Read all about Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray, plus see real homes that use it!
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray (SW 7043) is a lovely chameleon greige paint color. Although it’s classified as a gray, it has quite a bit of beige in it, which helps to create a tranquil environment wherever you use it.
While it may not be as popular as some of Sherwin Williams’ better-known greiges, such as Repose Gray or Agreeable Gray, I think that’s an oversight that needs to be corrected because this beautiful paint is a versatile neutral color that pairs very well with many colors.
You know how some colors can just assault the senses? Whether they’re too bright, too dark, or they have unappealing undertones, they’re just “too much?” Well, that’s not the case with SW Worldly Gray. This color makes a beautiful background color that looks rich and inviting in a variety of lighting situations and decor styles.
Let’s check this color out and compare it to some other popular paint colors that are similar to see if it’s right for your home.
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FAQs about Worldly Gray
What are the undertones of Worldly Gray?
Wait, what are undertones? In order to understand this, you need to understand how paint colors are created. Most colors are created by mixing multiple colors together. The main color you see is called the overtone, and in certain situations, you can see the minor colors (the undertones) peek out just a bit.
This color is a warm greige (the common name for a blend of gray and beige) that has undertones of green with an occasional wink of purple.
So normally, when you look at this color, you’ll see greige. And depending on the lighting and the surrounding decor, you may see a hint of green or a tinge of purple.
What color is Worldly Gray?
SW Worldly Gray is a warm, earthy greige that, given the right lighting, can provide an ideal neutral backdrop for the rest of your decor. While a greater number of people probably know of Mindful Gray or Repose Gray, Worldly Gray is still one of Sherwin Williams’ top greige colors.
Is Worldly Gray warm or cool?
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray leans toward being a warm gray that feels earthy and natural and is easy to pair with other colors around the home.
That said, it’s not a strong warm color, so when you compare it side-by-side with other colors, it can look warmer or cooler next to those colors.
Is Worldly Gray a greige?
Yes, I would say that Worldly Gray is a greige. It’s a lovely chameleon color that can read as a warm gray or greige, depending on the lighting situation.
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Great Coordinating Colors for Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray
In general, Worldly Gray is a classic neutral and versatile paint color that looks terrific in many styles of homes and isn’t fussy about the colors you pair with it. Don’t be afraid to use it in traditional, contemporary, modern, or even farmhouse-style homes!
Here’s a quick idea of how it will likely look in different lighting situations.
- Northern light – This cool, bluer light tends to make light colors look somewhat muted and bolder colors look even darker. In north-facing rooms, Worldly Gray will appear more gray and the green undertones may peek through.
- Southern light – This is the brightest light throughout the day and tends to lean warm which often makes dark colors appear a little lighter. In south-facing rooms, Worldly Gray will read as a warm gray and you might notice just a hint of it’s purple undertone peek through.
- Eastern light – This light is brightest in the morning and has a warm yellow-orange glow; as the sun sets, east-facing rooms cool down.
- Western light – This orange-red light as the sun sets is the warmest which can sometimes make warm colors overwhelmingly warm. On the flip-side, west-facing rooms can have very cool casts of light in the early morning.
- Note: The sun in north and south facing rooms is relatively consistent throughout the day compared to light in eastern and western facing rooms. Look at samples in east and west-facing spaces often throughout the day before committing to a color.
Coordinating paint shades to consider:
This color looks stunning with warm-toned colors and rich woods. It contrasts like a stud with black, white, and dark stone colors. Try pairing Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray with:
- Alabaster
- Naval
- Pure White
- Exuberant Pink
- Urbane Bronze
- Iron Ore
- Salty Dog
- Shoji White
- Oyster Bay
- Prairie Grass
- Amazing Gray
- Whirlpool
- Sea Salt
- Soothing White
- Dried Lavender
- Dover White
LRV of Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray (SW 7043)
It’s numbers time! We’re going to take a quick look at an objective evaluation of Worldly Gray paint. Visual evaluations of colors are just too subjective because there are so many factors that impact a color. Pull up a chair, and let’s chat about Worldly Gray’s LRV.
