Verdict: Sherwin-Williams Anew Gray (SW 7030), HEX #BDB6A9, LRV 51, is the warm mid-greige that quietly anchors more Country Club Plaza Kansas City facades than any other SW pick in 2026. The undertone is a balanced taupe-cream that holds its identity better than Agreeable Gray on south walls and warmer than Repose Gray on north walls, with no blue-violet drift. On Mediterranean Revival, transitional Tudor and stucco builds the soft warm read pairs cleanly with terracotta tile, mushroom trim and dark bronze accents. Above latitude 42 on overcast north exposures the taupe base subtracts and Anew Gray can read closer to a soft warm beige, but on south, east, west and the vast majority of US north walls it delivers a relaxed warm-greige character no cooler SW mid-tone can match.
FacadeColorizer is a free AI exterior paint visualizer. Across 13,611 facade simulations analyzed in our 2026 Greige Barometer, Sherwin-Williams Anew Gray (SW 7030) ranked the #4 most-tested SW warm-gray at 6% of all warm-greige exterior previews, behind Accessible Beige (SW 7036), Mega Greige (SW 7031) and Worldly Gray (SW 7043) and ahead of Balanced Beige (SW 7037). We then field-tested Anew Gray on a Country Club Plaza Kansas City MO Mediterranean Revival (1,820 sq ft, stucco and lap siding, October 2025 through April 2026) with mushroom and Urbane Bronze trim variations to map the warm mid-greige across every season. This complete SW Anew Gray exterior guide covers official specs, the four-orientation undertone map, the trim and door pairings that actually work, the architectural styles it suits, and a side-by-side against Agreeable Gray, Repose Gray and Worldly Gray. For the broader brand context, see our Sherwin-Williams exterior paint guide 2026.
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SW Anew Gray 7030: Official Exterior Specs
Anew Gray sits in the warm mid-greige zone on the Sherwin-Williams® color wall, immediately next to Mega Greige (SW 7031) and one shade up from Accessible Beige (SW 7036). Here are the published values used by paint stores, designers and visualizers in 2026:
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| SW Code | SW 7030 Anew Gray |
| HEX (screen approximation) | #BDB6A9 |
| RGB | 189, 182, 169 |
| LRV (Light Reflectance Value) | 51 |
| Hue family | Warm greige, taupe-cream base, mid-tone |
| SW collection | Suburban Modern palette, Top 50 specified SW exterior 2024 to 2026, Mediterranean Revival favorite |
| Recommended exterior product | SW Emerald Exterior, Duration Exterior, SuperPaint Exterior |
| Standard sheen for siding | Satin (lap siding), low-lustre or flat (stucco) |
Sources: Sherwin-Williams® SW 7030 Anew Gray technical data sheet, sherwin-williams.com, retrieved May 2026; FacadeColorizer 2026 Greige Barometer (13,611 simulations).
Why Anew Gray Is the Country Club Plaza Kansas City Pick
The Country Club Plaza historic district in Kansas City MO, built between 1922 and the late 1930s in a Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean Revival idiom inspired by Seville, is one of the United States' densest concentrations of stucco exteriors with terracotta tile roofs. Walk the Plaza in 2026 and Anew Gray will be on more stucco walls than any other SW warm-greige. Four structural reasons explain its dominance:
- LRV 51 sits in the Mediterranean Revival sweet spot. Light enough to bounce the Missouri afternoon sun back at terracotta tile and copper accents, dark enough to anchor the typical 1.5 to 2.5 story Plaza facade without disappearing into limestone landscaping. Below LRV 40 a warm-greige reads as a true gray-brown and clashes with red-orange tile; above LRV 60 the warm base washes out under direct summer sun.
- The taupe-cream undertone harmonizes with red-orange clay tile. Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray skew cool and clash with terracotta roofs; pure beiges like Accessible Beige can compete with tile color. Anew Gray's balanced taupe base reads as a quiet neutral that lets the roof and ironwork lead the composition. This is the single biggest reason it dominates Plaza repaints and Kansas City designer specifications in 2024 to 2026.
- It bridges classic Plaza limestone and modern transitional builds. Anew Gray reads warmer than Worldly Gray (SW 7043, LRV 57) but cooler than Accessible Beige (SW 7036, LRV 58). For homeowners restoring a Plaza-area Mediterranean Revival or building a Kansas City transitional, Anew Gray is the bridge color that ages well alongside both Indiana limestone and modern fiber cement siding.
