Sherwin Williams Light French Gray (SW 0055)

Sherwin Williams Light French Gray is a lovely medium light neutral gray paint color that works well in many settings.

Before painting our home Sherwin Williams Passive we had already painted the front office SW Light French Gray and decided that the shades complimented each other and left the color as is. Light French Gray in my husband’s front office suited the space. We contemplated changing it to match rest of the house, but since the trim and ceilings were BM White Dove; we felt the two grays worked just fine together.

Two blue print sketches in gold frames hanging on the wall

What Color is Light French Gray?

Light French Gray is a true gray with some undertones and has a medium tone and is a nice neutral. This shade of gray also has a good bit of depth to it making it not the best choice for every room.

Light French Gray will need enough light to make it look its best; natural light is best for this wonderful gray hue. support it. This shade of gray would be dark in a hallway without windows or in a small bathroom also void of windows. Natural light is best for this shade.

Sherwin Williams Light French Gary LRV & Stats

As you know, with any other painting posts I’ve written, I always break down the technicalities first because I feel it’s necessary to help you in understanding and ultimately selecting a color for your home.

The LRV or SW Light French Gray is 53 making it a more medium gray than light gray as its name suggests. If you have a dark room without many windows, the LRV or Light French Gray can make it feel a bit heavy. With the LRV of 53 the light doesn’t bounce around the room quite as much.

Light French Gray Statistics:

R:194G:192B:187
Hex Value:#c2c0bb
LRV:53

SW Light French Gray Undertones

As with any paint color, I always encourage testing a color before committing to it. What looks good on a tiny paint swatch in the paint store does not usually translate the same in your room.

Every room is different with different lighting, furniture and how much daylight the space receives. Based on lighting and location SW Light French Gray will have undertones to it and they can vary a bit.

SW Light French Gray can have a slight purple undertone and can take on this hue in certain lights. The purple is rather subdued though. However, I didn’t sense much of a purple undertone in my husband’s home office but instead had hints of green undertones. This color can also have a blue undertone depending if your space is north facing which can make the paint feel a little blue and cool.

home office with desk walls painted Sherwin Williams Light French Gray

Is Light French Gray Warm or Cool?

This color gray can be warm and cool but I feel it falls more on the cooler side than warm. Some grays with blue undertones can look icy cold, but this gray feels more moody. I would say it has a touch of cool but it’s not cold.

Home office with desk, rug, bookcase and pictures on the wall painted Sherwin Williams Light French Gray

Gray Coordinating Colors

You might be wondering what colors go with SW Light French gray. Because this gray paint is such a neutral color there are many different hues that go with this lovely shade of gray.

Since gray is a very versatile and more neutral color there are a lot of coordinating and complimentary colors that go with Light French Gray. I’ve listed a few for your here to get you on your way as you explore colors in these hues.

Pinks, greens, blue-gray shades look great with this paint color. I would stick with shades that are neutrals and earthy; however, you could pair Light French Gray with bright colors as well.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of paint colors and hues to chose from but any of these would look nice with this lovely gray shade.

Sw Light French Gray Coordinating Colors

Sherwin Williams Light French Gray Trim Colors

In our home all our trim and doors is BM White Dove in a semi-gloss finish, but there are plenty of other shades that work as a trim color.

Here are a few great paint trim color choices to select from:

Light French Gray vs. SW Passive

Throughout the main areas of our home the walls are SW Passive which is a fantastic gray color. There is a difference between the two grays and in the picture below you can see the slight differences in these two colors.

Light French Gray is darker than SW Passive; it seems to have more brown in it when you compare the two shades. SW Passive feels more blue while Light French Gray feels darker with moody, less bright tones.

SW Passive is a cool gray paint color
It’s LRV is 60
The undertones are predominantly blue and does have green and violet too
SW Passive looks best in spaces with a lot of light just like Light French Gray

SW passive vs light french gray by Sherwin Williams

Light French Gray vs. SW Agreeable Gray

Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams is going to feel more brown. It s a soft warm gray paint color that has taupe/ brown undertone which gives it a warmth with a touch of violet. SW Agreeable Gray is a nice blend of warm and cool making it a very nice gray.

Agreeable is a gray that leans towards beige, hence the term greige.

Light French Gray vs. BM Stonington Gray

Stonington Gray HC-170 is one of Benjamin Moore’s most popular neutral paint colors. Stonington Gray is a cool-toned medium gray and is not icy cold like some grays can be. BM Stonington Gray is more soft and refined than other grays of the same LRV and is a cool-toned paint color.

Stonington Gray by Benjamin Moore has an LRV of 59.75
BM Stonington Gray is a cool-toned gray with blue undertones
When compared side by side Stonington Gray is a little lighter than Light French Gray

BM Stonington Gray in the basement of our previous home.

Final Thoughts

Is Light French Gray a good color to use in your home? Sure it is!!! It is a wonderful warmish/coolish gray that works well in nicely lit spaces and with a host of coordinating hues. You can’t go wrong with this moody gray if you are looking for a nice neutral gray shade. Just remember that this color does best in well lit places; using it in a poorly lit hallway might make the color look muddy and a little gloomy.

Happy Painting friends and cheers to finding the right color for your home!