Downing Sand
SW 2822 · #CBBCA5 · LRV 52 — warm red-orange tone, light — bounces daylight without going clinical.
- 1Dorian Gray39
- 2Pashmina44
- 3Downing Sand52
- 4Agreeable Gray60
- 5Pale Oak69
What Color Is Downing Sand, Really?
Downing Sand reads as a warm red-orange tone — light — bounces daylight without going clinical. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 2822 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Downing Sand
Downing Sand 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.
How Lighting Changes Downing Sand
At LRV 52, Downing Sand 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.
Most complaints about Downing Sand 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 2822 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.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | Gobi Desert710C-3 · Behr | 1.3 | 51 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Brick House TanCW-145 · Benjamin Moore | 1.3 | 51 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Hopsack3003-10B · Valspar | 2.8 | 53.3 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Dusty TrailPPG1097-4 · PPG / Glidden | 1.2 | 50 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Dusty TrailPPG1097-4 · Glidden | 0.8 | 51 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Sand Fatigues419-3DB · Dutch Boy | 1.2 | 50 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Downing Sand within Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
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 #CBBCA5 in HSL space. Pair Downing Sand with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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