Agreeable Gray vs. Repose Gray: Choosing the Perfect Sherwin-Williams Neutral Paint for Your Home

When embarking on the exciting journey of selecting paint colors for your home, two names consistently emerge as popular, trusted choices from the Sherwin-Williams palette: Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray. These versatile neutral shades have earned their status as homeowner favorites, providing a sophisticated backdrop for countless interior styles. Their widespread appeal is undeniable, yet deciding between them can often pose a delightful dilemma for many. While they share a foundational elegance, their distinct undertones and subtle characteristics mean they interact differently with light and existing decor, ultimately influencing the overall mood of a room.

This comprehensive comparison will delve deep into what makes these iconic colors similar, illuminate their crucial differences, and guide you on when and where to best utilize each, ensuring you make an informed decision for your living space. From understanding their Light Reflectance Values (LRV) to deciphering their elusive undertones, we’ll equip you with the knowledge needed to confidently select the perfect gray for your home.

Sherwin-Williams Neutral Powerhouses: Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray

Both Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray are celebrated for their ability to provide a clean, modern, and adaptable foundation for any room. They offer the perfect balance—not too dark, not too light, and remarkably flexible with various design aesthetics. Understanding their core profiles is the first step in appreciating their unique charm.

Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams (SW 7029)

Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray is a chameleon-like neutral, masterfully blending classic gray with delicate hints of beige and brown. This unique composition places it firmly in the “greige” category, making it an incredibly warm and inviting shade of gray. Its versatility is truly its superpower, allowing it to adapt effortlessly to different lighting conditions and existing decor elements. With a generous Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 60, it falls comfortably in the mid-tone range. This LRV ensures it’s bright enough to contribute to an airy, open feel in daily living spaces, yet substantial enough to prevent it from washing out, allowing its nuanced color to shine through beautifully. Agreeable Gray excels when paired with natural elements such as rich wooden furniture, exposed brick, natural stone, or earthy textiles, where its inherent warmth truly complements and enhances these features. It creates a cozy, welcoming atmosphere that feels both contemporary and timeless.

Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams (SW 7015)

Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray stands as a quintessential classic gray, known for its clean and crisp demeanor, yet possessing just a whisper of subtle beige undertones. What sets Repose Gray apart is its slight lean towards a green or blue undertone in certain lighting, which gives it a distinctly cooler edge compared to Agreeable Gray. With a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 58, it also resides in the desirable mid-tone spectrum, providing a fresh, bright, and sophisticated shade that can effortlessly transform most home environments. Repose Gray is particularly adept at harmonizing with modern aesthetics, minimalist designs, and cooler color schemes. It truly shines in rooms featuring metallic accents (like chrome, brushed nickel, or stainless steel), cool-toned art, or contemporary furnishings, where its refined coolness enhances a sleek and polished look.

Unveiling the Differences: Agreeable Gray vs. Repose Gray

While both colors are esteemed members of the gray family, their subtle distinctions are critical for achieving your desired aesthetic. Understanding these nuances will be pivotal in making your final selection.

Aspect	Agreeable Gray (SW 7029)	Repose Gray (SW 7015)
Undertones	Features a slight taupe undertone (a blend of gray and brown), lending it a distinct warmth.	A cooler gray with a hint of beige, often revealing subtle green or sometimes blue undertones, especially in cooler light.
Impact of Undertones on Overall Look	Naturally brings out and complements warm elements like wood, brick, natural fibers, and earth tones, creating a cozy and inviting ambiance.	Accentuates cooler tones in a space, working beautifully with cool lighting, metallic finishes, and monochromatic palettes, fostering a modern and sophisticated feel.
Preferred Aesthetic	Best suited for spaces that aim for a warm, balanced, and comforting atmosphere, often blending traditional and contemporary styles.	Ideal for spaces desiring a modern, minimalist, or contemporary feel with a clean and crisp edge, perfect for urban or sleek designs.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)	LRV: 60. Slightly lighter and brighter, offering a more airy and expansive feel.	LRV: 58. A tad darker than Agreeable Gray but still firmly within the light mid-tone range, maintaining excellent light reflection.
Best Use Cases	Excellent in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens that feature warm wood cabinetry, rustic elements, or a desire for a softer, more traditional look.	Perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, entryways, and living rooms where modern fixtures, metallic accents, bright white trim, or cool-toned fabrics are prominent.
Complementary Colors	Pairs beautifully with creams, warm whites, deeper browns, muted greens, and soft blues.	Complements crisp whites, deep blues, charcoal grays, emerald greens, and jewel tones.

