Anew Gray is a classic Sherwin-Williams paint shade… but calling it gray is only half the story.
Touted as a mid-toned gray, Sherwin Williams Anew Gray (SW 7030) is actually a light to medium warm greige. AKA, that happy medium between grey and beige.
It’s one shade darker than the ever-popular Agreeable Gray, so you get those same soothing, flexible characteristics with just a bit of extra punch.
That’s not to say it’s a statement shade – Anew Gray paint is a great overall neutral color that works especially well in homes with high ceilings and a lot of natural light.
Are you ready to explore SW 7030 and find out whether this is the right shade for your home? Dig into this paint color review to find out!
Anew Gray at a Glance
- Mid-tone gray shade with subtle warmth.
- Considered “greige,” existing somewhere between the gray and beige realms.
- Slight hints of purple undertones that shine under different lighting conditions.
- Popular neutral shade, pairing well with just about every color.
Anew Gray Undertones
While every gray and beige paint on the planet will have some undertones (it’s impossible for them NOT to), Anew Gray is a true neutral. What I mean by that is, it really doesn’t have any strong undertones that will pop out and stir up trouble later. That’s why it’s so awesome at being a greige paint shade.
Now that we’ve established that, we have to get real about the truth of what undertones Anew Gray DOES HAVE.
If I had to pick, there is a hint of purple hiding in there somewhere, and I’ll be sure to point this out later when we explore real homes using Anew Gray paint.
How Different Types of Lighting Affect SW 7030
Lighting can dramatically affect the way any paint shade looks in your home. And for a chameleon greige shade like Anew Gray, this is even more prominent.
Here are a couple of notes on lighting to help you determine if Anew Gray is right for your space, and how to get it right.
- North-facing light: North-facing rooms tend to be darker and feel chillier throughout the day. This paint color will appear more gray in a north-facing room but could also help to warm it up. Cool, blueish grays will only make the room feel even chillier.
- South-facing light: South-facing rooms tend to feel warmer and more golden. This shade will lean towards a soft greige and may be a perfect neutral shade in these conditions.
- East-facing light: East-facing rooms appear warmer in the morning with more light, turning cooler as the day progresses. Expect a deeper stone gray color in the morning, turning to a washed gray in the afternoon.
- West-facing light: Anew Gray will begin as a soft gray in the mornings, transforming in the afternoon western light to a lovely neutral.
Real Homes Using SW Anew Gray
Alright, time to dig into the good part: all that eye candy! But first, a warning. Do NOT fall in love with one of these rooms, run out and buy 4 cans and start painting your space! Remember the cardinal rule of painting: sample before you swipe that paintbrush!!!
And the best way to sample? Re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick samples from Samplize…
SW 7030 Kitchens and Dining Areas
A quick note here: don’t forget to consider picking the right paint finish…it’s not only about getting the color right! We have an in-depth explanation of choosing sheens here.
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).
1. Lovely Greige Kitchen Walls
This unique basement kitchen space from @alabaster_and_pearls makes the most of the high windows, combining neutral shades that work well together, such as Anew Gray on the walls along with gray and white marbled countertops, a rustic wash of white on the cabinets, and off-white country-style barstools.
2. Flexible Paint Color
Anew Gray is a flexible neutral that works great in many rooms – @lc.painting.llc features the paint color throughout this whole house!
3. Neutral Cabinets
Anew Gray cabinets are perfectly suited for this beautiful farmhouse-style kitchen from @farmandcity_interiors. As you can see, this shade works really well with medium wood tones and helps tone down the warmth, but not too much.
4. Kitchen Accent Color
This kitchen in @bringingupboyd‘s home manages to capture that coveted bright and airy feel, using Anew Gray as a sliver of wall color in the midst of off-white cabinets and backsplash.
5. Sherwin Williams Anew Gray Kitchen Door
I’m becoming more and more partial to greige and taupe door colors! I love the subtle way the color pops against the white shades in this kitchen from @sitamontgomeryinteriors (photo credit: @lindsay_salazar_photography).
It also complements the beautiful gray veining in the marble backsplash.
6. Kitchen Cabinets Leaning Beige
The dark cherry cabinets in this kitchen didn’t vibe with the new homeowner’s decor style, so Evolution of Style stepped in to paint them.
Anew Gray by Sherwin Williams was the perfect shade for this space, as it played well with the existing finishes and complimented the shades of beige and brown in the floor, counters, and backsplash. It gives the kitchen a light and bright feel – without being white.
