Sherwin Williams Repose Gray Color Review

Learn all about Sherwin Williams Repose Gray, a greige paint color in this color review (Sample Here) .  Although this greige color can show warmth with brighter light conditions, it is usually on the cooler side.  Repose Gray has violet undertones.  Grays with violet undertones are the color homeowners most often think of as “gray”.  Repose is a versatile neutral that looks best in a light-filled room.   Violet grays are the ones that look like the color of elephants.

For this project, we used SW Westhighland White (Sample Here) as the foundation white for ceilings, trim and doors that were painted white.  Westhighland White is a dark off-white, or even a very light creamy white. We picked this white because there were several cases where we had warm wood in the house and a brighter color would have looked harsh.

In darker rooms or rooms with low light, it looks cooler, and I prefer to contrast with clean white ceilings and trim.

Both white trim and warm wood tones look beautiful with Repose Gray, and they bring life to each other.  The examples from this project will show how they both look with Repose Gray. As with other violet grays, if you have lots of green foliage outside, its warmth will neutralize the greenery colors so that they don’t reflect onto your walls.

The photos in this post are from one of our favorite Color Concierge Projects with another historic home in Denver. None of the photos are color edited, and we don’t use any filters in the photos so that you can see what the color looks like in a room.

I love this project as a case study because it has rooms with North, South, East and West facing exposures as well as examples with white trim and warm wood accents.

Is Repose Gray still a popular Color in 2022?

Although whites and lighter greige colors are very popular right now, the quick answer is YES!  This color is an iconic Sherwin-Williams greige paint color.   White wall colors are very popular right now, but they can be cold and difficult to decorate with, so homeowners are going back to warmer neutrals. Not everyone wants a house with white walls.  For those who want a color that shows contrast with trim and ceiling, Repose Gray could be a contender for your home.  The key is to make sure this color pairs well with your countertops, floors, carpets and decor.

What is the LRV of Repose Gray?

The LRV of Repose Gray is 58, which is slightly darker than most grays we select today.  A lighter version would be SW City Loft (Sample HERE), with an LRV of 70..  The scale goes from 1 (pure black) to 100 (pure white) and indicates how dark or light a color is.

When should I use Repose Gray?

Use Repose Gray when you have lots of light, warm wood finishes and when you have crisp whites and matching stone or quartz countertops.  It’s important that you use it with flooring, countertops and decor that have similar undertones.  Repose gray violet undertones pair well with many of the quartz veins which are violet gray.  This color can also work well with granite countertops and earthy finishes as long as they have the same undertones.  Make sure to test, test, test with natural light conditions.

This gorgeous house was transformed with paint and a few other simple changes.  We recommended that the homeowner install one floor throughout the first floor.  I don’t have photos, but in the entry he had four different wood floors meeting in one place.  Another super simple update was to raise the curtain rods so that they were between the top of the window sill and the ceiling.  This small change instantly made the ceilings look taller.

Southern Exposure

This dining room is so beautiful with South facing light.  You can see the before and after photos.  In addition to Repose Gray on the walls, we also painted the built-in china hutch Westhighland White.  We painted the trim and doors white on the main floor, but left them as wood on the second floor.  It really brightened the main floor.

Also, check out the before and after window treatments. The ceilings look taller and more graceful with the curtain rods raised.

The room looks cramped with the curtain rod resting on the window trim and the dark hutch.

Here is another view of the dining room into the Entry.  The contrast is beautiful and the wood tones in the trim and mirror bring the room to life. On this floor, we painted the trim, baseboards  and doors white because they were in bad shape.  Painting wood white is a courageous step to take, but in this situation it made sense, and made the room light and bright!

The following photo was taken upstairs.  We had to paint the ceiling SW Westhighland White because of the condition of the wood.  Both brick and plaster walls were painted with Repose Gray.  Other wood trim still remains unpainted.

Northern Exposure & Low Light

This small area shows Repose Gray with Northern Exposure and low light.  Light from the North is cool with blue undertones.   Although it looked darker it was still lovely because of the white trim and ceiling.  Adjacent light-filled rooms also added interest. I wouldn’t use this paint color in a house that had this type of light in the majority of the areas.

Here is a great example of how Repose Gray looks in low light:

Northern Exposure with lots of light

Repose gray looks lovely, but cooler in North facing light.  You can see how the corners are much colder than the areas with more sunshine.  In this upstairs bedroom, we kept the trim and ceilings unpainted, and they added so much warmth.

This bathroom is adjacent to the bedroom and shows a gorgeous combination of painted trim and warm wood ceilings.  Most of the upstairs had wood trim, but in some places we had to paint it because of its condition.  this room shows a really nice balance.

Eastern Exposure

Eastern and Western Exposure are similar.  Rooms with light from the East get the most light in the morning, and west facing rooms are sun-filled in the afternoon (in the Northern Hemisphere).  This example has warm light from the east with big lovely windows.

Another simple update was that we painted the fireplace brick Westhighland White (flat sheen).  The mantle was also painted Westhighland White, but in a semi-gloss sheen.

