Sherwin-Williams Serious Gray#7D848B · LRV 23
Serious Gray reads as a blue / cool — dark — high drama, needs strong daylight or warm bulbs. The notes below cover the spec, what Sherwin-Williams SW 6256 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Serious Gray |
| SKU | SW 6256 |
| Hex | #7D848B |
| RGB | 125, 132, 139 |
| HSL | 210°, 6%, 52% |
| LRV | 23 |
| Undertone | blue / cool |
| Family | Gray |
About Sherwin-Williams Serious Gray
With an LRV of 23, Serious Gray 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.
Serious Gray 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.
Kompozit alternative
The closest hex in the Kompozit deck, ranked by ΔE2000 (perceptual color difference). ΔE under 2 is indistinguishable to most eyes; under 5 is a very close visual match.
Closest matches at every US brand
9 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Clare
Behr
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Backdrop
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Serious 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.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #7D848B in HSL space. Pair Serious Gray with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.