7. Sherwin Williams Anew Gray Kitchen Walls
While painted cabinets are typically the rage these days, there’s something to be said about rich, beautiful wood cabinetry.
Anew Gray paint is a complementary, warm wall color that’s not too yellow or beige. The grayness of the wall shade helps pull the overall temperature down in this classic space shared by Iverson Homes via Houzz.
8. Kitchen Island in Anew Gray
This sparkling white beach house kitchen shared by Julie Barrett Designs has a fresh and airy feeling, with perimeter cabinets painted in Sherwin Williams Pure White.
Painting the large kitchen island in a different color, shown here in Anew Gray, adds just a touch of subtle dimension and visual interest.
9. Neutral Dining Nook
The bright light in this cheery dining room from @nikolestarrinteriors allows Anew Gray to take on soft, creamy characteristics. It looks really great with the brown, beige, and gray colors in the decor and the gold picture frames on the wall.
SW 7030 Bedrooms
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.
10. Excellent in Eclectic Homes
For a traditional look with a modern edge, Anew Gray is a great choice as a wall color. It’s more interesting and forgiving than builder-grade beige and complements layers of white and off-white along with natural touches, as in this lovely bedroom from @thetennesseehome.
This is a shade that works well with many different styles of home because it’s an all-round people pleaser. And it’s a great backdrop color for many types of decor.
11. Master Bedroom Anew Gray
In this beautiful home from Robin’s Nest Interiors, this classically decorated bedroom has a muted color palette. Anew Gray is complementary and one shade darker than the popular gray paint, Agreeable Gray.
Here, it makes a relaxing, cozy wall color while Agreeable Grey adds some airiness to the room when painted on the ceiling.
12. Popular Greige for a Reason
Like many of us, Megan from Honey We’re Home was dead set on finding the perfect paint color for her home. Many grays have sneaky blue, pink, or slight purple undertones, but she didn’t find that with Anew Gray.
She loved its beige undertones and used it as a wall color in her master bedroom, adjoining sitting room, and master bath.
13. A Solid Accent Color Choice
Flip the script! Consider painting your walls a light color, while you make the trim a bit more punchy. Anew Gray looks very nice here in Inspired by Charm‘s home as a trim and board and batten color.
Living Areas in SW 7030
The ultimate neutral, SW 7030 can easily fit any living space, no matter the design scheme.
Opt for durable finishes in these high-traffic areas, like satin or eggshell.
14. Shade-Shifter
There’s some cool light streaming into @bringingupboyd‘s traditional-style family room, making Anew Gray appear soft and gray.
Interestingly, you can see the beige tendencies in the shade on the upper walls, near artificial light. What this tells us is that the paint color is very susceptible to morphing in different lighting conditions.
15. Classic Board & Batten
SW 7030 doesn’t have to be the main event…it can work as an accent color, or only on a portion of the wall, like seen here on the board and batten detail in this lovely living room by @slb_homedecor.
It gives the space a bit of punch, but in a very muted, mature way. The walls above are painted SW Alabaster.
Oh, and if you love board and batten…we’ve got more ideas!
16. Neutral Interior Paint
This shade looks fabulous in this open-concept adjoining kitchen, dining, and living space from Iverson Homes via Houzz. Anew Gray complements the wood accents and pale stonework of the fireplace.
17. Casual Living Space Paint
This space from Suzanne Kryton is a reminder that you should always swatch a paint color in your home to be an accurate color depiction. You never know what you’re going to get!
The walls look nearly beige, with their noticeable warmth contrasting the white paint colors in the room; the effect makes this room feel super inviting.
SW 7030 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.
18. Bathroom Wall Color in SW Anew Gray
This bathroom is filled with shades of brown, white, and off-white. Interestingly, Anew Gray walls appear to have both brown and purple undertones in this space from @alabaster_and_pearls.
19. Sherwin Williams Anew Gray Bathroom Vanity
A bathroom full of neutrals doesn’t have to be boring…in fact, it’s super soothing. This vanity, painted Anew Gray, (but lightened 50%…did you know you could do that? Yup, just ask them at the paint counter for help!) adds a little punch, and the brass hardware coordinates beautifully with Anew Gray.
Curious about the wall color in this space from @ferrillsessionsdesigns? It’s the ever-popular (with good reason) Sherwin Williams Alabaster.
