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

Oyster Bay SW 6206: hex #AEB3A9, LRV and undertone

Oyster Bay is Sherwin-Williams SW 6206, hex #AEB3A9, LRV 44.121. 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-WilliamsOyster BaySW 6206

Hex: #AEB3A9
RGB: 174, 179, 169
LRV: 44.121
Undertone: Cool-leaning neutral, green undertone

LRV 44.121. Mid-tone: noticeably colored; best in rooms with good daylight.

A neutral with a green cast (OKLCH hue 129°, chroma 0.015). Expect the green to show more in warm evening light and next to cooler whites.

Coordinating colors Sherwin-Williams suggests

Spare WhiteSW 6203
Greek VillaSW 7551
Prairie GrassSW 7546

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 swatchOyster Baylight gray

HEX: #AEB3A9
RGB: rgb(174, 179, 169)
HSL: hsl(90, 6%, 68%)

Best text on it: black at 9.82:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Oyster Bay#AEB3A9

Every code for Oyster Bay

HEX#AEB3A9
RGBrgb(174, 179, 169)
HSLhsl(90, 6%, 68%)
HSV90°, 6%, 70%
CMYK3%, 0%, 6%, 30%
Lablab(72.3% -3.2 4.5)
OKLCHoklch(76% 0.015 128.7)
Decimal11449257

Tints, shades and tones

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

90%#F7F7F6
80%#EFF0EE
70%#E7E8E5
60%#DFE1DD
50%#D7D9D4
40%#CED1CB
30%#C6CAC3
20%#BEC2BA
10%#B6BBB2
Base#AEB3A9
10%#9DA198
20%#8B8F87
30%#7A7D76
40%#686B65
50%#575A55
60%#464844
70%#343633
80%#232422
90%#111211

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#A9AEA5
20%#A5A9A1
30%#A0A49D
40%#9C9F99
50%#979A95
60%#929490
70%#8E8F8C
80%#898A88
90%#858584

Matching colors

Complementary

#AEB3A9
#AEA9B3

Analogous

#B3B3A9
#AEB3A9
#A9B3A9

Triadic

#AEB3A9
#A9AEB3
#B3A9AE

Split complementary

#AEB3A9
#A9A9B3
#B3A9B3

Tetradic (square)

#AEB3A9
#A9B3B3
#AEA9B3
#B3A9A9

Monochromatic

#62685B
#888F80
#AEB3A9
#D4D7D2
#F5F5F4

Oyster Bay 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.

Oyster Bay with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Oyster Bay
Triad #A9AEB3
Triad #B3A9AE
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Oyster Bay in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; oyster bay carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Oyster Bay

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#AEB3A9
Protanopia (no red cones)#B4B1A8
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#B3B1A9
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#AEB2B0

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	2.13:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	9.82:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	2.13:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	9.82:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	1.86:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --oyster-bay: #aeb3a9;
  --oyster-bay-rgb: 174 179 169;
  --oyster-bay-on: #000000;
}

On this page

#AEB3A9 is the hex for Oyster Bay, Sherwin-Williams SW 6206, a pale gray-green that sits comfortably in the mid-tone range. An LRV of 44.121 makes it lighter than a deep sage but not so light that it disappears.

Code by code

RGB reads 174, 179, 169. HSL is 90°, 6%, 68%, and OKLCH gives 76% lightness, 0.015 chroma and a hue near 129°. The channels are almost level, so the green is only a slight tilt, the sort you notice when something warmer is held beside it.

With 44.121 percent reflectance, it bounces back a bit under half the light. That suits a room with decent daylight, where it will look like a fresh, airy gray-green rather than a dull one.

Cast and light

The computed undertone is a cool-leaning neutral with a green tint. Warm lamps strengthen the green, and cooler whites nearby can make Oyster Bay seem warmer than you expected. The effect is gentle either way.

Pairings and nearest relatives

The coordinating list includes Spare White SW 6203, Greek Villa SW 7551 and Prairie Grass SW 7546. Greek Villa is #F0ECE2, and its contrast with Oyster Bay is 1.81:1, a soft and low-key pairing.

Nearest in Sherwin-Williams: Mindful Gray (SW 7016) at ΔE 5.5, Light French Gray (SW 0055) at 6, and Copen Blue (SW 0068) at 6.7. Benjamin Moore's October Mist (1495) is 4.1, Pashmina (AF-100) is 7.4 and Revere Pewter (HC-172) is 7.6.

Only October Mist falls in the related band; everything else is clearly different. Even October Mist deserves a real sample alongside.

Worked example

Think of a sunroom with white wicker furniture and tall south windows. Oyster Bay on the walls at LRV 44.121 keeps the room cool without feeling icy, and Greek Villa on the ceiling provides a soft step up. The contrast of 1.81:1 between those two is gentle by design, which suits a space meant for lounging, not for sharp definition. If you want to see a Benjamin Moore alternative, October Mist at 4.1 is the one to lay next to the wall.

On-screen text

Black text over #AEB3A9 measures 9.82:1, above AAA. White gets 2.13:1, a fail. Dark type is the right call for banners, labels or buttons in this shade.