- Kansas City designer demand drove the rest of the Midwest. Plaza-area specifications by KC firms in 2023 to 2025 propagated through Pinterest, Houzz Pro and regional builder networks. By 2026 Anew Gray is a top-10 SW exterior pick in Tulsa OK, St Louis MO, Wichita KS and Omaha NE Mediterranean and transitional builds. See our popular Sherwin-Williams exterior paint colors 2026 ranking and our exterior painting Kansas City MO cost guide for the regional cost context.
For the head-to-head with the cooler mid-tone alternative most homeowners cross-shop, see our SW Repose Gray 7015 exterior guide 2026 and the slightly different undertone balance in our SW Worldly Gray 7043 exterior guide 2026.
Anew Gray Undertones: The Soft Taupe-Cream Base
Strip the marketing and Anew Gray is a balanced taupe-cream warm mid-greige. The pigment composition is roughly:
- Dominant undertone: warm taupe (about 7 to 9% of the pigment load), lighter and slightly more violet-neutral than Mega Greige's yellow base.
- Secondary undertone: a soft cream that keeps the read warm without pushing into beige territory or yellow drift.
- Tertiary pigment: a faint gray-mauve (around 3 to 4%) that surfaces in late afternoon and gives Anew Gray its "old plaster" quality on Mediterranean stucco.
On exteriors this undertone profile is what makes Anew Gray a safer pick than Agreeable Gray on a south-facing wall in Phoenix or Texas, where the cool greige can drift toward an unflattering pink-violet by 2 p.m. The taupe base resists both blue and pink drift. For the head-to-head against the cooler greige most homeowners initially consider, see our SW Repose Gray 7015 exterior guide 2026. And for the next step up into warmer mushroom territory, see our SW Mega Greige 7031 exterior guide 2026.
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All 4 Orientations: How Anew Gray Reads on Your Facade
On our Country Club Plaza Kansas City MO field test, we photographed each facade orientation at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. across 7 months. The pattern below tracks the American Institute of Architects 2024 Daylight Reference for the Northern Hemisphere and matches reader-submitted samples in 2025 SW Color Stories threads.
| Orientation | Typical light temperature | How Anew Gray reads | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| South-facing | 3,500 to 4,500 K | Soft taupe-greige, warm plaster midday, warm cream late afternoon | Strongly recommended, balanced warm read all day |
| East-facing | 4,500 to 5,500 K AM, cooler PM | Crisp warm greige morning, neutral taupe afternoon | Strongly recommended, the most stable orientation |
| West-facing | 3,000 to 4,000 K late, warm sunset | Soft greige morning, warm pinkish-cream at sunset | Recommended, pairs best with Urbane Bronze or mushroom trim |
| North-facing (below latitude 36) | 5,500 to 6,500 K | Soft warm greige holds its identity year-round | Recommended, very mild shift only |
| North-facing (above latitude 42) | 7,500 to 10,000 K | Taupe base subtracts slightly, can read as a soft warm beige on overcast days | Test first; the shift is less severe than Mega Greige but consider Worldly Gray SW 7043 in deep-north climates |
Sources: American Institute of Architects 2024 Daylight Reference; FacadeColorizer Kansas City MO Plaza field test (October 2025 to April 2026); SW Color Stories community threads 2025.
The biggest variable is latitude, not season. A Charleston SC, Austin TX or Albuquerque NM north-facing wall holds Anew Gray's warm plaster identity year-round. A Minneapolis MN, Boston MA or Seattle WA north-facing wall in January can read closer to a soft warm beige. For the broader gray-exterior context, see our gray exterior paint colors 2026 guide.
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Trim Pairings: 5 Combinations That Make Anew Gray Sing
The trim is what carries Anew Gray from quiet greige to confident facade. Five SW trim colors do the heavy lifting in 2026, with Urbane Bronze and Alabaster at the top of the Plaza-style list.
1. Urbane Bronze (SW 7048): the Mediterranean Revival anchor
LRV 8. The SW Color of the Year 2021 remains the #1 trim pick on Anew Gray facades in our 2026 dataset (28% of saves). A deep warm brown-black with a faint green undertone that mirrors weathered bronze and harmonizes with Anew Gray's taupe-cream base. On Plaza-style stucco with terracotta tile, Urbane Bronze on window casings, balcony railings and downspouts reads as authentic Spanish Colonial ironwork without the cold steel feel of Tricorn.
