Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray: Paint Color Review
Looking for a gray wall paint that doesn't feel too stark or cold? Requisite Gray paint (SW 7023) might be the perfect gray wall paint for your living room, bedroom, bathroom, or hallways because its neutral color goes well with almost any color palette. Here I'll break down Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray so you can decide if it's the right color for you.
It's overwhelming how many different colors of gray paint there are, but choosing a gray wall color doesn't have to be panic inducing.
Gone are the days of thinking that gray walls make you feel like you're living in a jail cell. It's really all about finding a warm gray paint to give you the modern feel that gray does so well, with the warmth of more traditional or rustic interiors.
Ever ended up with the wrong paint color on your walls?
My free guide, How To Choose The Right Paint Color Every Time, will walk you through the simple steps (and tricks) to choosing the right paint color so you never end up with the wrong color again!
What Color Is Requisite Gray Sherwin Williams 7023?
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.
Requisite Gray Undertones Explained
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.
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.
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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 7023 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 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.
Other greige paint colors to consider:
Colors That Go With Requisite Gray
When deciding on an accent color for 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.
Requisite Gray Color Examples
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, 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.
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Requisite Gray 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.
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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 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.
Requisite Gray Compared To Other Greige Colors
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.
Requisite Gray vs. 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.
Requisite Gray vs. 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.
Requisite Gray vs. Repose Gray
Requisite 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 Things to Consider When Choosing Colors For Your Home
A lot of factors go into selecting colors for your home, and it goes way beyond paint color.
Things like your home color palette, existing colors in your home (that you may not be able to change), and the color of the natural light, or lack of natural light can change the way a color shows up in your home.
In my self-paced online color course, Color Made Clear, I walk you through all the steps to choosing and using color in your home to create a pulled together and cohesive look, even if you have things like cabinet color or floors you can't change.
