Color guide · Sherwin-Williams · Gray

Auger Shell

SW 9159 · #9F9291 · LRV 30 · warm red tone

SW 9159 · #9F9291 · LRV 30 — warm red tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.

Auger ShellSherwin-Williams · SW 9159
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Auger Shell
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS · SW 9159 · #9F9291
Brand · codeSherwin-WilliamsSW 9159 · all Sherwin-Williams grays
LRV30Mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
Undertonewarm red tone
FamilyGray
Hex · RGB · HSL#9F9291 · 159, 146, 145 · 4°, 7%, 60%Display values from the brand. Match it at another brand
Sheen we recommendEggshell on walls · satin on trim and cabinetsWhich sheen where, explained
Where it sits, light to dark
  1. 1Black Fox7
  2. 2Pewter Green12
  3. 3Auger Shell30
  4. 4Stardew43
  5. 5Palladian Blue60
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Auger Shell, Really?

Auger Shell reads as a warm red tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 9159 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Auger Shell

Auger Shell 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.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Auger Shell

Auger Shell sits in the mid-range at LRV 30, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its red 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Auger Shell 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.

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Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 9159 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.

Same deck, next chip over

Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors

The nearest shades to Auger Shell within Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.

Contrast, for text and signage
Black text on Auger Shell · 7 : 1 · passes AA and AAAWhite text on Auger Shell · 3 : 1 · large text only

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 #9F9291 in HSL space. Pair Auger Shell with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#9F9291 + #919E9F
TRIADIC
#9F9291 · #919F92 · #92919F
ANALOGOUS
#9F9197 · #9F9291 · #9F9991

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Jessica Williams

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