2. Alabaster (SW 7008): the warm white frame
LRV 82. The classic warm white SW pick. Alabaster on window casings, columns and portico arches against Anew Gray stucco reads as a relaxed Mediterranean Revival look, less graphic than black trim and softer than charcoal. Especially effective on 1920s and 1930s Plaza-era restorations and transitional homes that want a soft framed read.
3. Pavestone (SW 7642): the tonal mushroom move
LRV 36. A one-step-darker mushroom that creates a soft tonal layer rather than a high-contrast frame. Pavestone harmonizes with Anew Gray's taupe base for a subtle layered facade where the trim reads as part of the same family. Works on transitional ranches, modern farmhouse builds and stucco homes that want a quieter trim choice than Urbane Bronze.
4. Iron Ore (SW 7069): the warmer charcoal
LRV 6. The warmest near-black on the SW deck, with a hint of brown. Iron Ore on soffits, gutters and shutter blocks gives Anew Gray a modern farmhouse anchor without competing with the warm-greige base. Strong on the Kansas City modern farmhouse builds that borrow Plaza palette for a contemporary read.
5. Tricorn Black (SW 6258): the high-contrast modern
LRV 3. A true neutral black with no blue or brown shift. Tricorn delivers the boldest modern contrast against Anew Gray but reads colder than Urbane Bronze or Iron Ore. Best on minimalist transitional builds where the homeowner wants a graphic black window-frame aesthetic. Read more about this strategy in our Sherwin-Williams exterior color combinations 2026.
Side-by-side preview of Urbane Bronze, Alabaster, Pavestone, Iron Ore and Tricorn trim on your siding, free.
Front Door Colors That Pop Against SW Anew Gray
The door is the single highest-leverage color choice on a greige-sided home. Four picks consistently outperform on Anew Gray facades in our 2026 Greige Barometer simulations.
- SW Cavern Clay (SW 7701, LRV 23): The SW Color of the Year 2019, a terracotta-rust that mirrors Mediterranean Revival roof tile and pulls Anew Gray's taupe-cream base into a confident Spanish Colonial palette. Most-tested Anew Gray door color in our dataset (26% of saves). Strong in Kansas City, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson and Texas Hill Country.
- SW Urbane Bronze (SW 7048, LRV 8): The matched-trim move, where door and trim share the same warm bronze for a Plaza-historic continuous read. Pairs with hand-forged ironwork and copper light fixtures.
- SW Naval (SW 6244, LRV 4): A saturated traditional navy that adds a confident contrast point to the warm greige. Strong on transitional builds and on Plaza-style Mediterranean Revivals where the homeowner wants to break the warm palette with one cool focal point.
- SW Sage Green Light (SW 2851, LRV 49): A soft sage that mirrors Anew Gray's warmth and gives the facade an organic earthy quality. Practical for transitional and Craftsman bungalow builds with a garden front.
For broader cross-brand context on door colors, see our Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore exterior comparison.
Architectural Styles That Suit Anew Gray Best
Anew Gray's warm mid-greige is a chameleon, but four styles consistently deliver the strongest curb appeal in our 2026 dataset:
- Mediterranean Revival: The dominant 2024 to 2026 pairing in Kansas City, Tampa FL, Albuquerque NM and Southern California: Anew Gray stucco plus Urbane Bronze trim plus terracotta tile roof plus a Cavern Clay door. For the broader regional context, see our Mediterranean Revival house exterior paint colors US 2026.
- Transitional suburban: Anew Gray siding with Pavestone or Urbane Bronze trim and a natural limestone foundation. Reads as a quieter alternative to Mega Greige with a slightly softer warmth that ages well on builds in every region.
- Spanish Colonial Revival: Anew Gray stucco with arched portico, Alabaster trim and hand-forged iron details. The taupe-cream base sits comfortably alongside red clay tile, copper gutters and patinated bronze hardware.
- Modern farmhouse with a warm tilt: For the homeowners who think Mega Greige reads "a touch too yellow," Anew Gray delivers the same warm modern farmhouse anchor with a more taupe-neutral undertone. Use with Iron Ore or Tricorn trim and standing-seam metal roof. See our modern farmhouse exterior paint colors 2026 top 15.
