Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray Paint – What You Need To Know
If you're looking for a nice neutral wall color, SW Mindful Gray is definitely an option worth looking at but like all neutral paint colors there are things you need to consider in order to ensure you end up with a wall color that looks amazing. Here you'll learn all about this popular greige paint color including information about Mindful Gray undertones and how lighting affects its appearance, plus see photo examples of Mindful Gray walls.
What Color Is SW Mindful Gray?
Like the name suggests this paint color is definitely gray but with the slightest warm undertones that make it a really versatile and inviting wall color. Unlike a traditional cool gray, it doesn't feel stark or too bright.
Mindful Gray undertones
When you look at the Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray color strip you'll notice that the darkest shade of this color (Black Fox SW 7020) has a lot of black with barely a hint of brown, which means as you move up the color strip to the lighter shades the warm brown undertone will be evident as well. This mix of gray and brown undertones puts this color in the greige color category.
Mindful Gray also has a tiny bit of green undertone as well that is slightly more noticeable than the green undertone in Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray paint.
Is Mindful Gray warm or cool?
This gray neutral is definitely more cool than it is warm, but it is still considered a warm gray paint color.
What is the LRV of Mindful Gray (SW 7016)?
This paint color has a light reflectance value (LRV) of 48.
Remember LRV is on a scale of 0 to 100 with 0 = black / dark and 100 = white / light. This number indicates how light or dark a paint color will appear in a room.
So on LRV scale, Mindful Gray is just a hint lighter than it is dark. One shade lighter than Mindful Gray is Repose Gray which has an LRV of 58.
When To Paint Your Walls With Mindful Gray Sherwin Williams 7016
Mindful Gray should be used in rooms with a lot of natural light because with an LRV of 48 it can make a room feel dark since it doesn't reflect a ton of light.
This would be a great color to use on an accent wall behind a bed in the bedroom or in a dining room or bathroom above molding to give a space some dimension and character.
The undertones of this color are not as warm as some other greige colors we've talked about but even in cool light they won't read too purple or blue.
When To Avoid Mindful Gray
You won't want to use this color in spaces without a lot of light unless you are going for a dark and cozy feeling in a space like a media room. This color doesn't reflect a lot of light so you'll want to be careful with it.
Other greige paint colors to consider:
Examples Of Mindful Gray Walls
This neutral can be a wall color for hallways, entry ways, and main living areas especially in an open concept home with a lot of light because it's just enough color to add warmth and allow your trim or moldings to stand out.
You can see in the photo below that the wall color changes depending on the light. The natural light coming into the space makes it look more gray, while the warmer artificial light brings out the warm undertones more.
Mindful Gray Living Room
In this living room the wall color reads a bit warm because the warm colors in the furniture and the lower warm light highlight the warm undertones.
Mindful Gray dining room
In this dining room the greige wall color helps balance out the warm tones of the dark wood dining table and the warm wood tones on the floors and makes the space feel updated and layered.
Mindful Gray Basement Walls
This basement doesn't have a lot of natural light but the Mindful Gray wall color doesn't appear too dark because there is a lot of artificial light. The warm lights highlight the warm tones of the paint making it appear less gray than if white lights were used.
Bedroom with Mindful Gray paint
This is probably my favorite example of this paint color because it acts as the perfect backdrop for this inviting cream and white color palette making this bedroom feel both fresh and inviting.
Then in this bedroom the light coming into the room and some of the other room colors are a bit warmer, changing the appearance of the wall color ever so slightly. Yet it still looks amazing when mixed with cool colors of darker grays too.
Mindful Gray cabinets
Painting cabinets with Mindful Gray to have them match the same wall color allows the built-ins to blend in and the other decor to stand out more. You can see here that where there is a lot of natural light hitting the wall, the color appears more gray and back where the natural light isn't hitting the wall, the color appears more beige.
Mindful Gray bathroom walls
I love this color paired with white trim, moldings, or tile especially when mixed with some warm wood tones. It's probably why it's a very popular color for farmhouse style.
Mindful Gray Coordinating Colors
When creating a color palette that includes Mindful Gray as your primary neutral, you have a lot of options when it comes to colors that go with Mindful Gray because it has both warm and cool undertones.
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Mindful Gray color palette with cool accent colors
If you have a mostly cool home color palette but want to add just a bit of warmth to your space to make it feel more inviting, SW 7016 could be an excellent option.
This living room is a perfect example of a cool color palette of blues and greys with Mindful Gray SW walls.
Neutral accent colors with Mindful Gray walls
This wall color creates a perfect setting for a neutral color scheme because it gives just enough contrast for soft cream furniture or bedding to give the space depth while allowing the details on furniture and other decorative items to stand out.
Complementary accent colors with Mindful Gray walls
I love a good complementary color palette especially blue and orange together. In this case both the blue and orange have slightly gray undertones so they go really well with this already gray wall color.
Mindful Gray Vs. Other Popular Sherwin Williams Greige Colors
Mindful Gray vs. Agreeable Gray
Both Agreeable Gray and Mindful Gray are considered warm gray neutrals but Mindful is less warm than Agreeable which has a bit more brown it it as well as some violet undertones. Agreeable Gray is also lighter than Mindful Gray with an LRV of 60 compared to Mindful's 48.
Mindful Gray vs. Repose Gray
These two colors are on the same color strip so they have the same barely brown and green undertones but Sherwin Williams Repose Gray is lighter with an LRV of 58.
Dorian Gray vs. Mindful Gray
Dorian Gray is one shade darker than Mindful with an LRV of 39 making it a medium-dark neutral but because they are on the same color strip, they have the same undertones.
Mindful Gray vs. Requisite Gray
Requisite Gray is slightly darker than Mindful Gray and definitely has more brown in it making it a warmer gray. It also has violet undertones which can be tricky in different lighting situations.
There's nothing better than seeing a paint sample of Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray on your own wall, in your own home's unique lighting and decor style, to help you make a clear paint decision.
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