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Worldly Gray is a beautiful warm gray or greige paint color. It’s a bit of a chameleon depending on the light but adds a lovely warmth and softness when used correctly and in the right rooms. It’s truly an amazing gray to explore!
Is Worldly Gray a Greige Paint Color?
Greige has become a new catch phrase in the world of interior design and it simply means a combination of grey and beige. Greige is a way to add a richer color to either the base colors of grey or beige without giving up a neutral tone.
Similarly to Agreeable Gray, Worldly Gray is one of those funny chameleon paint colors that can be either classified as a warm gray paint color OR a greige. It’s a complex paint color because it can change slightly depending on the lighting situation. It’s slightly darker than Agreeable Gray, which might make it a good choice if you’re looking for one of the best neutral paint colors with a little more color saturation on your walls.
Is SW Worldly Gray Warm or Cool?
A cool or warm color in neutral tones is influenced by the ratio of beige to grey. Worldly Gray from Sherwin Williams lends itself to a warm grey.
Warm tones in a home create a soft, earthy feel and while many people tend to shy away from a full on beige look, a greige color feels more natural and can be better paired with other colors in your home.
Many homeowners are moving away from the traditional cool undertones of grey and stepping into warmer color palettes. This is where paint colors like Worldly Gray shine!
What is the LRV of Worldly Gray?
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is an indicator of the amount of light that is reflected by a color when it is illuminated by a light source. A higher value (closer to 100) means that a color will reflect more light back at you and a lower value (closer to 0) means that a color will appear darker, or absorb more light.
Worldly Gray has an LRV of 58, so it is a shade or two darker than its competitor, Agreeable Gray (at an LRV of 60).
Worldly Gray will act as a lighter paint color in a well lit room. If your room is darker, you might find it a little muddy.
What are the Undertones of Worldly Gray?
Worldly Gray can appear as a warm gray or greige, depending on the amount of light in the room and the lighting options you pair with it.
In darker spaces, a slight green undertone may become apparent. This will depend on other colors in your home and the fixtures and furnishings.
In a warm, south-facing room, Worldly Gray will act like a warm gray and the slight purple undertones may make an appearance. Don’t let that scare you! It will never look straight-up purple, but you may get that slight hint. In a north-facing room, you will see more of a true gray color shine through, while still remaining a warm paint color.
For this reason, it’s really important to make sure you are using this paint color in a room that favors it looking like a clean warm gray or greige, and that does not bring out any unwanted undertones.
SW Worldly Gray vs SW Agreeable Gray
SW Worldly Gray is considerably warmer than Agreeable Gray, which leans more into being a gray. Pairing the two together, you will also see that little bit of green poking through.
Worldly Gray is also a touch darker than Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray. While Agreeable Gray can be used in a darker room and still give the feeling of warmth and light, Worldly Gray is a darker color.
What Paint Colors Look Good with Worldly Gray?
When paired with a white, Worldly Gray is a stunning contrast that and is pleasing to the eye.
SW Worldly Gray can be used either as a full wall paint, paired with white trim, or as a feature wall color in a muted area.
When choosing a color palette to go with Worldly Gray, choose warmer tones or undertones, as this really brings out the richness of the color and it pairs especially well with richer woods.
For a chic contrast, pair Worldly Gray with black and white or deep stone colors such as a dark concrete or marble finish. Plants also look quite striking against this color, especially those with a rich green coloring.
An interesting color combination with Worldly Gray is a rich blue. Blue and Greige look great together in a color palette. It’s a great way to pop an accent color into the room.
Because Worldly Grey can have a slightly green undertone in darker spaces, or when light is limited, avoid pairing it with variants of purple.
Is Worldly Gray a Popular Paint Color Right Now?
It sure is! Greige paint colors are popular choices right now and Wordly Gray is gaining serious momentum. It’s hard to compete with Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray, two of the all time leading gray paint colors, but Worldly Gray is unique enough that it has a spot at the top.
Where Should I Use Worldly Gray?
Just to name a few options, the dining room, living room, entryway, or kitchen are all possibilities for Worldly Gray. You could also try using it as a ceiling color or an interesting front door color. It might just be the perfect paint color for your space! Revisit the section covering undertones to help you determine if the room you’re considering will be appropriate depending on the lighting conditions.
What Trim Color is Best With Worldly Gray Walls?
Like most gray pain colors, white is a great option for trim. Extra White would look great or SW Pure White. To avoid a dark room, it’s a great idea to make sure the trim color is brighter than the walls when working with Worldly Gray. White is a foolproof way to achieve this!
What Color Kitchen Cabinets Should I Pair With Worldly Gray Walls?
Again, white would be my preference. White helps brighten up the space and provides a clean look. Sherwin Williams High Reflective White would be a good duo to Worldly Gray.
It’s not the only way to style Worldly Gray, though. If you’re feeling colorful try incorporating a rich green or coastal blue.
Don’t Forget To Always Use Real Paint Samples!
Don’t forget – no matter what you’ve read or photos you’ve seen online, it’s really important to sample paint colors in your home before committing!
Samplize provides peel and stick paint samples made with real paint, that are easy to move around your home, and cheaper than buying a gazillion paint pots! It’s the only way I buy paint samples.
What Are Similar Paint Colors to Worldly Gray?
While Worldly Gray is a standout color, there are a few similar colors we can talk about. Each of these different colors has it’s own unique qualities, so is best to research before deciding to use one.
If you’ve ever heard of Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter, you’ll have a good idea how Worldly Gray could look. BM Revere Pewter is probably the closest pre-existing shade in the Benjamin Moore line. It is a bit darker in LRV however.
Already having mentioned Agreeable Gray, I won’t harp on it long but it is a very similar color. Worldly Gray is undoubtedly darker, but pretty similar to Agreeable Gray.
Finally, SW Accessible Beige is close, but more of a beige than Worldly Gray.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a warmer neutral or a sophisticated greige for your home, Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray is the perfect greige color. It does not over stimulate your senses and provides a warm, earthy tone that can be used in any area with as long as there is much light. This neutral paint color is rapidly becoming a go-to greige favorite.
Jenna I have golden Oak kitchen cabinets, house built in 1999, but I want to paint the kitchen and open living area and would like to know what color white or greige paint should I use on the walls? The floors are all hardwood in a golden oak color as well. PLEASE HELP :)
Hi Jenna,
Take a look at BEHR Dolphin Fin. It is a beautiful colour. Painted our main floor and hallways with it. Love it!
Lorna
Hello there. You said that Worldly Gray has an LRV of 57. It does not. It says LRV of 58 on the Sherwin Williams fan deck!
The Sherwin Williams website says 57.
Would lightening world gray by 25% help with its undertones ? Or would it make it a better choice for all rooms even if not well lit
I haven’t personally seen it lightened so I can’t honestly tell you. Sometimes lightening them totally changes the color (Agreeable Gray is not great lightened, Repose Gray is beautiful lightened). Usually the undertone is still there, but just in a lighter form. If you are looking for a nice, lighter gray that works well in darker rooms then I love Repose Gray lightened by 50% or something lighter, like BM Paper White.
Hello Andrea, I have exact same question would love to know if you sid finally reduce the undertone before using, if yes, did it change the undertone?