Read all about Mindful Gray, plus see 25 real homes that use it!
Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray (SW 7016) is a warm greige shade that bounces between looking like a warm gray to straight-up taupe. It’s a fairly inoffensive paint color that looks okay anywhere, but if you are looking for an actual gray, this shade may not be right for you.
In this post, we’ll talk about absolutely everything you need to know about this shade. I’ll also show you 25 real homes that are using Mindful Gray so you can get an idea of what it could look like in your space. By the end of this post, you’ll know whether this is a color you want to swatch onto your walls or not. Let’s get going!
Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray
Mindful Gray is part of the Nurturer color collection at Sherwin Williams. According to their website, that means that if you like this color, you’re all about inviting people in.
Apparently, you will also have a “warm smile and compassionate nature” that define you. Sound about right? Whether it does or not, this shade is certainly warm and can make a space feel rather cozy when used properly.
Before we dig in, if you are the type of person who never feels completely confident in choosing paint colors, then grab a free copy of “5 Massive Paint Picking Mistakes” to help you avoid the pitfalls! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
LRV of Mindful Gray
When we are looking at paint colors to see if they will be a good fit for our home, one of the first things I look at is the LRV of each shade. LRV is an acronym that stands for Light Reflective Value.
Simply put, LRV tells us if a shade will appear lighter or darker, regardless of those pretty Instagram pics. 😉
Personally, I would caution anyone from choosing a shade that has an LRV that falls below 60, because it can feel really dark. So, what is the LRV of Mindful Gray? 48.
Choosing a paint shade is very personal. At the end of the day, you’ll have to be the one to stare at it day in and day out. But this shade would be far too dark for my personal liking. Will it work for you? That’s what you get to decide. 😉
The best way to be sure of any shade is…drumroll…to sample it! (Did you see that coming?) My recommendation for samples is using these re-usable, re-positionable, peel and stick samples that won’t damage your walls, and you can easily move around your room to see what the paint looks like on each wall ⤵
LRV…what? Don’t worry, I’ve got you! This no-cost guide will help you avoid the paint color picking mistakes most people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
Mindful Gray Compared to Other Colors
Like I said earlier, Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray is a warm greige that’s very saturated. If you are trying to decide on a gray shade for your home, see how it stacks up to some of the other popular colors.
Mindful Gray vs. Repose Gray
Repose Gray is a warm shade that has taken the interior design world by storm. This shade has slightly purple undertones but still appears mostly gray. Where Mindful Gray is decidedly warm, Repose Gray leans slightly cool.
Repose Gray has an LRV of 60. When compared with Mindful Gray’s 48, you can see how Repose is quite a bit lighter.
Mindful Gray vs. Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray lives up to its name—it’s a pretty gray that’s universally liked. It’s a warm greige that can easily fade to the background in any space.
Similar to Repose Gray above, Agreeable Gray also has an LRV of 60 in contrast to Mindful Gray’s 48. So again, Mindful Gray will be quite a bit darker.
Dorian Gray vs. Mindful Gray
Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray is a slightly warm, almost silvery gray shade of paint. This shade is quite a bit darker than Mindful Gray, with an LRV of 39.
It’s a shade that’s purchased by a lot of folks. That said, in general, it’s a tricky shade to use because of its low LRV as well as its strong undertones. I’d shy away from this shade unless you’re totally smitten.
Other Colors To Consider:
Not sure if you’re mad about Mindful Gray? No matter! There are many more beautiful shades of gray to choose from. Here are a few to consider:
- Gray Owl (Benjamin Moore): a beautiful neutral gray
- Stonington Gray (Benjamin Moore): a neutral, mid-toned gray
- Popular Gray (Sherwin Williams): a light greige with shifting undertones
- Wickham Gray (Benjamin Moore): mid-toned gray with blue undertones
- Gray Cashmere (Benjamin Moore): a mid-light blue-green with gray undertones
- Balboa Mist (Benjamin Moore): a warm light greige paint color
- Horizon (Benjamin Moore): pale gray color with subtle blue undertones
- Pigeon (Farrow & Ball): a cozy, calming blue-gray paint color
- Pussywillow (Sherwin Williams): a great mid-toned gray with beige undertones
- Top 9 Light Gray Paint Colors
If you’ve read this far and still feel unsure, definitely grab your free copy of “5 Massive Mistakes People Make When Picking Paint” to help you avoid the biggest issues people have while choosing paint color!
25 Real Life Homes Using Mindful Gray
Alrighty, friends, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. If you’ve found yourself scrolling and waiting to see how Mindful Gray looks in some real-life spaces, you’re in luck! I’ve gathered 25 homes for you to check out that all use this shade.
As you’ll notice pretty quickly, this paint color looks different in each space. That’s not unique to Mindful Gray—that’s how it works with all paint shades!
The actual look of paint can vary dramatically depending on your lighting, your lightbulbs, the scenery, what’s outside your window, what furniture you have, the trim color you pick, etc. That’s why I highly recommend that if you like this shade after reading this post, you grab a can of Mindful Gray and swatch your own walls first!
Let’s get started and take a look at some of these homes with Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray!
Mindful Gray Bathrooms
Don’t forget the finish! For bathrooms the perfect sheen is either an eggshell or satin. Why? We’ll tell you in this post about paint sheen.
1. Masterful Shad in a Master Bathroom
I really like the look of Mindful Gray in this bathroom by Rooms for Rent. This room is positively flooded with light! Because it’s so bright, that little pop of gray looks clean and balanced.
Mindful Gray Kitchens
For kitchens, eggshell or satin are popular finish choices for walls. For cabinets consider semi-gloss or high gloss for the most durable finish (and a gorgeous glow).
