Sherwin-Williams Worldly GrayvsSherwin-Williams Anew Gray
Why this comparison: Neighbors on the SW greige strip; Worldly Gray is lighter, Anew Gray carries more brown. Worldly Gray and Anew Gray are very close (ΔE 4.15). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
Worldly Gray is meaningfully lighter (LRV 57 vs 47). On a wall, Worldly Gray reads light, airy; Anew Gray reads mid-tone.
What Each Color Really Is
A light warm greige with a quiet green thread running through it. That green is the part chips and paint-store lighting hide, and it is the single most useful thing to know about this color. It is not sage and it is not obvious — most people never name it — but it is why Worldly Gray looks earthy and grounded on a wall instead of chalky, and it is also why it argues with anything mauve. Sherwin-Williams sells it as the warmer sibling to Agreeable Gray, which is accurate: same job, more soil in it.
At LRV 57 it sounds light, and on paper it is only three points below Agreeable Gray (LRV 60). Three points does not sound like anything. On a wall it is: Worldly Gray sits at the heavy end of light, so it holds its color in a bright room where Agreeable Gray can wash out, and it drops noticeably faster than Agreeable Gray when the light goes away. Put both up in a sunny living room and they are near twins. Put both in a hallway with no window and Worldly Gray is the one that reads dull first.
A warm greige built on the red-orange side of the wheel, not the yellow side — and that one fact explains everything people love and hate about it. The hex is #BDB3A1, a muddy warm tan, and the color sits in the yellow-red hue family with very little saturation behind it. Low-chroma warm colors have nothing to hold them steady, so when the light turns cool the beige drains out and what is left reads mauve. That is the purple people report on their walls and cabinets. There is no violet pigment in the can; there is just a warm color with no reserves.
At LRV 47 it reflects a moderate amount of light, and the honest comparison is its own strip: Agreeable Gray (SW 7029) sits at LRV 60, a full 13 points brighter, directly above Anew Gray on the same card. That gap is bigger in a room than it sounds on paper. Expect Anew Gray to land a clear step darker on four walls than it looked on the chip — light bounces between painted walls and gets absorbed each time, so corners read heavier than the swatch ever did. Most complaints that start "it's too dark" are really this.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Worldly Gray | Anew Gray |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | SW 7043 | SW 7030 |
| Hex | #CEC6BB | #BFB6AA |
| RGB | 206, 198, 187 | 191, 182, 170 |
| LRV | 57 | 47 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Neutral | Neutral |
How Light Changes Them
Warm sun brings the tan forward and the room reads cozy and finished. Safest exposure for it.
Cool steady light thins the warmth and lets the green cast show. Warm bulbs fix most of it.
Warm and sandy at the sun hours, quieter gray the rest of the day. Expect the swing.
With no daylight the LRV 57 works against you and the wall reads muddy. Go lighter.
Warm steady sun cancels the violet completely and it reads as rich, calm greige all day.
Cool flat daylight drains the warmth: muddy taupe, sometimes mauve. Sample for a full week.
3000K lamps: warm and cozy. 3500K and cooler: the purple shows up. Change bulbs, not paint.
Exterior sun lifts it several steps — warm stone siding with zero undertone drama.
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
Open main floors with real daylight · warm oak and walnut floors · kitchen cabinets and built-ins · anyone who found gray too cold and beige too yellow
The room is a basement or has one small north window · your carpet or stone is violet-taupe · you run 4000K daylight bulbs · you want a color that never shifts
South and west rooms with real sun · homes with honey oak floors, trim or cabinets · exterior siding with white trim · anyone who found Agreeable Gray too pale
Your room faces north and stays dim · you are painting a windowless basement · your LED bulbs are 3500K or cooler · your floors are cool blue-gray LVP
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Worldly Gray vs Anew Gray FAQ
Which is lighter, Worldly Gray or Anew Gray?
Worldly Gray is lighter: LRV 57 vs 47. Worldly Gray is meaningfully lighter (LRV 57 vs 47). On a wall, Worldly Gray reads light, airy; Anew Gray reads mid-tone.
Which is warmer, Worldly Gray or Anew Gray?
They share the same undertone family — both read red-orange / warm. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Worldly Gray and Anew Gray?
Worldly Gray and Anew Gray are very close (ΔE 4.15). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Worldly Gray and Anew Gray together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 4.15 they are so close that two walls in each will read as a tinting mistake, not a design choice. Pick one, or keep them on different floors where they are never seen together.
Ask a Question