The Numbers
Drift of Mist: red-orange / warm
Drift of Mist is slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60, 9-point delta).
What Each Color Really Is
A warm gray built on a taupe base, not a beige one — and that distinction explains almost everything about how it behaves. Beige-based neutrals carry yellow, so they stay warm no matter what the light does. Agreeable Gray carries a soft brown-violet instead, which is why it reads gray first and warm second, and why the warmth can switch off when the light turns cool. Sherwin-Williams sells it as the agreeable one because it refuses to commit to an undertone, and that refusal is both the reason it goes on more American walls than almost any other color and the reason a small share of people hate it.
At LRV 60 it reflects a bit more than half the light that lands on it, which puts it in the mid-light band — light enough to open a room, not light enough to act as a bright neutral. The number looks close to Revere Pewter (HC-172) at 56, but on a wall the gap feels bigger than four points because Revere Pewter also carries green and reads a full step heavier and more traditional. Put Agreeable Gray beside a real off-white like Alabaster (SW 7008) at LRV 82 and the comparison is honest: this is a color, not a pale wash, and it will hold visible shadow in corners and behind furniture.
On paper it is a warm color. The hue sits at 40 degrees, the beige and gold side of the wheel, and the hex #DCD8D0 puts red first and blue last. But the saturation is only about 15 percent, and that is the part that decides how it behaves. There is barely any pigment in it to hold a position, so the wall takes its temperature from whatever is around it. This is why one person swears it is a warm greige, the next says it went green, and a third says it looked lavender in the hallway. All three are describing the same paint doing what near-neutrals do.
LRV 69 is genuinely light, but it is not white. Next to Pure White SW 7005 at LRV 84 it clearly shows gray and looks like a chosen wall color. Next to Agreeable Gray SW 7029 at LRV 60 it looks like a white, because nine points of reflectance is a visible step. That in-between position is the whole product: light enough for a dim hallway, colored enough that the room does not read unfinished.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Agreeable Gray | Drift of Mist |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | SW 7029 | SW 9166 |
| Hex | #D1CBC1 | #DCD8D0 |
| RGB | 209, 203, 193 | 220, 216, 208 |
| LRV | 60 | 69 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Neutral | Neutral |
How Light Changes Them
Agreeable Gray
Drift of Mist
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
The Questions Everyone Asks
Which is lighter, Agreeable Gray or Drift of Mist?
Drift of Mist is lighter: LRV 69 vs 60. Drift of Mist is slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60, 9-point delta).
Which is warmer, Agreeable Gray or Drift of Mist?
They share the same undertone family — both read red-orange / warm. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Agreeable Gray and Drift of Mist?
Agreeable Gray and Drift of Mist are very close (ΔE 3.23). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Agreeable Gray and Drift of Mist together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 3.23 they are so close that two walls in each will read as a tinting mistake, not a design choice. Pick one, or keep them on different floors where they are never seen together.
Still Torn? Let Your Room Decide
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart — the difference is obvious immediately.
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