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Serious Gray SW 6256
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Subtle blue undertone
In CIELAB, Serious Gray sits at L* 54.8, a* -1.1, b* -4.6. Its hue angle is 257° and its chroma is 4.8, so it leans blue only slightly — the undertone mostly shows next to whiter or grayer colors. It classifies as cool. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 16%.
LRV 22.7: dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 22.7, Serious Gray is lighter than 30% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Absorbs most light. Good for accent walls, cabinets, doors and exteriors; needs good lighting indoors.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Serious Gray
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Englewood Cliffs | 1607 | 2.09 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Rock Gray | 1615 | 2.21 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Charcoal Linen | 2133-40 | 2.51 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Closest Behr match to Serious Gray
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone | 760F-5 | 0.93 | Practically identical | |
| Mission Control | N530-5 | 2.50 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Overcast | PPU26-21 | 2.76 | Close — difference visible side by side |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storm Cloud | SW 6249 | 1.38 | Very close | |
| Downing Slate | SW 2819 | 2.02 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Scattered Showers | SW 9559 | 2.39 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Software | SW 7074 | 2.63 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Foggy Day | SW 6235 | 4.56 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Before the Storm | SW 9564 | 5.39 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Gris Morado SW 9156 · lighter, LRV 26.2
- Poolhouse SW 7603 · lighter, LRV 28.6
- Moonlit Orchid SW 9153 · lighter, LRV 28.8
- Downing Slate SW 2819 · darker, LRV 20.8
- Foggy Day SW 6235 · darker, LRV 19.5
- Special Gray SW 6277 · darker, LRV 19.2
Colors that go with Serious Gray
Sherwin-Williams's own coordinating colors for Serious Gray:
- Gossamer Veil SW 9165
- Veri Berri SW 9069
- Ice Cube SW 6252
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Going Grey SW 9554 · complementary (180°)
- Scattered Showers SW 9559 · analogous (−30°)
- Gris Morado SW 9156 · analogous (+30°)
- Renwick Heather SW 2818 · triadic (120°)
- Retreat SW 6207 · triadic (240°)
Serious Gray vs popular colors
- Aegean Teal (Benjamin Moore 2136-40, ΔE 8.7) is lighter (LRV 25.1 vs 22.7), more green, more saturated.
- Amherst Gray (Benjamin Moore HC-167, ΔE 9.1) is darker (LRV 18.8 vs 22.7), more yellow/warm.
- Gauntlet Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW 7019, ΔE 9.9) is darker (LRV 17.4 vs 22.7), more yellow/warm, more red/pink.