LRV (Light Reflectance Value) is a numerical value between 0 and 100 that gives an indication of how much light a color reflects. Zero represents pure black while 100 represents pure white. Lighter paint shades have a higher LRV because it reflects more light. By contrast, darker shades have lower LRV values because they don’t reflect as much light.
The shadows and cool light are pulling out mild green undertones here, but Worldly Gray helps to balance out the darker, cool decor colors.
This paint color is solidly out of the off-white color range and in the medium range. It reflects a fair amount of light but works best in a room that has some natural or good artificial light because it can look pretty dark in rooms with no light.
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Worldly Gray Compared to Other Colors
I always think that comparing similar colors next to each other gives us a better sense of the color we’re evaluating, don’t you? It’s time to compare SW Worldly Gray with three other popular and similar shades.
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
Revere Pewter is basically the Benjamin Moore equivalent of Worldly Gray. It has an LRV of 55.51, making it noticeably darker than Worldly Gray’s 58. Both colors have a touch of green and a smidge of purple, but Revere Pewter is just the slightest bit warmer.
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
Worldly Gray’s LRV of 58 is a tad bit darker than SW Agreeable Gray’s LRV of 60. Both colors are a warm gray or greige in them, but Worldly Gray reads a bit warmer. These colors can ALMOST be used interchangeably, but I find Agreeable Gray to be a bit more neutral thanks to a slightly higher level of gray.
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray vs Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige
These two colors both have an LRV of 58, so they are equally dark (or light, however you want to look at it!) on your walls. However, although both colors are considered to be greiges, they differ in how much beige each color possesses. When put next to Worldly Gray, SW Accessible Beige looks more like a true beige.
More Colors to Consider
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray is a wonderful color in its own right, but it might not be quite what you’re looking for in your home. If that’s the case, make sure you check out these lovely alternatives!
- Gray Owl (Benjamin Moore) – a mid-toned favorite that leans cool gray.
- Light French Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a mid-toned neutral gray paint with blue undertones.
- Light Pewter (Benjamin Moore) – a light to mid-toned gray that leans cool.
- Repose Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a warm-leaning mid-toned gray.
- Pale Oak (Benjamin Moore) – a soft, light neutral greige.
- Stonington Gray (Benjamin Moore) – a mid-toned true gray.
- Anew Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a light to medium warm greige.
- Classic Gray (Benjamin Moore) – a light-toned gray with brown undertones.
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29 Real Life Homes Using SW Worldly 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!!!
As far as sampling goes, I highly recommend these non-messy, re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick paint samples ⤵
Worldly Gray Kitchens
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. Cabinetry in Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray
Worldly Gray and marble? Yes, please! As evidenced in this space from Bria Hammel Interiors, these two are the match of dream kitchens anywhere. This paint stuns on these kitchen cabinets, and you can see just how light it can look when you have good natural lighting.
2. Worldly Gray Seen in Shadows
Although you wouldn’t mistake this greige for green, you can see the green undertones coming through in this low, shadowy lighting.
3. Kitchen Walls Painted Gray
This example from Keeping It Simple Crafts is about the darkest room where I would use Worldly Gray. It is dark enough to contrast nicely against the white cabinets without being too dark.
4. Great Gray In Bright Spaces
In contrast to the dark kitchen above, this light kitchen is perfect for Worldly Gray! It looks light, bright, and very chic.
5. Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Cabinets
This kitchen from My Georgia House may not have a lot of natural light, but the bright artificial light keeps Worldly Gray light and fresh. I love how it looks against the wood grains!
Living Rooms Painted SW Worldly Gray
6. Cool Gray Color in Corners
Stunning and chic yet understated. Can those adjectives go together? You bet they can! And here’s the perfect example. You can see the color differences between where the light hits the paint and how it looks in the shadow – that’s a big difference!
7. Chameleon Color
A chameleon color like this can blend into the background or just as easily create an elegant place to retreat and relax.
8. Living Room in SW Worldly Gray
Here’s a terrific example of how well Worldly Gray can fade into the background. The bright natural light makes the paint look lighter and allows the decor to take center stage.
BTW, Chelsea of Two Twenty One LOVES this shade. If you want to see a whole house painted with this wall color, definitely take a gander at her lovely home!