2. Sophisticated Cabinet Color
These Mindful Gray kitchen cabinets in Carla Aston’s design look serene in this large, open kitchen. The crown molding is painted the same shade—take a look at how those green undertones come out right above the large window on the left side.
3. Eye-Catching Kitchen Island Color
If you want to use this shade in your kitchen, the island is a great option, particularly when it’s combined with a light marble countertop as you can see in this gorgeous example by AGK Design Studio.
4. Moody in Low Light
Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray on the upper half of the wall here. One thing to take note of is how dark the color gets in the corner next to the shelf.
5. Timelessly Elegant Cabinet Color
The painted cabinets match the veining in the marble perfectly in this kitchen designed by @designidaho! (Photography credit: @sunnyskiesmedia on IG).
Mindful Gray Living Rooms
6. Open-Concept Color in Homes with Lots of Light
Here’s an example of how this Sherwin Williams gray looks in multiple rooms in a home. It works particularly well in the living room with all that height and the windows!
7. Gray, but not Gloomy
Jamie of Mindfully Gray (YES, named after THIS PAINT COLOR!) has a living room that’s flooded with natural light, making it a good candidate for a darker color. This is particularly true when it’s paired with all that light-colored furniture.
8. Subtle Shade Changes
Take a look at all the variances in this room. Right above the greenery, the green undertones are pulled out. The shade looks totally different at the top right of the wall vs the top left too, thanks to the shadows.
9. Beautiful with Blues and Whites
Look at this Mindful Gray living room and compare it to the room above. The paint color looks very different in these two spaces.
10. Warms up with (Some) Wood Tones
Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray has some green undertones peeking out in this living room, but subtly so. And check out the warmth pulled in by pairing the paint with the wood tones in this space! Lovely!
11. Family…and Fireplace Friendly
In this family room, the wall paint helps highlight the beautiful white molding/fireplace surround, making it really standout. A more saturated paint color, like this one, is also a great option for families with little ones as lighter colors tend to show handprints and stains a bit more, perhaps.
12. Glorious Green Undertones
Mindful Gray, like many colors, can lean green when around green colors. Here in this lovely living room from Simply DIY Home, you can see hints of those undertones popping through. The trim in this room is painted the ever-popular SW Alabaster.
Mindful Gray Entryways
13. Great Entry Accent
If you want to use gray, but still keep your entryway light and bright, try this smart idea and use it to accent your door.
14. Fab in a Foyer
This shade sure makes a pretty entry color here paired with the cool wood flooring, right?
15. Paired with Black Bannisters
Mindful Gray walls and a Tricorn Black painted stair bannister create a complimentary color palette in this home from Lizzy Design Blog.
Mindful Gray Exteriors
16. Ooh-Ah-MAZING Facade Palette
Pairing limestone with Mindful Gray will help draw out some of the stone’s natural darker undertones…and the result is GORGEOUS!
17. A Color To Make Your Neighbors Crane Their Necks
CHECK OUT this eye candy from Tara Nelson Designs. The main exterior color here is SW Mindful Gray. What word would you use to describe it? Me? I’m going with “drool-worthy”.
18. When a Designer Picks Her Own Paint
And here is the same designer, Tara Nelson‘s personal home…guess what color she picked. You guessed it! Mindful Gray, paired with Benjamin Moore’s Simply White for trim.
Mindful Gray Dining Rooms
19. Paint Colors: Dining Room | Jenna Kate at Home
When paired with a white bottom half, this shade makes for an elegant area to dine in.
20. Mindful Gray: Pairs Well with Meals
Jamie of Mindfully Gray serves up dinner along with a serving of design elegance, thanks to those rich wood ceilings, and the complimentary wall color.
Bedrooms with Mindful Gray
In general for bedrooms, and low-traffic areas, flat paint is fine. If you like something with a bit of shine (and more ease of cleaning) opt for eggshell or satin.
21. Romantic and Restful Tone
The bedroom is often one of the best places to experiment with darker colors like this one, IMHO. Since the main function is sleeping, why not create a romantic and restful space to slumber away in?
22. @vanfleetfamfarmhouse
Similarly, the paint shade in this bedroom works very well thanks to a wall of windows.
23. Cozy Bedroom Color
The shades of gray in this bedroom work so well together—even that cute kitty coordinates well!
Other Spaces Painted SW Mindful Gray
24. Beautiful Basement
Racheal of This is our Bliss uses Mindful Gray in her family’s basement to create a relaxing, inviting hangout space.
25. Great Neutral in a Colorful Crafting Space
Cyndy from The Creativity Exchange created a gorgeous coastal-styled family room and craft room combo space, and the greige (Mindful Gray) built-ins look so great paired with the Repose Gray walls. Together, they create a soothing, neutral backdrop for all the fun colorful crafting supplies and other decor in the space.
There you have it! 25 beautiful homes that feature Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray! Are you tempted to try this shade at home?
Remember it’s always better to sample than be sorry!
Pin this post for later! And if you use this shade, leave a comment (or better yet, a photo) on the pin! That helps others know whether they want to try this paint color, too!
Ready to show those boring, bland walls who’s the boss at home? This no-cost guide will help you sidestep mistakes that almost everyone makes when it comes to picking paint! You’ll be on your way to perfect paint promptly…pinky swear.
carlo says
Hi.
I enjoyed your post about Mindful Gray.
I have a tiny bathroom with no windows–just two light fixtures. Do you think Sherwin Williams mindful gray would be the right color if I two of my four bathroom walls are lined with small square tiles that are beige, brown and dark-brown?
Thank you,
Carla
carla says
Hi.
I enjoyed your post about Mindful Gray.
I have a tiny bathroom with no windows–just two light fixtures. Do you think Sherwin Williams mindful gray would be the right color if I two of my four bathroom walls are lined with small square tiles that are beige, brown and dark-brown?
Thank you,
Carla