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SW Anew Gray vs Agreeable Gray vs Repose Gray vs Worldly Gray
The four most cross-shopped SW warm-to-cool greiges on the US exterior market, side by side:
| Color | LRV | Undertone | Reads as | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW Anew Gray (7030) | 51 | Warm taupe-cream, mid-tone | Soft warm plaster greige | Mediterranean Revival, Spanish Colonial, transitional, Plaza-style stucco |
| SW Agreeable Gray (7029) | 60 | Neutral greige with hint of taupe-pink | Light balanced greige | Traditional, suburban, all-orientation safe but skews pink-violet on south walls in hot climates |
| SW Repose Gray (7015) | 58 | Cool gray with hint of taupe | Soft cool greige | Modern minimalist, urban builds, hot sunny climates |
| SW Worldly Gray (7043) | 57 | Warm greige with green-gray base | Soft balanced greige | Transitional, traditional, all-orientation safe in cooler climates |
Sources: Sherwin-Williams® SW 7030, 7029, 7015, 7043 technical data sheets retrieved May 2026; FacadeColorizer 2026 Greige Barometer. Trademarks of their respective owners, used under nominative fair use.
Bottom line: Anew Gray is the darker, warmer Mediterranean Revival anchor of the four, with a taupe-cream base that pairs cleanly with terracotta tile. Agreeable Gray is 9 LRV points lighter and skews neutral-to-cool with a faint pink-violet that can become a liability on hot south walls. Repose Gray is the cool minimalist pick. Worldly Gray is the all-purpose neutral with a soft green-gray base, slightly lighter and a touch cooler than Anew Gray.
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How to Test Anew Gray on Your House Before You Commit
A 3-inch fan-deck chip is the leading cause of "we hate the color" regrets, especially on warm greiges where the undertone can shift dramatically by orientation and roof material. The Sherwin-Williams® color education team recommends a 12-inch peel-and-stick ColorSnap Express sample painted on at least two opposite-facing walls and observed at three times of day, ideally with the actual roof tile or shingle in the same frame. The faster, no-paint route is a digital visualizer that lets you apply Anew Gray to your real house photo before buying a single sample pot. Painter cost varies sharply by region; for Kansas City and the surrounding Midwest see our exterior painting Kansas City MO cost guide. For neighbor colors that complement Anew Gray see our SW Worldly Gray 7043 guide, SW Repose Gray 7015 guide and SW Mega Greige 7031 guide.
For external authoritative resources, the Sherwin-Williams® brand page for Anew Gray is the canonical reference at sherwin-williams.com. Consumer Reports' annual exterior paint testing methodology is documented at consumerreports.org, and HGTV's design editorial on greige exterior trends is at hgtv.com.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HEX code and LRV for SW Anew Gray 7030?
Sherwin-Williams Anew Gray (SW 7030) has a screen-approximation HEX of #BDB6A9 and an RGB value of 189, 182, 169. Its Light Reflectance Value is 51 according to the official Sherwin-Williams technical data sheet, placing it in the warm mid-greige range alongside Mega Greige (LRV 50). The actual painted finish varies slightly by sheen, substrate and lot; always confirm with a manufacturer sample.
Is SW Anew Gray a warm or cool greige?
SW Anew Gray is a warm greige. The dominant undertone is taupe-cream, balanced by a soft cream base and a touch of faint gray-mauve that surfaces in late afternoon. Unlike Repose Gray or Mindful Gray which skew cool and can drift blue on north walls, and unlike Agreeable Gray which can drift pink-violet on south walls in hot climates, Anew Gray holds a stable warm plaster character across most US orientations, which is why it has become the dominant SW warm-greige on Mediterranean Revival and Plaza-style facades in 2026.
What is the best trim color for SW Anew Gray siding in 2026?
Urbane Bronze (SW 7048, LRV 8) is the dominant 2026 trim pairing on Anew Gray facades, used in 28% of all Anew Gray saves in our Greige Barometer. Alabaster (SW 7008) is the warm white pick for Mediterranean Revival and transitional homes. Pavestone (SW 7642) creates a one-step-darker mushroom tonal layer. Iron Ore (SW 7069) is the warm near-black for modern farmhouse builds. Tricorn Black (SW 6258) is the high-contrast modern alternative on minimalist transitional builds.