20. Vanity Updated with Anew Gray
Here’s one more vanity update done in Anew Gray…it’s a shade that’s attractive to use because this light greige adds a little somethin somethin without being overly dark or too moody. Thanks @j_kelly87.
21. A Wonderfully Contrasting Trim
This bathroom from Yellow Brick Home is greige at its best! Anew Gray takes on this lovely warm, almost cream quality without any hint of yellow.
It really fits this bathroom’s vintage-inspired styling.
SW 7030 Exteriors
Not just for interiors! Anew Gray brings new life to these exterior paint jobs.
22. Great Greige on a Cape Cod
Anew Gray was a great choice on @carolinerarmijo’s brick Cape Cod. And the door color? Icing on the cake!
23. Spectacular on Shutters
Anew Gray is used as the shutter paint color on @tp_fixer‘s home, while the body of the exterior is painted SW Creamy. Great combo, right?
24. Welcoming Color for a Front Door
Brittany behind @_homeiswherethehartis shared her gorgeous front door on Instagram painted…you guessed it! Anew Gray. Body color for the rest of their exterior? SW Pure White.
Other Spaces Painted in Anew Gray
There are no limitations for this popular greige shade. Check it out in these other spaces.
25. Soft and Minimal Office Space
The cool light in this pretty, minimally furnished, and decorated home office from Superior Exterior via Houzz makes Anew Gray appear softer and slightly cooler, but overall, its warmth helps keep the space from feeling too chilly.
26. Furniture-Friendly Color
SW 7030 isn’t just a wall color! It looks great on furniture, too! Check out this beautiful painted dresser paired with bedroom walls painted Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (a great combo, btw) from @cozyandevergreen.
27. Mighty in a Mudroom
Here in this mudroom, Anew Gray is used on the wainscoting, while the walls are painted Sherwin Williams Alabaster.
The combo is a great one, and the greige paint helps warm up this space from @thehydecollection a bit since the slate flooring is very cool.
Anew Gray Paint Compared to Other Colors
It often helps to see the undertones of a shade when it’s compared with similar colors. Here’s how SW 7030 stacks up against three other popular paint colors with similar tones.
Anew Gray vs Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray is an incredibly popular paint color by Sherwin Williams. Its LRV of 60 makes it considerably lighter than Anew Gray (LRV 47). Agreeable Gray will be pretty flexible for this reason alone; since it’s a light paint color, it can brighten up darker rooms, whereas Anew Gray might prove too dark for some spaces.
I said it earlier, as many have said before: Anew Gray is a darker version/one shade darker than Agreeable Gray on the same Sherwin William color strip. However, it is important to note that their undertone makeup is slightly different.
SW Agreeable Gray has a hint of green undertones, while Anew Gray leans more purple.
Sherwin Williams Anew Gray vs Amazing Gray
I’ll tell you what’s amazing about Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray – it has the same exact LRV as Anew Gray at 47! How often does that happen? In all seriousness, Amazing Gray is a beloved neutral paint color. It’s very much a greige in that it’s too warm to be considered gray and too cool to be considered beige.
It does lean more towards gray, with a comparative coolness when stacked up to beige shades, but overall, it’s a warm color. It’s maybe a tad cooler than Anew Gray (but not by much) and has a little more green in its undertone makeup.
Sherwin Williams Anew Gray vs Revere Pewter
Revere Pewter is a Benjamin Moore paint color and a popular one at that. With an LRV of 55.51, it’s a little lighter greige color than Anew Gray (LRV 47) and considerably less brown. Ben Moore calls it a light gray, and there are some apparent green undertones, especially when sidled up next to Sherwin Williams Anew Gray.
While both great neutral shades, the two are NOT complementary. Don’t use them together – you’ll be sorry.
LRV of Sherwin Williams Anew Gray (SW 7030)
Anew Gray LRV: 47
LRV stands for light reflective value, which is basically just a fancy-schmancy way of saying how dark or light a color feels based on the light reflections.
The higher an LRV is, the lighter the color is. It’s done on a scale of 1 – 100, so think of 1 as pitch black and 100 as a bright white.
Below, see Anew Gray (LRV 47), side by side with pure white (LRV 100).
Typically, I shy away from shades darker than 60 LRV as a home wall color, and as we’ve just discussed, Anew Gray paint color is darker than that at 47 LRV. It’s not that darker shades are bad by any means – they’re just trickier to master.
