shifts with light. It absorbs more light than it reflects, so the room it sits in matters a lot.
In north-facing rooms, the cool light deepens the blue and can make Steely feel moody and slightly darker. East-facing rooms give you cool morning light that reads blue early, then flatter and grayer by afternoon. West-facing rooms flip that, looking gray in the morning and warmer in the evening. South-facing rooms get the most sun, which keeps Steely at its lightest and most balanced.
Bulb choice matters too. Warm 2700K bulbs mute the blue and add a touch of softness, which most people prefer for living spaces. Cooler 3500K to 4000K bulbs push the blue and the gray coolness forward. Because it is a mid-tone, always test at least a day and evening cycle before you commit.
Most complaints about Steely 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 →Steely vs Similar Colors
Steely's closest PPG neighbors share its LRV but tilt differently. Prophetic Sea (PPG1042-5, LRV 26) is a touch more saturated and bluer, so it reads as a clearer blue-gray where Steely stays more neutral. Choose Prophetic Sea if you want the blue to be obvious, and Steely if you want a color that still passes as a gray.
Superhero Gray (PPG0993-5, LRV 26) goes the other way. It is grayer and flatter with far less blue, so it is the safer pick if you love Steely's depth but worry the blue will read too strongly in cool light.
Chalky Blue (PPG1153-5, LRV 26) pushes slightly toward teal and green. Next to Steely it looks a little more coastal and less denim. If your room has warm wood and you want a fresher, breezier feel, Chalky Blue leans that direction while Steely stays quieter and more classic.
Colors That Go With Steely
For crisp trim and ceilings, Pure White (PPG1001-1) at LRV 88 gives the cleanest contrast and keeps the scheme cool and modern. If you want a softer, warmer edge, Antique White (PPG1015-2) at LRV 78 takes the chill off without fighting the blue.
To warm the palette on a second surface or in furnishings, Stone Beige (PPG1024-3, LRV 49) balances Steely's coolness, and Chinchilla (PPG1001-4, LRV 38) is a warm mid gray that bridges the two.
For depth and contrast, Mariner Blue (PPG1162-7, LRV 8) makes an excellent deeper blue partner on a front door, island, or accent, while Black Magic (PPG1001-7, LRV 4) grounds the room in hardware, window frames, or a feature piece. Natural oak and walnut tones and both brushed nickel and matte black metals all sit comfortably with Steely.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint PPG / Glidden PPG1011-5 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 Steely 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 #7C8995 in HSL space. Pair Steely 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 Steely warm or cool?
Steely is a cool color. Its hue sits in the blue range at 209 degrees, so it carries a cool blue-gray character. That said, its saturation is low at about 11 percent, so it is a muted cool rather than an icy one. Warm lamplight and south-facing sun soften the coolness, while north light and cool bulbs make the blue and chill more obvious.
Is Steely more gray or more blue?
It is more gray with a blue lean. Steely's saturation is only about 11 percent, just past the near-neutral line, so on most walls it reads as a blue-gray that behaves like a gray. The blue becomes clearest on large flat walls, in cool or north-facing light, and when you set it next to a true neutral gray. Beside an actual blue it looks distinctly muted.
What trim white goes with Steely?
Pure White (PPG1001-1), with an LRV of 88, is a strong choice. Its brightness gives crisp, clean contrast against Steely's mid-tone depth and keeps the look cool and modern. If you prefer something a little softer and warmer, Antique White (PPG1015-2) at LRV 78 pairs nicely and takes the chill off without competing with the blue undertone.
Does Steely work on cabinets and exteriors?
Yes. Its blue-gray depth makes it a popular cabinet color for islands, lower cabinets, and bathroom vanities, where it looks clean against white counters and warm wood. Outside, it holds up well as a soft blue-gray body color, on shutters, or on a front door for coastal and traditional homes. Because it is a mid-tone that shifts with light, view exterior samples in both full sun and shade.
What does Steely's LRV of 26 mean in practice?
LRV measures how much light a color reflects, on a scale from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white). At 26, Steely is a mid-tone that absorbs more light than it bounces back. In practice it feels grounded and has visible depth without turning a room dark, and it will shift noticeably between bright daylight and evening, so it should be tested in the actual room.
How is Steely different from Sherwin-Williams Bracing Blue?
They are close blue-grays at a similar LRV, Steely at 26 and Bracing Blue (SW 6242) at 25. The practical difference is that Bracing Blue reads a bit bluer and more saturated, while Steely stays more muted and gray. If you want the blue to be clearly present, Bracing Blue shows it more; if you want a color that still passes as a neutral gray, Steely is the quieter option.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Steely behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY STEELY ON YOUR ROOM →Ask a Question
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