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

Pearl Gray SW 0052 from Sherwin-Williams: hex #CBCEC5, LRV, undertone

Pearl Gray (SW 0052) from Sherwin-Williams is #CBCEC5 with an LRV of 60.974. 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-WilliamsPearl GraySW 0052

Hex: #CBCEC5
RGB: 203, 206, 197
LRV: 60.974
Undertone: Cool-leaning neutral, green undertone

LRV 60.974. Light: a light wall color that still reads as a color.

A neutral with a green cast (OKLCH hue 122°, chroma 0.013). Expect the green to show more in warm evening light and next to cooler whites.

Coordinating colors Sherwin-Williams suggests

Westhighland WhiteSW 7566
Polished ConcreteSW 9167

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 swatchPearl Graylight, grayish green

HEX: #CBCEC5
RGB: rgb(203, 206, 197)
HSL: hsl(80, 8%, 79%)

Best text on it: black at 13.17:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Pearl Gray#CBCEC5

Every code for Pearl Gray

HEX#CBCEC5
RGBrgb(203, 206, 197)
HSLhsl(80, 8%, 79%)
HSV80°, 4%, 81%
CMYK1%, 0%, 4%, 19%
Lablab(82.3% -2.3 4.1)
OKLCHoklch(84.7% 0.013 121.7)
Decimal13356741

Tints, shades and tones

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

90%#FAFAF9
80%#F5F5F3
70%#EFF0EE
60%#EAEBE8
50%#E5E7E2
40%#E0E2DC
30%#DBDDD6
20%#D5D8D1
10%#D0D3CB
Base#CBCEC5
10%#B7B9B1
20%#A2A59E
30%#8E908A
40%#7A7C76
50%#666763
60%#51524F
70%#3D3E3B
80%#292927
90%#141514

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#C4C6BE
20%#BCBEB7
30%#B5B7B0
40%#ADAFA9
50%#A6A7A3
60%#9E9F9C
70%#979795
80%#8F908E
90%#888887

Matching colors

Complementary

#CBCEC5
#C8C5CE

Analogous

#CECDC5
#CBCEC5
#C7CEC5

Triadic

#CBCEC5
#C5CBCE
#CEC5CB

Split complementary

#CBCEC5
#C5C7CE
#CDC5CE

Tetradic (square)

#CBCEC5
#C5CECD
#C8C5CE
#CEC5C7

Monochromatic

#818872
#A6AB9C
#CBCEC5
#F0F1EE
#F5F6F4

Pearl 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.

Pearl Gray with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Pearl Gray
Triad #C5CBCE
Triad #CEC5CB
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Pearl Gray in use

New collectionAutumn edit

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

Shop nowTag

Headline in Pearl 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#CBCEC5
Protanopia (no red cones)#CFCDC5
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#CFCDC5
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#CCCDCB

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	1.59:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	13.17:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	1.59:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	13.17:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	1.39:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --pearl-gray: #cbcec5;
  --pearl-gray-rgb: 203 206 197;
  --pearl-gray-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Pearl Gray, code SW 0052, is a light Sherwin-Williams gray with hex #CBCEC5 and RGB 203, 206, 197. Its channels are nearly equal, with green only slightly ahead, which is why it looks like a quiet gray at first glance.

Where it sits on the scale

HSL reads hsl(80, 8%, 79%) and OKLCH reads oklch(84.7% 0.013 121.7). Chroma of 0.013 is very small, so any color here is faint. The measured undertone is a cool-leaning neutral with green, at a hue of 122 degrees. LRV is 60.974, which the file places in the light band. That is bright enough to open up a modest room without turning it white.

This is a gentle way to bring a hint of green into a room that is otherwise gray, because the effect is subtle enough to read as mood rather than as a color statement.

Brand pairings

Sherwin-Williams lists only two coordinating colors: Westhighland White (SW 7566) and Polished Concrete (SW 9167). Neither one is linked here, since this site has no page for them. Ask for both chips and test them beside the gray.

Worked example

Take a west-facing laundry room where afternoon sun turns everything amber. Pearl Gray on the walls will soak up that warmth, and the faint green may be less noticeable than it would be in cool north light. Add a white ceiling and you have a tidy, calm space. If you print a wall-sign or pricing label in this color, black text reaches 13.17:1 and white only 1.59:1, so go with black.

Because the measured chroma is so low, the room around it, including flooring, fabrics and the color outside the window, will shape how the gray looks more than the paint itself does.

Close relatives

Two Sherwin-Williams neighbors sit under 2: Silver Strand (SW 7057) at ΔE 1.1 and Sea Salt (SW 6204) at 1.4. On a wall you would struggle to tell these apart from Pearl Gray. Repose Gray (SW 7015) is 3.2, so it is related but visible.

Across brands, Benjamin Moore Gray Cashmere (2138-60) is the nearest at 2.1, just past the threshold of being hard to tell apart. Healing Aloe (1562) is 3.2, Balboa Mist (1549) is 4.2 and Wish (AF-680) is 4.3, all in the related-but-visible range.

Small gaps like these can still show up across a whole room, so brush out samples and view them side by side before you buy gallons.