9. Bring on the Beige
Bring on the greige! In previous examples, Worldly Gray reads more gray, but this lighting is bringing out its beige and green undertones.
10. Living Area in Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray
There’s plenty of natural light in this house from Authentically Emmie, but it’s cool light, which brings out the beige and green undertones.
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray 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.
11. Bedroom Walls in Worldly Gray Paint
Yes, yes, and yes. Worldly Gray pairs spectacularly well with a dark greige to create a soft and stunning monochromatic color scheme at Little House of Four.
12. The Darker Side of SW 7043
The two examples above show the light side of Worldy Gray, while this bedroom shows the darker, shadowy side of this greige.
13. Nursery Painted SW Worldly Gray
Bright light tends to wash out paint colors, as you can see here in this adorable nursery from Two Twenty One. The walls read as a very light beige.
14. Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Master
While I wouldn’t want to use Worldly Gray in a room with very little light, I love the contrast it provides in a room like this one from The Creativity Exchange that has medium lighting.
15. Kids’ Bedroom in SW 7043
Scroll through all the pictures to see the differences in how Worldly Gray reads here. The decor is pulling out its shade-shifter qualities so that it looks beige where the light hits it and green-beige in the shadows.
Dining Rooms with Worldly Gray Paint
16. Soft Gray Dining Room
Here’s Worldly Gray’s soft gray side. The cool-toned furnishings are making the paint lean ever so slightly cool.
17. Dining Room Walls SW Worldly Gray
The bright warm light in this room from Jillian Lare makes the paint read as a light greige that leans more gray than beige. It gives just enough contrast with the trim – without making the room feel dark.
18. True Greige
Low light = darker-looking paint. Worldly Gray reads as a beautiful neutral mid-toned greige.
SW Worldly 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.
19. Worldly Gray in an Updated Bathroom
I love how soft, warm, and gray Worldly Gray reads in this bathroom. The various shades of gray in the decor and cool light keep the paint from reading beige.
20. Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray Powder Room
Take a look at the effect decor and lighting can have on paint! In the main part of the room from Fox Hollow Cottage, Worldly Gray reads as a mid-toned greige, while up in the shadowy corner, you can see the decor pulling out some distinct green undertones.
21. Pairs Well With Blue
A light to mid-tone greige such as Worldly Gray pairs well with a dark blue such as SW Naval.
Laundry and Mudrooms in SW Worldly Gray Paint
22. Laundry Room Cabinets Painted Worldly Gray
Even though this laundry room from Studio McGee has low amounts of natural light, the darker surrounding decor makes Worldly Gray read as a light greige.
23. Worldly Gray Walls in Laundry Room
The shadows and cool light are pulling out mild green undertones in this space from Cottage Home Company, but Worldly Gray helps to balance out the darker, cool decor colors.
Other Spaces in Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray
24. Wordly Gray Exterior
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray looks terrific as an exterior paint color! It’s a natural fit with landscaping and stuns when paired with both light and dark shades.
25. Warm Beige with Warm/Soft White Lightbulbs
This is about as beige as Worldly Gray will ever read. The range of browns in the furnishings/decor and warm lighting pull out the beige undertones.
That’s a Worldly Gray wrap! If you have a home with enough light, Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray should be on your shortlist of colors to consider.
Definitely check for undertones before committing, and of course, always try a paint sample. This just might be the soft gray, perfect paint color you’re searching for.
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!
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.
janice says
I have a sample of Revere Pewter on my south facing living room wall and it was the only one that looked similar but lighter to the paint chip. I tried Edgecomb Gray and it goes yellow and a hint of pink so I could go with Revere Pewter but was looking for something a bit lighter and would go with the Shaker Beige that I have in other rooms. Do you have any information on another colour that may work. I was looking at Benjamin Moore Natural Cream but not sure. Thank you.
Kathryn Myhre says
I love you review of silver satin…I think it is the perfect color I’ve been looking for so thank you! Quick question, do you think it would work well next to with Repose Gray? Thanks!
Heather Thibodeau says
So glad the Silver Satin review was helpful! It’s nearly impossible to answer a question like this online…you really got to sample it on your own walls because lighting is everything, and it’s different in everyone’s home.