Mineral Gray
SW 2740 · #515763 · LRV 9 — cool blue tone, very dark — reads black in most rooms.
- 1Naval4
- 2Mineral Gray9
- 3Smoky Blue15
- 4Wolf Gray21
What Color Is Mineral Gray, Really?
Mineral Gray reads as a cool blue tone — very dark — reads black in most rooms. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 2740 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Mineral Gray
Mineral Gray earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Mineral Gray
At LRV 9, Mineral Gray is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. Its blue 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 rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Most complaints about Mineral Gray 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 2740 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 | Ball GownMQ5-06 · Behr | 1.0 | 9 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Evening Dove2128-30 · Benjamin Moore | 1.6 | 10 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Dark and Stormy NightM358 · Valspar | 2.8 | 9.1 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Gray FlannelPPG1013-6 · PPG / Glidden | 3.0 | 10 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Sophisticated Navy30BB 10/075 · Glidden | 0.8 | 10 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Gravity435-7DB · Dutch Boy | 3.8 | 9 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to Mineral Gray 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 #515763 in HSL space. Pair Mineral Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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