Proper Gray (SW 6003)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Proper Gray (SW 6003) is a deep, neutral gray from Sherwin-Williams: LRV 39, so it reflects about 39 percent of the light that hits it.
Colors that go with Proper Gray
Four Sherwin-Williams colors picked for Proper Gray by this site's color math: a trim white, a deeper gray, a quiet contrast from another family, a dark accent. Sherwin-Williams did not choose these pairings.
Closest match in every other brand
Each brand's closest color to Proper Gray, ranked by CIEDE2000 (deltaE): under 1.0 is indistinguishable, 1.0 to 2.3 very close, 2.3 to 5 noticeably different, over 5 clearly different.
| Brand | Closest color | Code | LRV | deltaE | How close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Moore | Stormy Monday | 2112-50 | 40.5 | 1.5 | very close |
| Behr | Cathedral Grey | UL260-7 | 39.8 | 1.5 | very close |
| Valspar | Rocky Bluffs | 4003-1C | 40 | 1.4 | very close |
| PPG Paints | Slate Pebble | 1005-4 | 42 | 1.8 | very close |
Lighter and darker in Sherwin-Williams
The Sherwin-Williams gray colors nearest to Proper Gray (LRV 39) by LRV.
Lighter than Proper Gray
Darker than Proper Gray
Color data
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
|---|---|
| Color code | SW 6003 |
| Hex | #ADA8A5 |
| RGB | 173, 168, 165 |
| HSL | 22°, 5%, 66% |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 39 |
| Lab L*, a*, b* | 69.2, 1.2, 2.2 |
| Undertone | Neutral |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Color family | Gray |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Proper Gray (SW 6003), published as #ADA8A5
#9C9EA3
#BEB2A5
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Similar shades from Sherwin-Williams
More from Sherwin-Williams
Common questions
- What is the LRV of Proper Gray (SW 6003)?
- Proper Gray has an LRV of 39. LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) and measures the share of light a surface reflects, so Proper Gray is a deep color.
- What is the closest match to Proper Gray in another brand?
- Rocky Bluffs (Valspar 4003-1C) from Valspar, at a deltaE of 1.4 (very close).
- Is Proper Gray warm or cool?
- Sherwin-Williams lists Proper Gray as neutral, with a Neutral undertone. Its Lab b* value is 2.2; a higher b* is warmer and yellower, a lower one cooler and bluer.
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.