Color guide · Sherwin-Williams · Gray

Folkstone

SW 6005 · #6D6562 · LRV 14 · warm red tone

SW 6005 · #6D6562 · LRV 14 — warm red tone, dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.

FolkstoneSherwin-Williams · SW 6005
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Folkstone
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS · SW 6005 · #6D6562
Brand · codeSherwin-WilliamsSW 6005 · all Sherwin-Williams grays
LRV14Dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs.
Undertonewarm red tone
FamilyGray
Hex · RGB · HSL#6D6562 · 109, 101, 98 · 16°, 5%, 41%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. 1Urbane Bronze8
  2. 2Folkstone14
  3. 3Retreat21
  4. 4Stardew43
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Folkstone, Really?

Folkstone reads as a warm red tone — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 6005 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Folkstone

Folkstone works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.

Light by light

How Lighting Changes Folkstone

With an LRV of 14, Folkstone is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.

Test it in your light, not a showroom's

Most complaints about Folkstone 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 6005 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 Folkstone 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 Folkstone · 3.7 : 1 · large text onlyWhite text on Folkstone · 5.7 : 1 · passes AA

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 #6D6562 in HSL space. Pair Folkstone with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#6D6562 + #626A6D
TRIADIC
#6D6562 · #626D65 · #65626D
ANALOGOUS
#6D6265 · #6D6562 · #6D6A62

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Jessica Williams

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