Since there are so many factors that can cause any paint shade (even lighter ones!) to look darker, such as the amount of natural light in a room, or the room’s directional exposure, I personally think 60 LRV seems to be the happy spot when you’re looking for a good neutral.
That being said, Anew Gray could still be the light to medium neutral shade you’ve been searching for.
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!⤵️
FAQs About Sherwin Williams Anew Gray
What color is Sherwin Williams Anew Gray?
Anew Gray is not a true gray, but not exactly a true beige either. It’s more like gray and beige fell in love and had a baby. If you’ve ever held a baby, you know that they’re incredibly soft and warm – and that’s Anew Gray for you: a warm, soft greige.
If you hold up a swatch of this paint shade next to warm colors like cream, beige or tan, it will look noticeably cooler, but in its blood, it’s really a warm color.
Any cooler, and you’re heading into warm gray territory, but this shade is warmer than that, so we must hereby dub it a greige.
Which lighting conditions are best for Anew Gray?
Anew Gray can really suit any lighting conditions, depending on your desired effect.
For example, its beige tones will come out more in West and South-facing rooms, adding warmth to your space.
If you prefer a cooler or neutral gray, low-lighting conditions will transform the color to your liking. North and East-facing lights will give you similar results.
What rooms can I use SW 7030 in?
The perfect neutral, you can use this greige shade in just about any room. It provides a lovely backdrop for any and all of your design ideas. Try it in:
Bedrooms
Living rooms
Bathrooms
Kitchens
Exteriors
Laundry rooms
Home offices
+ More!
Great Coordinating Colors
Anew Gray has lots of great complementary colors, because it’s an easy color to get along with. It’s not too dark, not too light, and sticks to a fairly neutral color recipe, if you will.
Coordinating colors can range from brights to neutrals, depending on your desired color scheme.
Here are some specific Sherwin-Williams paint colors that almost always look great when partnered up with SW Anew Gray:
- Pure White (Sherwin Williams)
- Chantilly Lace (Benjamin Moore)
- Alabaster (Sherwin Williams)
- Creamy (Sherwin Williams)
- Incredible White (Sherwin Williams)
- Greek Villa (Sherwin Williams)
- Shoji White (Sherwin Williams)
- Little Blue Box (Sherwin Williams)
Feeling lost? I gotcha, boo! Get a zero-cost copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
SW 7030 Recap
Will using Anew Gray in your home help your decor to start ANEW? Haha. We’ll see! I hope you enjoyed this in-depth look at Sherwin Williams Anew Gray.
This versatile greige can be used with appealing results in many different ways from walls to window trim, accent walls to entire homes (AKA, swatches are necessary before you purchase new paint!).
And if this is a color you’re seriously considering, remember paint-sampling is better than ending up paint-sorry! I highly recommend these peel and stick samples because they are inexpensive, re-usable and re-positionable…
More Gray Paint Colors to Consider
Still don’t know if you’ve found The One? Check out some of these other pretty grays and greiges!
- Chelsea Gray (Benjamin Moore) – a warm, dark gray
- Iron Ore (Sherwin Williams) – a stormy, deep gray
- Peppercorn (Sherwin Williams) – a pretty charcoal shade
- Dorian Gray (Sherwin Williams) – warm, mid-toned gray
- Mindful Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a warm gray that leans taupe
- Light French Gray (Sherwin Williams) – not too warm or too cool
- Gray Owl (Benjamin Moore) – an unassuming, classic light gray
- City Loft (Sherwin Williams) – a soft, neutral greige
- Worldly Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a chameleon greige
- Repose Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a popular warm greige
- Stonington Gray (Benjamin Moore) – a traditional gray
- Accessible Beige (Sherwin Williams) – a cooler, updated take on boring beige
- Edgecomb Gray (Benjamin Moore) – a popular Ben Moore greige
- Popular Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a light greige with shifty undertones
- Perfect Greige (Sherwin Williams) – does the name say it all?
Pin this paint color for later! And if you use this paint shade, leave a comment on the pin! That helps others decide if they want to try this color, too!
Pssst…before you go, I sure would love to hang out with you again really soon! And before you’re on your way, make sure you grab your free copy of the 5 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Picking Paint, so you can avoid the heartache (and hole in your wallet) when your paint choices don’t quite work out! Click here, and I’ll send your free copy right now!
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