Striking Similarities: What Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray Share

Despite their distinct personalities, Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray also share several core characteristics that contribute to their universal appeal and make them both exceptional choices for a wide range of homes.

Aspect	Description for Both Colors
Brand and Availability	Both are iconic and widely available colors from Sherwin-Williams, a leading paint manufacturer known for quality and extensive color collections. While other brands may offer color matching, optimal results are typically achieved with authentic Sherwin-Williams paint.
The Gray Family Classification	Both are firmly categorized as gray, offering a sophisticated and versatile alternative to stark whites or creams. They embody the broad spectrum of gray, which includes warm, cool, greenish, and bluish variations.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)	With LRVs of 60 and 58 respectively, both colors fall into the highly desirable lighter mid-tone range. This ensures they reflect a good amount of light, preventing rooms from feeling dark or cave-like, while still providing enough depth to truly register as a color on the walls.
Creating an Airy Feel	Thanks to their similar LRVs, both Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray are excellent at creating a light, airy, and open feel in a room. This makes them ideal for various spaces, including bedrooms, living rooms, hallways, and open-concept areas.
Popularity and Versatility	Homeowners and designers consistently choose these colors for their balanced tones—neither too light nor too dark. They are incredibly versatile, serving as perfect backdrops for minimalist, neutral, modern, and even transitional design schemes. They provide a sophisticated foundation that allows furniture and decor to truly stand out.

How to Choose the Right Gray for Your Home: A Practical Guide

Making the final decision between Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray involves more than just liking a swatch. It requires a thoughtful consideration of your home’s unique characteristics and your personal design aspirations. Here are the key points to guide your choice:

1. Analyze Your Space’s Fixed Elements and Existing Decor

Before even thinking about paint, take a good look at what’s already in your room that won’t be changing. These “fixed elements” are your primary clues:

Flooring: Do you have warm-toned hardwood floors, cool gray tiles, or a carpet with a specific undertone? Agreeable Gray will harmonize beautifully with warmer wood tones (oaks, maples, cherry), while Repose Gray might better complement cooler-toned laminate, concrete, or light gray carpets.
Cabinetry and Countertops: In kitchens and bathrooms, consider the color of your cabinets (e.g., warm wood, painted white, or cool gray) and the veining in your countertops. A warm granite or a beige backsplash will likely lean towards Agreeable Gray, while white marble or black quartz might prefer Repose Gray.
Furniture and Textiles: If your large upholstered pieces (sofa, armchairs) or existing curtains and rugs have warm browns, creams, or earthy greens, Agreeable Gray will feel more cohesive. If your decor features cooler blues, stark whites, charcoal grays, or metallic accents, Repose Gray is often a more natural fit.
Trim and Moldings: While both grays pair well with crisp white trim, Repose Gray can really pop against a clean, bright white, enhancing its cool sophistication. Agreeable Gray can also look stunning with off-white or even a slightly warmer white trim.

If your room naturally leans warm with lots of wood or earthy tones, Agreeable Gray will create a seamless, harmonious flow. Conversely, if your space features more metallic finishes, cool lighting, or a modern, minimalist aesthetic, Repose Gray will enhance that sophisticated, clean feel.

2. The Absolute Necessity of Testing Paint Colors in Your Space

This cannot be stressed enough: do not choose a paint color based solely on small swatches or online images. Paint colors are profoundly affected by light and surrounding elements, and they will look different in every home, and even in different rooms within the same home. Testing is not just recommended; it’s absolutely essential.