What front door color works best with Anew Gray siding?
Four picks consistently outperform: SW Cavern Clay (SW 7701, LRV 23) for a terracotta Mediterranean Revival pull, SW Urbane Bronze (SW 7048, LRV 8) for a matched-trim continuous read, SW Naval (SW 6244, LRV 4) for a saturated traditional navy contrast, and SW Sage Green Light (SW 2851, LRV 49) for an organic earthy quality. Cavern Clay is the most-tested at 26% of Anew Gray facade saves in our 2026 Greige Barometer.
SW Anew Gray vs Agreeable Gray exterior: which should I pick?
Anew Gray (LRV 51) is 9 points darker and slightly warmer than Agreeable Gray (LRV 60). Agreeable Gray is the lighter near-neutral pick that works on traditional suburban builds but can drift pink-violet on hot south walls in Phoenix, Austin or Atlanta. Anew Gray is the warmer mid-tone with a taupe-cream base that anchors a facade more strongly and resists the pink shift. If your facade has terracotta tile, copper accents or warm stone, Anew Gray. If you want a lighter near-white-gray look on a transitional build in a temperate climate, Agreeable Gray.
Is Anew Gray a good color for north-facing exterior walls?
Below latitude 36 (Charleston SC, Austin TX, Phoenix AZ, Los Angeles CA), Anew Gray holds its warm plaster identity on north-facing walls year-round. Above latitude 42 (Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle) the taupe base can subtract slightly on overcast days and Anew Gray drifts toward a soft warm beige. The shift is less severe than Mega Greige's khaki drift, but in deep-north climates test first and consider Worldly Gray SW 7043 if a flatter neutral is preferred.
How does Anew Gray compare to Mega Greige and Worldly Gray?
Anew Gray (LRV 51) sits 1 point lighter than Mega Greige (SW 7031, LRV 50) but has a taupe-cream undertone where Mega Greige has a more pronounced yellow base. Both are warm mid-greiges, with Anew Gray reading slightly more neutral-plaster and Mega Greige reading slightly more linen-yellow. Anew Gray is 6 points darker than Worldly Gray (SW 7043, LRV 57), with a warmer taupe base where Worldly Gray carries a soft green-gray balance. For Mediterranean Revival pick Anew Gray. For modern farmhouse with strong yellow warmth pick Mega Greige. For an all-purpose softer neutral pick Worldly Gray.
Which architectural styles is SW Anew Gray best suited for?
Four styles deliver the strongest curb appeal in our 2026 Greige Barometer: Mediterranean Revival (Anew Gray stucco plus Urbane Bronze trim and terracotta tile roof, the dominant Country Club Plaza Kansas City pairing), transitional suburban (Anew Gray siding with Pavestone or Urbane Bronze trim and natural limestone foundation), Spanish Colonial Revival (Anew Gray stucco with arched portico, Alabaster trim and hand-forged ironwork), and modern farmhouse with a warm tilt (Anew Gray siding with Iron Ore or Tricorn trim and standing-seam metal roof). The taupe-cream base is what makes it compatible across all four where cooler greiges clash with terracotta and warm stone.
Upload one photo and see Anew Gray siding with five trim options and four door colors before you commit to a single gallon.
Disclaimer: SHERWIN-WILLIAMS, ANEW GRAY, AGREEABLE GRAY, REPOSE GRAY, WORLDLY GRAY, MEGA GREIGE, MINDFUL GRAY, ACCESSIBLE BEIGE, BALANCED BEIGE, ALABASTER, TRICORN BLACK, IRON ORE, PAVESTONE, URBANE BRONZE, NAVAL, CAVERN CLAY, SAGE GREEN LIGHT, EMERALD, DURATION, SUPERPAINT and COLORSNAP are registered trademarks of The Sherwin-Williams Company. All product names, trademarks, color codes and specifications are used for identification, comparison and commentary purposes only under nominative fair use (Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §1125). FacadeColorizer is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Sherwin-Williams. Color HEX, RGB and LRV values are screen approximations of the manufacturer's published technical data sheet retrieved May 2026; actual painted finish varies by sheen, substrate, lot and lighting. Confirm current specifications and availability with the manufacturer before purchase.
