Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray: A Warm Neutral
If picking a neutral paint color has you spiraling into decision paralysis (been there 🙋🏼♀️), you’re not alone. With what feels like a million shades of gray to choose from, figuring out the right gray can be the hardest part of decorating.
But here’s the good news: you don’t have to settle for a gray that feels cold or sterile. Requisite Gray by Sherwin Williams (SW 7023) is a warm gray paint that works beautifully in living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and just about any spot where you want a cozy, modern vibe. It’s one of those rare shades that plays nice with almost any home decor style and even better, it’s neutral enough to support your whole house color palette without clashing or feeling bland.
In this post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about SW Requisite Gray paint, including undertones, coordinating colors, and why it might just be the perfect starting point if you’re trying to choose paint colors for your entire home. Let’s dive in!
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What Color Is Requisite Gray Sherwin Williams 7023?
Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray is a warm gray wall color. It has just enough warmth to it to make it feel much less stark than a straight gray, but not so much warmth that it would be considered a taupe, which has much more brown in it.
With a light reflective value of 45 it won't make your space light and airy, but it won't make it dark either. Of course how much natural or artificial light you have in a space will affect the overall feel of the colors as well.
What Undertones Does Requisite Gray Have?
If you were to ask me, "does Requisite Gray paint have undertones?" I'd say "yes," because all paint colors have undertones and they're so important to understand before you purchase paint.
Undertones tell us if a color is cool or warm and can dictate how it will show up on your painted walls, even in the lightest shades of a color, so you don't end up with pink when you wanted taupe, or purple when you were going for gray.
The undertone issue is one reason I recommend getting a sample of Requisite Gray to test on your walls first before committing to a decision.
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Is Requisite Gray warm or cool?
It's both which makes it a really great neutral paint color because it goes with almost any color palette. - Let me explain.
Cool colors have a black undertone. Since gray is a lighter shade of black it is naturally a cool color.
Warm colors have brown undertones. So when you add even just a hint of brown to a cool color, it warms it up. To determine if a gray paint has a brown undertone you'll want to look at the darker hues of the color.
Requisite Gray is a definite gray color which makes it cool but it has just a hint of brown, and even a little bit of violet, which pulls it ever so slightly into a warm shade of gray.
Does Requisite Gray look purple?
It can so you definitely want to be careful here. Like I mentioned it does have a slight violet undertone so when mixed with too much northern facing cool light it can have a slight lavender feel to it during certain times of the day. If purple or lavender is something you want to avoid, SW Requisite Gray isn't the color for you.
You can see in the image below that with a lot of warm artificial light, there is a subtle muddy lavender tint to the walls in the kitchen (behind me in the photo). I don't mind this and think it works well with the different shades of blues and grays I have in the space.
Is SW Requisite Gray a greige color?
Yes. Any gray paint color with a slight brown undertone is considered a greige color. Greige paint is a really great neutral paint color option because it goes well with almost any color palette you could think of.
Greige is a more modern and updated version of beige, tan, or taupe paint that was so popular in the 80's and in light shades, gives just enough contrast between your wall color and your trim to make them pop.
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Colors That Go With Requisite Gray Sherwin Williams
When deciding on an accent color for SW Requisite Gray, your options are limitless. This color goes with almost anything. Because it's both cool and warm, it's a perfect color to use when you have both cool and warm colors in your home color palette because it bridges them together nicely.
You can see below that in my dining room I have a lot of cool colors like black, gray, and blue that complement the gray wall color nicely. But the Requisite Gray dining room wall color looks nice with the warm wood tones in the room too, because of the slight brown undertone.
Where To Use SW Requisite Gray In Your Home
Let's take a look at Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray painted on the walls of different rooms in different homes.
Requisite Gray living room
Our living room doesn't get a lot of direct sunlight. In the winter it gets very cool indirect northern light and in the summer the natural light is a bit warmer. I love it because it gives some contrast against the white trim and white built in cabinetry to make them stand out.
And although the color palette in our family room is mostly cool, this wall color allows me to add in some wood tones and warmer accent colors without it feeling jarring.
Requisite Gray hallway and staircase
My client Leah has a lot of warm toned wood furniture so when it came to updating her space and adding in more blues and gray, SW Requisite Gray was the perfect choice for her very open concept home.
Her floor to ceiling windows flood her home with a lot of natural light. This means the lavender undertones don't show up as much and it gives just enough contrast to the white trim and black iron baluster staircase.
Requisite Gray SW bedroom
Bree from Z Design At Home painted the walls of her master bedroom with Requisite Gray, and it's a beautiful muted shade of gray that makes the room feel cozy. Again the contrast of the wall color with the white furniture makes it feel fresh and updated, but you'll notice that it goes nicely with the warm wood tones in the floors as well.
Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray bathroom
Cristina from RemodelaCasa used Requisite Gray when she remodeled her bathroom. It works perfectly with the dark wood on the cabinetry as well as the bright colorful accents.
Requisite Gray SW kitchen
Our kitchen has a lot of light cool colors so wrapping the same warm gray paint color into the kitchen from the open concept family room helped tie the rooms together while still fading into the background to let the beautiful cabinetry and light blue glass backsplash stand out.
Sherwin Williams Requisite Grey Vs. Other Popular Greige Paints
Each shade of Sherwin Williams greige paint will have a different feel when you put it on your walls based on how light or dark it is and its undertones.
SW Requisite Gray vs. SW Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams is definitely lighter than Requisite Gray with an LRV of 60. It is slightly warmer too with more brown in its undertones and won't appear violet on your walls, but does have a slight green undertone.
SW Requisite Gray vs. SW Mindful Gray
Requisite Gray is slightly darker than Sherwin Williams 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.
SW Requisite Gray vs. SW Repose Gray
SW Requisite Gray is quite a bit darker than SW Repose Gray and has a much stronger violet undertone. Requisite Gray works better in bright rooms with a lot of warm light to balance out its cool undertones.
Other greige paint colors to consider:
Final Thoughts: Is SW Requisite Gray the Right Choice for You?
If you’re craving a warm, versatile gray that doesn’t feel cold or cookie-cutter, Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray might just be your new favorite neutral. It’s stylish and flexible enough to work with almost any room, style, or mood you’re going for.
Still feeling a little unsure about choosing the perfect paint color? Don’t worry - I’ve got you covered. Check out my full guide on How to Choose Paint Colors + The Best Neutral Paint Colors to Consider to help you confidently build a color palette you’ll love coming home to.
P.S. There's no better way to create a cohesive feel than with color, but in order to avoid mistakes and get an updated look you've got to understand color like a designer.
Inside my online course, Color Made Clear, I will teach you exactly what you need to know about selecting colors for your home in everything from paint colors, to flooring and carpet, to fabrics so you can make confident color decisions and get the exact look and feel you're going for. - Even if there are finishes in your home you can't change, I'll show you how to use color to distract from them for an updated look!
