Valspar Gray Matter#A09995 · LRV 32.3
Gray Matter reads as a red-orange / warm — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover the spec, what Valspar T521 actually looks like under different light, and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Gray Matter |
| SKU | T521 |
| Hex | #A09995 |
| RGB | 160, 153, 149 |
| HSL | 22°, 5%, 61% |
| LRV | 32.3 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Gray |
About Valspar Gray Matter
Gray Matter sits in the mid-range at LRV 32.3, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Gray Matter 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.
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.
Sherwin-Williams
Magnolia Home
Behr
Benjamin Moore
PPG / Glidden
Dunn-Edwards
Farrow & Ball
Clare
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Gray Matter within Valspar'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 #A09995 in HSL space. Pair Gray Matter 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.