Cargo Pants
Often used for its versatile and reflective qualities, Cargo Pants remains a staple for Sherwin-Williams designers. It is widely considered one of the best colors in its class to provide a clean, timeless feel that works across various lighting conditions. We've gathered 10 real-home scenarios to help you visualize this color alongside our expert data.
Hex
#CDC4AE
LRV
55.75
Cargo Pants's Color Strip
Cargo Pants is the first shade on this 7-color strip, the lightest in this coordinated family. Strip 298 makes it easy to compare shades side by side and find the right depth for your space.
Cargo Pants in Real Rooms
Cargo Pants has a medium-high LRV of 55.75 — present enough to register on the wall without making a room feel heavy. It's neutral in temperature and , making it adaptable across different lighting conditions and room orientations. Grouped in the Green family, the photos below show it applied in a dining room, bathroom, bedroom, home office, front door, kitchen, mudroom, living room, house and patio.
1 Dining Room Photo
The color Cargo Pants has a way of making wood furniture look its best. Whether you have a dark mahogany table or a light oak sideboard, the undertones of the paint will pull out the natural beauty and grain of the wood.
Cargo Pants paint in a art deco dining room
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1 Bathroom Photo
The psychology of Cargo Pants in a bathroom is all about the "slow down." It's a visual cue to breathe, relax, and take your time, turning a utilitarian room into a true retreat from the frantic pace of the rest of the world.
Cargo Pants — vintage bathroom
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1 Bedroom Photo
The bedroom is where Cargo Pants really earns its place as a sanctuary. Away from direct sunlight, the color settles into a rich, cocooning tone that actively promotes rest and psychological slowing. Pair it with crisp white bedding and warm-toned wood nightstands to keep the overall palette from feeling too heavy or closed-in.
A cozy bedroom painted in Cargo Pants
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1 Home Office Photo
The psychology of home office color matters more than most people acknowledge. Cargo Pants is calm without being inert — it creates the kind of visual quiet that supports sustained focus. Lean into darker wood tones; avoid white furniture, which will compete for attention.
Sherwin-Williams Cargo Pants in a scandinavian home office
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1 Front Door Photo
Front door color is the one exterior choice that gets examined up close. Cargo Pants rewards that scrutiny — it has the kind of depth that looks richer the closer you get, rather than flatter. Pair with polished or unlacquered brass hardware for the best result.
cottagecore front door featuring Cargo Pants by Sherwin-Williams
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1 Kitchen Photo
In a modern kitchen, Cargo Pants provides the necessary "organic" touch to offset stainless steel appliances and glass backsplashes. It prevents the kitchen from feeling like a laboratory, injecting a much-needed sense of domestic warmth and culinary inspiration.
Cargo Pants — industrial kitchen
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1 Mudroom Photo
Painting mudroom cubbies and benches in Cargo Pants creates a built-in look that feels like a deliberate part of the home's architecture. It turns a utilitarian storage area into a sophisticated "moment" in the house's layout.
Cargo Pants paint in a earthy mudroom
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1 Living Room Photo
In a living room, Cargo Pants acts as a bridge between the indoors and the view outside. It carries the organic weight of the natural world into the home, allowing the greenery from windows to pop while keeping the interior feeling protected and private. Pair it with oversized plants and ceramic vessels for a full organic-modern aesthetic.
A scandinavian living room painted in Cargo Pants
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1 House Photo
On a traditional or historic home, Cargo Pants acts as a restorative force. It brings out the dignity of the original craftsmanship while making the structure feel relevant to the 21st century. It's a "new classic" in every sense.
Cargo Pants color — eclectic house inspiration
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1 Patio Photo
The way Cargo Pants interacts with fire—whether from a fire pit or outdoor torches—is magical. It catches the orange glow and creates a warm, flickering atmosphere that is perfect for late-night outdoor entertaining.
coastal patio featuring Cargo Pants by Sherwin-Williams
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Coordinating Colors
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 56), opening up a space where Cargo Pants encloses it.
Cargo Pants reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 17), opening up a space where High Tea encloses it.
Cargo Pants reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 32), opening up a space where Dahlia encloses it.
Trim Color
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 56), opening up a space where Cargo Pants encloses it.
Similar Colors
With LRVs of 56 and 54, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 56 and 54, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 56), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 56), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 4-point LRV gap (60 vs 56) makes Ancient Marble the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 56), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Warm Oats reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Natural Wool reads slightly lighter (LRV 59 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 56 and 53, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 5-point LRV gap (56 vs 50) makes Cargo Pants the marginally brighter of the two.
Complementary Colors
At LRV 56 vs 7, Cargo Pants is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 56, Starry Night is decisively the brighter choice.
Cargo Pants reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 20), opening up a space where Soulful Blue encloses it.
Cargo Pants reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 28), opening up a space where Dusty Heather encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (56 vs 47) makes Cargo Pants the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 56 vs 3, Cargo Pants is decisively the brighter choice.
Lavender Wisp reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Cargo Pants encloses it.
Lighter Colors
Incredible White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 56), opening up a space where Cargo Pants encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Cargo Pants encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (67 vs 56) makes Limewash the marginally brighter of the two.
City Loft reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 56), opening up a space where Cargo Pants encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 56), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Darker Colors
Cargo Pants reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 46), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 56 vs 38, Cargo Pants is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 36, Cargo Pants is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 56 vs 38, Cargo Pants is decisively the brighter choice.
Cargo Pants reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 36), opening up a space where Dried Edamame encloses it.