Paint colors · Sherwin-Williams, as published by the brand

Sherwin-Williams Clary Sage SW 6178: hex #ACAD97, LRV and undertone

Clary Sage (SW 6178) from Sherwin-Williams is #ACAD97 with an LRV of 40.959. It measures as a cool-leaning neutral with a green undertone.

By Paul Gunder. Every value is computed from published standards; see how ColorPlum works.

Updated November 11, 2026

Sherwin-WilliamsClary SageSW 6178

Hex: #ACAD97
RGB: 172, 173, 151
LRV: 40.959
Undertone: Cool-leaning neutral, green undertone

LRV 40.959. Mid-tone: noticeably colored; best in rooms with good daylight.

A neutral with a green cast (OKLCH hue 109°, chroma 0.031). Expect the green to show more in warm evening light and next to cooler whites.

Coordinating colors Sherwin-Williams suggests

SageySW 6175
Dover WhiteSW 6385
Tumblin' TumbleweedSW 9120

Closest colors from other brands

ΔE is the CIEDE2000 difference between the published values: under 2 is hard to tell apart on a wall, 2 to 5 is a visible but related shade. Always compare real chips before you buy.

Name, code, LRV and color value as published by Sherwin-Williams on its color page (checked 2026-11-11). A screen can only approximate paint: sheen, lighting and the screen itself all change it, so check a physical sample. ColorPlum is not affiliated with Sherwin-Williams.

ColorPlum swatchClary Sagelight, soft yellow

HEX: #ACAD97
RGB: rgb(172, 173, 151)
HSL: hsl(63, 12%, 64%)

Best text on it: black at 9.17:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Clary Sage#ACAD97

Every code for Clary Sage

HEX#ACAD97
RGBrgb(172, 173, 151)
HSLhsl(63, 12%, 64%)
HSV63°, 13%, 68%
CMYK1%, 0%, 13%, 32%
Lablab(70.2% -3.3 11.2)
OKLCHoklch(74.1% 0.031 109.3)
Decimal11316631

Tints, shades and tones

From white to black in 10% steps, with Clary Sage in the middle. Tap a code to copy it.

90%#F7F7F5
80%#EEEFEA
70%#E6E6E0
60%#DEDED5
50%#D6D6CB
40%#CDCEC1
30%#C5C6B6
20%#BDBDAC
10%#B4B5A1
Base#ACAD97
10%#9B9C88
20%#8A8A79
30%#78796A
40%#67685B
50%#56574C
60%#45453C
70%#34342D
80%#22231E
90%#11110F

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#A8A995
20%#A3A492
30%#9FA090
40%#9A9B8E
50%#96978C
60%#929289
70%#8D8E87
80%#898985
90%#848582

Matching colors

Complementary

#ACAD97
#9897AD

Analogous

#ADA397
#ACAD97
#A1AD97

Triadic

#ACAD97
#97ACAD
#AD97AC

Split complementary

#ACAD97
#97A1AD
#A397AD

Tetradic (square)

#ACAD97
#97ADA3
#9897AD
#AD97A1

Monochromatic

#5F604B
#898A6D
#ACAD97
#CECFC2
#F0F0ED

Clary Sage in 3D color space

OKLab, the space ColorPlum does its math in: lightness runs up the pole, hue goes around it and saturation grows outward. The faint shell is every color a screen can show (saturation is drawn wider than lightness so hues separate). Drag to turn it.

Clary Sage with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Clary Sage
Triad #97ACAD
Triad #AD97AC
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Clary Sage in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; clary sage carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Clary Sage

A paragraph with a link in dark text, because this color is too light for text on white; use it for fills instead.

How it looks with color-vision deficiency

A simulation (Machado and colleagues, 2009) of how the color and its complement read without one type of cone.

Typical color vision#ACAD97
Protanopia (no red cones)#B1AB96
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#B1AC98
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#AFAAA7

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	2.28:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	9.17:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	2.28:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	9.17:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	1.99:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --clary-sage: #acad97;
  --clary-sage-rgb: 172 173 151;
  --clary-sage-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Clary Sage is Sherwin-Williams SW 6178, a muted gray-green written as #ACAD97 in hex and 172, 173, 151 in RGB. It sits in the middle of the lightness scale, which makes it a color you notice on a wall rather than one that fades into the background.

What the readings show

The OKLCH value is oklch(74.1% 0.031 109.3), and HSL is hsl(63, 12%, 64%). That low chroma of 0.031 keeps it in neutral territory, and the hue angle of 109 degrees points toward green. The file's reading is a cool-leaning neutral with a green undertone, so expect the green to surface after sunset and against crisp white trim. The LRV is 40.959, a mid-tone: it reflects a bit under half of the light that lands on it, so a dim room will feel noticeably tinted.

A mid-tone like this is forgiving in a way pale colors are not: scuffs and fingerprints show less, and it needs no heavy contrast to look intentional. It does want decent light, though, so test it in the darkest corner of the room before ordering a full quantity.

Pairings Sherwin-Williams lists

The brand lists three coordinating colors for SW 6178: Sagey (SW 6175), Dover White (SW 6385, #F0EADC) and Tumblin' Tumbleweed (SW 9120). Dover White is the obvious trim candidate, since it is far lighter than the wall and has its own page here. Sagey and Tumblin' Tumbleweed have no pages on this site.

Worked example

Picture a north-facing study with oak shelving. Painting the walls and shelving backs in Clary Sage, then Dover White on the trim and ceiling, gives you a wall that holds its color even in cool daylight. If you hang a label or poster in this hue on a website, black lettering reaches 9.17:1, while white lettering manages only 2.28:1, so choose dark type.

Near neighbors

Inside the same brand, Oyster Bay (SW 6206) is ΔE 5.3, Rushing River (SW 7746) is 6.7 and Mindful Gray (SW 7016) is 7. All three are over 5, which means clearly different colors. Across brands, Benjamin Moore October Mist (1495) is 3.3 and Fieldstone (1558) is 4.5, so both are related but visible. Georgian Green (HC-115) lands at 6 and Pashmina (AF-100) at 6.2, both clearly different.

If you want to swap in a Benjamin Moore stand-in, October Mist is the closest of the group, but nothing here is under 2. Tape up a sample of each beside the real Clary Sage and judge them at the hours you actually use the room.