Large Paint Samples Are Key: Purchase large peel-and-stick samples or paint substantial sections (at least 2’x2′) on poster board for each color you’re considering. This gives you a much better sense of the color’s true appearance than tiny chips.
Observe Throughout the Day: Natural light changes dramatically from morning to evening. A color that looks perfect at noon might appear too dull or too cool in the afternoon. Observe your samples at various times of day and under different lighting conditions (sunny, cloudy, morning, evening).
Consider Artificial Lighting: Don’t forget how your artificial lighting impacts the colors. Incandescent bulbs cast a warm, yellowish glow, while LED lights can range from warm to cool (daylight). See how each paint color reacts under your typical evening lighting.
Proximity to Existing Elements: Place your samples directly next to your furniture, flooring, countertops, and other decor items. This is the only way to truly see how well they integrate and complement your existing scheme.
Compare Side-by-Side: If possible, place samples of both Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray in the same room, on different walls, and in different lighting exposures. This direct comparison will highlight their subtle differences in undertone and warmth.

Optimizing Your Paint Selection with the “Mighty Boards” Method

The “Mighty Boards” method is a highly effective and recommended approach for testing paint colors, elevating your sampling process beyond simple swatches. This technique involves painting large pieces of poster board or foam core with your chosen colors and using them to evaluate the shades in your actual living environment.

What Mighty Boards Do For You:

Provide Large, Accurate Samples: Unlike small swatches that can be misleading, large painted boards give you a comprehensive view of the color’s intensity and true hue.
Facilitate Side-by-Side Comparison: You can place multiple Mighty Boards next to each other to directly compare how different colors interact and appear in the same light.
Offer Portability and Versatility: The ability to move these painted boards around the room, from wall to wall, and even from room to room, is invaluable. This allows you to assess the color under varying light conditions and against different fixed elements.
Showcase Real-World Interaction with Lighting: By moving the boards, you can truly understand how natural light (north, south, east, west facing windows) and artificial light sources influence the color’s appearance throughout the day and night.

Why Thorough Testing Truly Matters:

The perceived color of paint is a dynamic experience, constantly shifting based on environmental factors. Neglecting a thorough testing process can lead to significant disappointment and costly repaints.

Light’s Transformative Power: The same paint color can appear dramatically different hour by hour as the sun moves across the sky or as clouds obscure the light.
Impact of Room Orientation: North-facing rooms receive cooler, indirect light, which can intensify blue or green undertones. South-facing rooms get bright, warm light, which can mute cool tones and enhance warm ones. East-facing rooms see morning warmth, while west-facing rooms get intense afternoon light.
Artificial Light’s Influence: The color temperature of your light bulbs (warm white, cool white, daylight) will directly affect how the paint color is perceived in the evenings.
Room Layout and Size: A color might look vibrant in a small, well-lit nook but can appear muted or washed out in a large, open-concept space, or vice-versa.
Existing Decor and Reflections: The colors of your furniture, artwork, flooring, and even objects outside a window (like a green tree) can cast subtle reflections and influence how the wall color is perceived.

Inspiring Spaces: Examples of Rooms Designed with Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray

To further illustrate the distinct appeal of these two popular grays, let’s visualize how they transform real living spaces. Observing rooms painted in each shade can help solidify your understanding of their characteristic vibes.

Agreeable Gray Living Room

In this Agreeable Gray living room, notice how the paint color creates a soft, embracing atmosphere. Its taupe undertones subtly enhance the warmth of the wooden flooring and furniture, making the space feel incredibly cozy and inviting. The overall impression is one of balanced comfort and understated elegance, perfect for a gathering space.

Repose Gray Living Room

Here, the Repose Gray living room exudes a refined, contemporary vibe. Its cleaner, cooler gray tone provides a crisp backdrop that beautifully highlights modern furnishings, metallic accents, and lighter textiles. The space feels open, airy, and sophisticated, showcasing how Repose Gray can elevate a minimalist or sleek design aesthetic.

