Color guide · Sherwin-Williams · Gray

Imagine

SW 6009 · #C2B6B6 · LRV 48 · warm red tone

SW 6009 · #C2B6B6 · LRV 48 — warm red tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.

ImagineSherwin-Williams · SW 6009
The color, edge to edge.Use your own photo →
Imagine
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS · SW 6009 · #C2B6B6
Brand · codeSherwin-WilliamsSW 6009 · all Sherwin-Williams grays
LRV48Mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
Undertonewarm red tone
FamilyGray
Hex · RGB · HSL#C2B6B6 · 194, 182, 182 · 0°, 9%, 74%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. 1Retreat21
  2. 2Stardew43
  3. 3Imagine48
  4. 4Upward57
  5. 5Sea Salt63
Undertone and depth

What Color Is Imagine, Really?

Imagine reads as a warm red tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 6009 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.

Room by room

Best Rooms and Uses for Imagine

Imagine 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 Imagine

Imagine sits in the mid-range at LRV 48, 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 Imagine 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.

Upload a photoPainted in about a minuteFree, no account
Visualize in your room
Same color, different store

Need It From Another Brand?

Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 6009 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 Imagine 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 Imagine · 10.7 : 1 · passes AA and AAAWhite text on Imagine · 2 : 1 · fails for text

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 #C2B6B6 in HSL space. Pair Imagine with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.

COMPLEMENTARY
#C2B6B6 + #B6C2C2
TRIADIC
#C2B6B6 · #B6C2B6 · #B6B6C2
ANALOGOUS
#C2B6BC · #C2B6B6 · #C2BCB6

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Jessica Williams

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