The homeowner had considered replacing the tile, but we left it unchanged.  The brick wasn’t in great condition and a simple coat of paint made the room light and airy.  When you paint brick, make sure that you prep rigorously.  Clean the brick carefully and use a good masonry primer before you paint.  We picked Westhighland White because it was the trim and ceiling color.  This made a harmonious and consistent palette.

Note that the before was essentially the same.  When we painted the brick, mantle and trim it TRANSFORMED the room!

Western Exposure

This downstairs dining nook had West facing windows into the backyard, with tons of foliage.  This photo was taken in the winter, so not as much green outside.  In the summer the gray will look more neutral. The floors were replaced and all the trim painted for a total transformation!

The following “before” photo shows how extreme the transformation was.

This bedroom was also West facing, later in the afternoon.  The wood looks so beautiful with the Repose Gray walls.

What are the Best White Trim and Ceiling Colors For Repose Gray?

I prefer to use this paint color with clean or bright off-whites such as SW Extra White, SW White Snow or SW Pure White.  SW Westhighland White is warmer than those colors, and it worked very well because we had so many warm woods to work with.  Westhighland White is a darker off-white, and we chose it bA brighter or lighter white would have looked too stark near the wood.  Whites with strong yellow undertones such as SW Alabaster or SW Greek Villa will work, but are not my favorites with this color because the yellow can look funky with this undertone.

Repose Gray Coordinating Colors

Pair Repose Gray with rich muted saturated jewel tones or fresh colors.  Don’t pair muted and fresh colors together.  Repose can go either way, either muted or fresh.  Yellow paint colors or creamy yellowish whites can look dingy.

1.  Pinky Beige (Sample HERE)
2. Granite Peak (Sample HERE)
3. City Loft (Sample HERE)
4. Wool Skein (Sample HERE)
5. Artichoke (Sample HERE)
6. Iron Ore (Sample HERE)

We always recommend that you test paint colors in your house because lighting can change a color completely. 

In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.

Now we have SAMPLIZE, 9X14″ Pre-Painted peel-and-stick paint samples.  Check out the SAMPLIZE website HERE.

Can I use Repose Gray for Cabinets?

You can absolutely use this color for cabinets, but I don’t have an example from our work.  It is especially beautiful with quartz that has matching undertones.  Compare your samples carefully with counter and backsplash colors.

Can I use Repose Gray for Exteriors?

Repose Gray is a FANTASTIC color for “white” trim for exteriors.   It also makes a great whole-house white paint color, especially in a heavily wooded lot.  The warmth in this greige color will neutralize the green tones from the foliage.  Remember that colors look much lighter outside in the sunshine, and this color will look like a soft white without harshness.

Comparisons With Other Greige Colors

Agreeable Gray vs. Repose Gray

Repose Gray is darker and cleaner than Agreeable Gray (Sample Here).   Agreeable Gray is warmer with a green undertone.  Usually if one of these colors looks great in a room the other will look bad.  Learn more about Agreeable Gray in our Paint Color Review here.

Gray Heron vs. Repose Gray

Between these two, Gray Heron is my favorite and part of the Sherwin-Williams Emerald Designer Edition Collection.  Paint colors in the Emerald Designer Collection start with a white base vs a gray base like the rest of the Sherwin-Williams paint colors.  They both have violet undertones, but Gray Heron is a cleaner, lighter, and crisper version.  Repose is murkier. Sadly, it comes with a higher price tag.

City Loft vs. Repose Gray

If you love Repose Gray but want a lighter version, then pick City Loft (Sample Here)  Both colors have violet undertones and accomplish similar color tasks.  I would say that City Loft is the more modern version.

Revere Pewter vs. Repose Gray

These are two iconic colors, with similar functions.  Revere Pewter (Sample Here) has green undertones, whereas Repose Gray has violet ones.  If one looks great in a room, the other one won’t.  They are both crisp and clean but Repose is slightly darker.

Collingwood vs. Repose Gray

If you are looking for the Benjamin Moore version of Repose, then Collingwood (Sample Here) is your color.  It is slightly lighter and cleaner but most people won’t notice it in a room.  If Repose looks great, then so will Collingwood.

Which Benjamin Moore Colors are like Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray?

As mentioned above, the very closest is Benjamin Moore Collingwood, though it is slightly lighter.  We never recommend paint matching, especially with light neutrals or white paint colors.  They can shift to green which wouldn’t be noticeable until you painted your walls.   Collingwood will give you the same look and feel as Repose Gray, even though they are not identical.

Learn more about matching paint colors here.

Key Learning Points

Sherwin Williams Repose Gray is a gorgeous greige with violet undertones that looks fantastic with bright whites or wood tones.  I would consider this color generally cool.  It is most commonly used as an interior wall color, and sometimes as an exterior “white” trim color.  As you can see in the photo below, the gray looks cooler in the shadow.

No matter what, don’t forget to test your paint colors. Check out the SAMPLIZE website HERE.

NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified.  Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens.  Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching Here.

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We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions.  If you want more specific advice, please consider purchasing a color consultation. Thank you for your understanding.