Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Tony Taupe |
| SKU | SW 7038 |
| Hex | #A8957D |
| RGB | 168, 149, 125 |
| HSL | 33°, 20%, 57% |
| LRV | 31 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Neutral |
What Color Is Tony Taupe, Really?
Tony Taupe (SW 7038) is a warm mid-tone taupe. Its hex value #A8957D holds more red and green than blue, which is why it reads as tan-brown rather than gray. The hue sits at 33 degrees, in the clay and camel part of the wheel, and saturation is about 20 percent, so there is real color here and not just a grayed neutral. An LRV of 31 puts it in the middle of the range: enough depth to feel like a color, light enough to cover a whole room without closing it in.
People pick Tony Taupe when a greige feels too cold and a brown feels too heavy. It sits between the two. The warmth makes it comfortable next to oak floors, stone, and brass, and it is a common choice for exterior siding because it holds its character in bright outdoor light instead of washing out.
The thing to check first is how far the warmth travels in your room. At 20 percent saturation this is one of the more colorful taupes, and in strong afternoon sun it can push toward pink or clay on a large wall. In a dim north room the same color drops back and can look muddy. Sample it on two walls facing different directions before you commit.
Tony Taupe is built on a warm red-orange base. The hue reading of 33 degrees is squarely tan, and the saturation of about 20 percent is higher than most colors people call greige. That means the warmth is not a hint you have to hunt for. On a full wall it is the first thing you see.
Where it lands depends on the company it keeps. Next to a cool gray it can suddenly look pink or almost terracotta. Next to a yellow-beige it swings the other way and reads grayer and more restrained. Against white trim the brown side comes forward clearly.
Hold a sample against your flooring, countertop, and any stone or tile before you decide. Warm oak and travertine push it further toward tan, while a blue-gray tile will make the red in it jump. Look at it flat against the wall, not held in your hand, because the angle changes what you see.
Best Rooms and Uses for Tony Taupe
Tony Taupe works best where its warmth has something to bounce off. Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and hallways all take it well, and it is forgiving in open plans because it reads as a neutral from a distance. In a small room with one window it will feel heavier, so use it there only if you want a cocooning effect.
It is a strong exterior body color. Mid-tone warm taupes hold their character in full sun where lighter beiges bleach out, and it sits comfortably with brick, fieldstone, and brown or bronze roofing.
Inside, it also suits an island, a lower cabinet run, or built-ins where you want warmth without going dark. Keep trim in a separate white rather than painting it the same color, since the contrast is what keeps the taupe looking deliberate. It is less convincing on ceilings, where its depth can feel low and closed in.
How Lighting Changes Tony Taupe
At an LRV of 31 Tony Taupe reflects a moderate amount of light, so the room does half the work. North-facing rooms get cool, indirect daylight that mutes the warmth and pulls the color toward mushroom and gray-brown. It still has depth there, but it loses some of its glow.
South-facing rooms do the opposite. Steady warm light brings the red-orange base forward and the color can read distinctly clay, especially on a large uninterrupted wall. East rooms look cooler and softer in the morning and warm through the afternoon. West rooms stay flat early and turn noticeably warmer at the end of the day.
Bulbs matter just as much. Warm 2700K lamps deepen the tan and can tip it peachy at night. Cooler 3500K to 4000K bulbs flatten the warmth and leave it closer to a brown-gray. Because a 31 LRV dims quickly in low light, check your sample after dark under the fixtures you actually own.
Most complaints about Tony Taupe 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.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Tony Taupe vs Similar Colors
Within the Sherwin-Williams deck the neighbors are extremely tight. Colonial Revival Stone (SW 2827), hex #A7947C at LRV 31, is close enough that most people could not separate the two on a wall. Serengeti Grass (SW 9116), #AB9579 at LRV 32, carries slightly more yellow-green and reads a touch more olive. Sanderling (SW 7513), #A79582 at LRV 31, has more blue in it and looks softer and grayer. Craftsman Brown (SW 2835), #AE9278 at LRV 31, is the browner, redder option.
Across brands, C2 Scout (C2-826) has a deltaE of 0.96, which makes it effectively the same color. Valspar Wild Mushroom (3007-9C) at 1.19 and PPG or Glidden Sauteed Mushroom (PPG1085-5) at 1.71 are visually identical in normal room light. Behr Pure Earth (PPU7-05) at 2.13 is very close, so sample it first. Annie Sloan French Linen at 4.99 is close but visibly different side by side, sitting greener and lighter at LRV 34.
Colors That Go With Tony Taupe
Start with trim. A clean white gives Tony Taupe an edge and stops the warmth from spreading across the whole room, while a softer warm white keeps things quieter and more blended. Either works, so pick based on how much contrast you want on doors and baseboards.
Be careful with the Sherwin-Williams colors nearest to it. Colonial Revival Stone (SW 2827) at LRV 31, Sanderling (SW 7513) at LRV 31, and Urban Jungle (SW 9117) at LRV 31 all sit within a point of Tony Taupe, so they behave as substitutes rather than partners. Pairing two of them in the same sightline looks like a mistake rather than a scheme.
For contrast, go much darker or much lighter and lean on materials instead: oak, walnut, rattan, aged brass, and black hardware all flatter the warm base. If you are painting in another brand's line, C2 Scout (C2-826) at LRV 32 and Valspar Wild Mushroom (3007-9C) at LRV 31.7 are the closest stand-ins.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 7038 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Tony Taupe 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 #A8957D in HSL space. Pair Tony Taupe 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.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Tony Taupe warm or gray?
It is warm. Tony Taupe has a red-orange undertone with a hue around 33 degrees and about 20 percent saturation, which is more color than most greiges carry. It reads as a tan-brown taupe rather than a gray. In cool north light it calms down and looks grayer, but it never becomes a true neutral gray.
What LRV is Tony Taupe?
Tony Taupe has an LRV of 31, which places it in the mid-tone range. LRV runs from 0 for black to 100 for pure white, so at 31 the color reflects a moderate amount of light. It has real depth on a wall without reading as dark, and it will look noticeably deeper in a room that gets little daylight.
Does Tony Taupe work in a dark room?
It can, but go in with the right expectation. At an LRV of 31 it will not brighten a dim room, and in cool indirect light the warmth drops back toward mushroom and gray-brown. If you want a cozy, enclosed feel that is fine. If you want the room to feel more open, a lighter version of the same warmth will serve you better.
What white trim goes with Tony Taupe?
Both directions work. A bright, clean white gives a crisp edge and keeps the taupe contained, which suits exteriors and rooms with a lot of millwork. A softer warm white blends with the red-orange base and gives a gentler, more traditional look. Sample both against the wall color, since the contrast level changes the whole feel of the room.
Is Tony Taupe good for exteriors?
Yes, it is a natural exterior color. Mid-tone warm taupes hold their character in full sun where lighter beiges tend to bleach out, and an LRV of 31 keeps siding from looking flat. It sits well with brick, fieldstone, and brown or bronze roofing. Test a large sample on more than one elevation, because the sunny side will read warmer.
How is Tony Taupe different from Sanderling?
They share the same LRV of 31, so the difference is undertone rather than lightness. Sanderling (SW 7513) has the hex #A79582, which carries more blue than Tony Taupe's #A8957D. That makes Sanderling look softer and grayer, while Tony Taupe reads warmer and more clearly tan. Side by side the gap is clear, but alone in a room either can pass for the other.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Tony Taupe behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY TONY TAUPE ON YOUR ROOM →Ask a Question
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