Softened Green (SW 6177) vs Clary Sage (SW 6178)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Softened Green, LRV 49 vs 41.
- Warmer
- About the same, both green-gray (Lab b* 10.5 vs 11.2).
- North rooms
- Softened Green keeps more brightness (L* 71.6 vs 66.1 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- Spinach White SW 6434, #E4E8DA, LRV 79: the Sherwin-Williams white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 4.2, noticeably different. At 4.2, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Softened Green (SW 6177) is lighter than Clary Sage (SW 6178) and about as warm: LRV 49 vs 41, deltaE 4.2 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Softened Green | Clary Sage | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | SW 6177 | SW 6178 | |
| Hex | #BBBCA7 | #ACAD97 | |
| RGB | 187, 188, 167 | 172, 173, 151 | |
| HSL | 63°, 14%, 70% | 63°, 12%, 64% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 49 | 41 | +8 |
| Lab L* | 75.7 | 70.1 | +5.6 |
| Lab a* | -4.0 | -4.3 | +0.2 |
| Lab b* | 10.5 | 11.2 | −0.7 |
| Undertone | Warm Yellow | Warm Yellow | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Green | Green |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Softened Green (SW 6177), published as #BBBCA7
#AAB2A5
#CCC6A7
Clary Sage (SW 6178), published as #ACAD97
#9CA395
#BDB797
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick Softened Green (SW 6177) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 8 LRV points lighter (49 vs 41), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Softened Green in other brands
Closest matches to Clary Sage in other brands
Common questions
- Is Softened Green the same color as Clary Sage?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 4.2. Most people can see the difference between Softened Green and Clary Sage side by side.
- Which is lighter, Softened Green or Clary Sage?
- Softened Green, with an LRV of 49 against 41.
Full pages
Related comparisons
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.