Comparing Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray with Other Popular Gray Paint Colors

To further contextualize these two popular Sherwin-Williams hues, it’s helpful to see how they stack up against other beloved gray and greige paint colors. This broader comparison can help you understand where Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray fit within the vast spectrum of neutrals and how their characteristics differentiate them from other leading contenders in the paint world.

Aspect	Agreeable Gray (SW 7029)	Repose Gray (SW 7015)	Revere Pewter (HC-172) by Benjamin Moore	Mindful Gray (SW 7016)	Worldly Gray (SW 7043)
Undertones	Slight taupe (gray + brown) undertone, distinctly warm.	Cooler gray with subtle beige, often a hint of green.	A classic warm gray with a strong beige/greige undertone, leaning more beige than gray.	Slightly warm gray with a subtle green undertone, a touch darker than Repose.	A very soft, warm gray with subtle beige undertones, a true greige.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)	60 (Lighter mid-tone, very bright).	58 (Lighter mid-tone, clean).	55 (Medium light tone, good depth).	48 (True medium tone, more saturated).	57 (Lighter mid-tone, slightly less contrast).
Best For	Warm, cozy spaces with wood, natural elements, traditional to modern transitional styles.	Cooler, modern, minimalist designs, metallics, crisp whites.	Traditional and classic interiors, open-concept spaces, works with both warm and cool elements.	Spaces needing a soft, warm backdrop, great for living rooms, bedrooms, and offices, offering more depth than Agreeable Gray.	Neutral spaces that work seamlessly with both warm and cool tones, a versatile greige similar to Agreeable Gray but slightly warmer.
Overall Vibe	Balanced, soft, warm gray, highly adaptable, and welcoming.	Cool, contemporary, sophisticated, clean, and crisp.	Warm, classic, incredibly versatile, a foundational greige.	Soft, understated, warm gray with a muted feel, a more saturated neutral.	Soft, very warm, versatile neutral, a more pronounced greige.
Suitability for Modern Designs	Yes, particularly with natural materials and softer modern aesthetics.	Yes, excellent for modern, minimalist, and sleek contemporary interiors.	Can work, but often lends itself more to traditional or transitional styles.	Yes, pairs well with contemporary, subdued color schemes.	Yes, its gentle warmth makes it adaptable for both modern and traditional.
Best Room Uses	Living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, hallways, cozy nooks.	Living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, entryways, bedrooms, often whole-house color.	Living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, open-concept spaces, hallways.	Living rooms, bedrooms, home offices, open spaces, where a slightly deeper neutral is desired.	Living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms, very safe whole-house color.

Summing Up: Your Perfect Sherwin-Williams Gray Awaits

In the perennial debate between Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray, it’s clear that both Sherwin-Williams colors offer truly exceptional mid-tone options for elevating your home’s interior. Each boasts a unique charm that can transform a room, yet their differences are subtle enough to require careful consideration.

Agreeable Gray, with its comforting taupe and beige undertones, is the warmer, more inviting choice. It thrives in spaces abundant with natural wood elements, cozy textiles, and a desire for an enveloping warmth that still feels fresh and modern. It’s the perfect companion for creating a serene, balanced, and harmoniously soft atmosphere.

Repose Gray, on the other hand, presents a cleaner, more refined gray appearance, often revealing a whisper of green or blue. This makes it the ideal partner for cooler color schemes, contemporary furnishings, and metallic accents. It excels at crafting a sophisticated, crisp, and minimalist aesthetic, providing a chic backdrop for modern living.

Both colors share admirable light reflectance values, making them versatile and suitable for almost any room in your home without feeling too dark or too stark. The ultimate selection, however, hinges entirely on the unique characteristics of your specific space. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of thoroughly testing both Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray directly within your home. Observe them under different lighting conditions—natural and artificial, morning and evening. Place them next to your existing furniture, flooring, and decor to truly gauge how they interact.

By adopting this meticulous and thoughtful approach, you empower yourself to select the Sherwin-Williams paint color that not only complements your home’s architecture and existing elements but also perfectly aligns with your personal style and the ambiance you wish to create. Your ideal gray is just a sample away, ready to transform your house into a beautifully curated home.