Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams is the perfect warm gray that you’ve been looking for. It will work in any room in your home, guaranteed!
You’ve previously seen me mention that we painted our kitchen Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you it took me 12 other shades of gray before I found the right one.
What Color is Repose Gray?
It is a light to medium tone gray with warm undertones.
Is Repose Gray a Warm or Cool Color?
Repose Gray is a little closer to warm gray than a true “greige” but is still warm enough for me to consider it under that category. The warmth it has makes it perfect for any room in your home, be it a living space, kitchen, bathroom or bedroom.
If you’ve been wanting to add gray paint to a room in your home but you’re worried about cool light that tends to bring out blue undertones in everything, then I think Repose Gray will be perfect for you. It will never feel like a cold gray, which is why it is so incredibly versatile.
That’s the exact reason I stumbled upon it! All the other grays I was trying looked distinctly baby blue in our kitchen but Repose Gray had just enough hint of warmth to still look medium gray and never at all cold.
If you want to minimize the beige undertone for a cleaner gray, I would stick to keeping Repose Gray in bright spaces as the beige really comes out in darker spaces. Not that I don’t like that, I actually really love how this gray never feels cold.
Is Repose Gray a True Gray?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s really no such thing as a true gray. Every gray has some sort of undertone – whether it’s brown, blue, purple, or taupe. Of course, some grays are more closer to a neutral, “true” gray than others.
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Repose Gray’s Undertones
Repose Gray technically has a beige/taupe undertone. It has some warmth to it and could possibly flash slightly pink due to those taupe tones. It can also have the slightest green undertone in darker rooms.
Don’t be scared, though! These undertones make it a unicorn paint color that works equally well when paired with both cool and warm colors in your home! Woohoo!
This also means that Repose Gray will work with a variety of finishes throughout your home. It’s also one of the best paint colors for resale value.
The problem with our kitchen is that it’s all white and gets extremely cool light. So while Benjamin Moore’s Stonington Gray or Gray Owl (which I’ve written about before) would have been my first choice and perfect in every single other room in the house, in the kitchen they felt stark, cold and frankly, very blue.
I knew I needed a gray with a hint of beige. Not too much that it became muddy looking or actually beige, just a teeniest little bit to warm it up. Technically, Repose Gray is not quite a greige but more so a warm gray. All the other so called greiges I tried had much stronger brown undertones, and this is still firmly on the gray side of life for me.
RELATED: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. Is it still the most popular greige?
The picture above was taken right inside my front door. While the light is much warmer here than in the kitchen, Repose Gray still just has that touch of warmth to it. It’s really the perfect undertone for a gray that you will want to use throughout your home because regardless of the type of light, it will work.
What is a Good Accent Color For Repose Gray?
Paired with crisp white trim, it gives a really fresh modern feel to any room. I think one of the colors that goes really well with Repose Gray is this lovely gray-toned blue (Serious Gray by Sherwin Williams). Something about the gray-blue tone really complements it so well! (read more about my favorite blue-gray paint colors here).
If you want to accent it with a similar color but one that’s a bit darker for contrast, then Dorian Gray makes for a nice bold accent color.
If you love how it look, but want a slightly lighter and brighter color, Repose Gray looks equally amazing when lightened by 50%. I recently repainted my living room using it at 50% strength and I really wish I had done it sooner!
Repose Gray vs Agreeable Gray
Repose Gray is a bit more gray than Agreeable Gray, which has a stronger beige undertone, making it more of a greige. So Repose Gray is cooler, but it’s still a warm gray. It’s also just a smidge darker than Agreeable Gray, but the difference is barely noticeable.
Real Room Examples
I want to share with you some other spaces that have used this wonderful color. If you have cooler light or a north facing room and cannot find the right gray, definitely try Repose Gray.
Kitchens
Not only is it a lovely wall color, but Repose Gray is one of my favorite colors for cabinets. Whether you prefer brass, black or silver hardware, it will work with all of them!
Living Rooms
Bathrooms
Repose Gray never feels cold and works well with so many colors and finishes. It really is such a great paint color for any room in your home.
Bedrooms
White trim, bright light and light colored furnishings definitely help favor the cooler side of this paint color. So if you want it to lean towards gray more than its warmer side, keep that in mind.
Entryways and Mudrooms
In both the above photos, you can see how well Repose Gray works when paired with warm woods. A lot of warmer grays will start to look muddy or too beige when paired with darker woods, but Repose Gray still maintains its gray color.
Final Thoughts
Recently, I’ve had a couple of readers tell me that in their homes, Repose Gray looks blue. While in the majority of spaces this won’t happen, if you have cold northern light it may look blue or green at certain times of the day. I recommend using a very large swatch of the color before committing to ANY paint color to ensure that it works in your particular lighting situation.
Have I persuaded you to choose Repose Gray for an upcoming paint job? Or have you already used it in your home? If you think Repose Gray is too light for you, read about Mindful Gray which is a shade darker. If you’re looking for an even lighter gray that has just a hint of warmth like Repose Gray, then Paper White is also a great choice that I’m currently loving!
