Curio Gray
Often used for its versatile qualities, Curio Gray remains a staple for Sherwin-Williams designers. It is widely considered one of the best colors in its class to add character and warmth to any space. We've gathered 10 real-home scenarios to help you visualize this color alongside our expert data.
Hex
#988977
LRV
25.90
Curio Gray in Real Rooms
Curio Gray has a medium LRV of 25.9 — it adds real depth and will read noticeably darker as natural light fades. It's neutral in temperature and , making it adaptable across different lighting conditions and room orientations. Grouped in the Neutral family, the photos below show it applied in a dining room, front door, home office, bathroom, bedroom, mudroom, patio, living room, kitchen and house.
1 Dining Room Photo
For an "all-day" dining room, Curio Gray is surprisingly adaptable. In the morning, it feels crisp and clean for breakfast; as the sun moves, it transitions into a moodier, more reflective space that is perfect for long, lingering dinners.
Curio Gray paint in a contemporary dining room
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1 Front Door Photo
The front door is a great place to experiment with higher sheen levels. Curio Gray in a high-gloss finish creates a mirror-like surface that looks incredibly expensive and traditional, echoing the grand entryways of London or New York.
stylish front door featuring Curio Gray by Sherwin-Williams
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1 Home Office Photo
The transition from "home life" to "work life" can be signaled by the color of the room. Entering a space painted in Curio Gray provides a mental shift, telling your brain that it's time to settle in and be productive.
Sherwin-Williams Curio Gray in a mid century home office
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1 Bathroom Photo
Using Curio Gray on a bathroom vanity is a clever way to introduce color without painting the walls. It creates a sophisticated anchor for the room, especially when topped with a thick white quartz or a contrasting dark stone.
Curio Gray — wabi-sabi bathroom
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1 Bedroom Photo
There's a rhythmic quality to Curio Gray in a bedroom. It's a color that supports the circadian rhythm, mirroring the natural shadows of the evening and providing a neutral, non-stimulating canvas for the brain to decompress after a long day of digital exposure.
A traditional bedroom painted in Curio Gray
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1 Mudroom Photo
Curio Gray in the mudroom earns its keep. It's a color that can handle the traffic — grounding enough to hide the daily chaos, and intentional enough to make the transition from outside feel considered and high-end.
Curio Gray paint in a neutral mudroom
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1 Patio Photo
Exterior color behaves differently than interior — there's more bleaching, more weather, and more competition from the natural surroundings. Curio Gray holds its character in open light and tends to look even better after a few seasons than it does fresh from the can.
aesthetic patio featuring Curio Gray by Sherwin-Williams
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1 Living Room Photo
Few colors transition as gracefully from day to evening as Curio Gray. In natural light, it reads clean, grounded, and modern; by candlelight or lamp, it deepens into something much more soulful. For a living room that needs to function as a bright morning coffee spot and a moody evening lounge, that tonal range is an invaluable asset.
A minimalist living room painted in Curio Gray
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1 Kitchen Photo
In a modern kitchen, Curio Gray 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.
Curio Gray — industrial kitchen
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1 House Photo
In suburban environments, Curio Gray provides a sophisticated point of difference. It stands out from the sea of beige and grey without being "that house" that's too loud. It's the subtle, high-end choice that improves the curb appeal of the entire block.
Curio Gray color — eclectic house inspiration
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Coordinating Colors
At LRV 58 vs 26, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 26 vs 6, Curio Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Similar Colors
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 27 vs 26), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 27 and 26, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 28 and 26, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 28 and 26, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Moth Wing reads slightly lighter (LRV 29 vs 26), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 26 vs 26), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 28 vs 26), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 28 and 26, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 26 vs 26), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 27 and 26, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Complementary Colors
Curio Gray reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 6), opening up a space where Mount Etna encloses it.
Debonair reads slightly lighter (LRV 34 vs 26), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Curio Gray reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 7), opening up a space where Tarragon encloses it.
Curio Gray reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 11), opening up a space where Rain Cloud encloses it.
Curio Gray reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 7), opening up a space where Sea Mariner encloses it.
Starry Night reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (26 vs 20) makes Curio Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Lighter Colors
With LRVs of 28 and 26, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 6-point LRV gap (32 vs 26) makes Pavestone the marginally brighter of the two.
Smooth Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 37 vs 26), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 39 vs 26, Dorian Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Pussywillow reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
Darker Colors
Curio Gray reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 10), opening up a space where Prospect encloses it.
Curio Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 14), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Curio Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 15), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Curio Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 15), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Curio Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 22), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.