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

Light French Gray SW 0055: hex #C2C0BB, LRV and undertone

Light French Gray is Sherwin-Williams SW 0055, hex #C2C0BB, LRV 52.625. It measures as a true neutral with almost no undertone.

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

Updated November 11, 2026

Sherwin-WilliamsLight French GraySW 0055

Hex: #C2C0BB
RGB: 194, 192, 187
LRV: 52.625
Undertone: True neutral

LRV 52.625. Mid-tone: noticeably colored; best in rooms with good daylight.

Almost no undertone (chroma 0.007): it reads as a clean gray in most light.

Coordinating colors Sherwin-Williams suggests

Origami WhiteSW 7636
Gentle GrapeSW 9074

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 swatchLight French Graylight gray

HEX: #C2C0BB
RGB: rgb(194, 192, 187)
HSL: hsl(43, 5%, 75%)

Best text on it: black at 11.55:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Light French Gray#C2C0BB

Every code for Light French Gray

HEX#C2C0BB
RGBrgb(194, 192, 187)
HSLhsl(43, 5%, 75%)
HSV43°, 4%, 76%
CMYK0%, 1%, 4%, 24%
Lablab(77.8% 0 2.8)
OKLCHoklch(80.8% 0.007 88.7)
Decimal12763323

Tints, shades and tones

From white to black in 10% steps, with Light French Gray in the middle. Tap a code to copy it.

90%#F9F9F8
80%#F3F2F1
70%#EDECEB
60%#E7E6E4
50%#E1E0DD
40%#DAD9D6
30%#D4D3CF
20%#CECDC9
10%#C8C6C2
Base#C2C0BB
10%#AFADA8
20%#9B9A96
30%#888683
40%#747370
50%#61605E
60%#4E4D4B
70%#3A3A38
80%#272625
90%#131313

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#BBBAB5
20%#B5B3AF
30%#AEADA9
40%#A8A6A3
50%#A1A09E
60%#9A9A98
70%#949392
80%#8D8D8C
90%#878686

Matching colors

Complementary

#C2C0BB
#BBBDC2

Analogous

#C2BDBB
#C2C0BB
#C1C2BB

Triadic

#C2C0BB
#BBC2C0
#C0BBC2

Split complementary

#C2C0BB
#BBC1C2
#BDBBC2

Tetradic (square)

#C2C0BB
#BBC2BD
#BBBDC2
#C2BBC1

Monochromatic

#78756C
#9E9B93
#C2C0BB
#E6E5E3
#F5F5F4

Light French Gray 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.

Light French Gray with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Light French Gray
Triad #BBC2C0
Triad #C0BBC2
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Light French Gray in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; light french gray carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Light French Gray

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#C2C0BB
Protanopia (no red cones)#C1C0BB
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#C2C0BB
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#C3BFBF

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	1.81:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	11.55:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	1.81:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	11.55:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	1.58:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --light-french-gray: #c2c0bb;
  --light-french-gray-rgb: 194 192 187;
  --light-french-gray-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Light French Gray is Sherwin-Williams SW 0055, a calm mid-light gray with the hex code #C2C0BB. The LRV of 52.625 puts it in the mid-tone band, right around the halfway mark between black and white.

Reading its values

In RGB it is 194, 192, 187. HSL gives 43°, 5%, 75%. The OKLCH reading is 80.8% lightness, 0.007 chroma and a hue near 89°. That chroma is the lowest of any color in this set, which is why the file calls it a true neutral and finds almost no undertone.

At 52.625, just over half of incoming light is reflected. The color is bright enough for a living area yet dark enough that a white ceiling reads as a clear step up.

A gray without a lean

Because it measures as a true neutral, it should look like plain gray in most light. Next to a colorful sofa or warm wood floor it will pick up a slight tint from its surroundings, which is a contrast effect, not a hidden pigment.

Cousins and cross-brand matches

Coordinating colors from the page: Origami White SW 7636 and Gentle Grape SW 9074.

Same-brand matches are Repose Gray (SW 7015) at ΔE 2.9, Mindful Gray (SW 7016) at 3.4 and Agreeable Gray (SW 7029) at 4. Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter (HC-172) is 4.3, Edgecomb Gray (HC-173) is 6.5 and Pale Oak (OC-20) is 6.6.

Four of the six fall between 2 and 5, so they are related but you will see a gap. The last two are over 5 and clearly different. No pair is below 2, so none is a quiet substitute.

Worked example

You are painting a basement family room with little natural light and a gray sectional. Light French Gray at LRV 52.625 lifts the space without going stark. Origami White SW 7636 on the trim gives a clean edge. If Repose Gray catches your eye, its ΔE of 2.9 means the change is subtle but real, so tape both sample boards beside the sectional and check them under the ceiling fixtures you will really use. A basement bulb can shift how both read, so test after dark too.

Type on #C2C0BB

Black text gives 11.55:1, a strong AAA result. White text reaches only 1.81:1. Use dark type here, and run alternatives through the contrast grid if you want to try softer inks.