Downy
SW 7002 · #EFE8DD · LRV 81 — warm red-orange tone, very light — near-white, broadens small spaces.
- 1Agreeable Gray60
- 2Pale Oak69
- 3Downy81
- 4Moonlit Beach88
- 5Crème Fraiche93
What Color Is Downy, Really?
Downy reads as a warm red-orange tone — very light — near-white, broadens small spaces. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 7002 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Downy
Downy shines on ceilings, trim and in small or low-light rooms where you need to stretch the light — and as a calm whole-home backdrop. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
How Lighting Changes Downy
Downy is very light — LRV 81, close to white. It opens up small or dim rooms and keeps walls feeling airy. 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. In north light it can read slightly cooler; a warm white trim alongside keeps it from going clinical.
Most complaints about Downy 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 7002 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 | Ivory PalacePPU10-14 · Behr | 1.2 | 82 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Candle White2164-70 · Benjamin Moore | 1.5 | 79 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Shell White7007-12 · Valspar | 1.0 | 82 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Vanilla TanPPG1202-1 · PPG / Glidden | 0.5 | 81 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Sugar SoapPPG1084-1 · Glidden | 0.5 | 81 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Creamed Vanilla018W · Dutch Boy | 0.9 | 81 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Downy 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 #EFE8DD in HSL space. Pair Downy with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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