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Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige vs Worldly Gray (What’s the Difference?)

    Sherwin Williams has some of the most versatile and popular greiges on the market, but sometimes the options get confusing!

    Here we will take a look at the forever favorite greige Accessible Beige, compared to the lesser known (but equally beautiful) Worldly Gray.

    Swatch of Accessible Beige and swatch of Worldly Gray over a photo of each.
    Top: @maisonwithavista Bottom: @thefinishingroommke

    Visual Differences Between Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige and Worldly Gray (Let’s Talk Undertones!)

    Both Accessible Beige and Worldly Gray are greige paint colors. As the names suggest, Accessible Beige is a little bit more beige, and Worldly Gray is a little more gray.

    Here are both over a true gray background:

    Sherwin Williams Accessible paint dot and Worldly Gray paint dot over a background of a solid true gray color.

    The biggest difference between Accessible Beige and Worldly Gray is in their undertones.

    Here is an idea of how Accessible Beige typically looks:

    Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige on the walls at a front entrance
    Photo Credit: @maisonwithavista

    Here is quite a typical look for Worldly Gray:

    Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray on the wall below a black staircase.
    Photo credit: @thetinpitcher

    You can see that both are nice neutral greiges, but Worldly Gray is less beige.

    I find that Accessible Beige tends to have a more yellow or peach undertone, and Worldly Gray leans more towards a taupey purple or even slightly pink undertone.

    Here is how each color looks when their undertones are very strong:

    Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige with a warmer buttery undertone on the left side of the frame, and a picture of Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray on cabinets on the right side of the frame with a pinky undertone.
    Left: @silo.hill Right: @thefinishingroommke

    (I will say that there is also a slight pink cast on the walls and floor in the Worldly Gray photo, so the undertone isn’t 100% accurate.)

    Both colors are delightfully gray, but I would say that Worldly Gray does tend to have a stronger undertone, where Accessible Beige is very neutral.

    Here is each looking quite neutral:

    Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige on board and batten on the left side, and Worldly Gray on the right side below a black staircase.
    Left: @silo.hill Right: @thetinpitcher

    Technical Difference Between Accessible Beige vs Worldly Gray

    Let’s take a look at each color from a technical perspective.

    Here is each color on the color wheel:

    Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige and Worldly Gray each plotted on the color wheel with a swatch of each on a paint lid.

    You can see that Worldly Gray is closer to the center of the wheel because it is more gray. Accessible Beige is a little bit more saturated. Both are in a pretty similar area of the color wheel.

    Accessible Beige is technically a teeny weeny little bit lighter than Worldly Gray with an LRV of 58 vs 57.

    Accessible Beige plotted at 58 on an LRV chart from 100 (pure white) to 0 (pure black). Worldly Gray is marked at 57.

    In your home the difference will be negligible. I suppose the little bit lighter could be a tie-breaker if you are still really torn.

    Both colors are in the magical LRV range where we find most whole-home neutrals. They are dark enough to not look white, but still nice and bright.

    How Accessible Beige and Worldly Gray Compare on Kitchen Cabinets

    We have already seen both colors in a few different homes, but let’s compare them on cabinets specifically.

    Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray on upper cabinets above a photo of Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige on an island.
    Top: @thefinishingroommke Bottom: @in_vest_homes

    Here is a kitchen in Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige:

    An Accessible beige island in a white kitchen with black pendant lamps and wicker bar stools
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    I will say that the color looks its most gray here. It’s not outside the realm of normal for Accessible Beige, but maybe a little cooler than typical.

    Here is a look that is more typical, but it is actually Accessible Beige at 200%:

    A closeup of Accessible Beige 200% on cabinets with the countertop styled in kitchen knick knacks
    Photo Credit: @kiminthecove

    Here is a kitchen in Worldly Gray where it looks quite beige, but somewhere close to typical:

    Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray on kitchen cabinets with porpoise on the lower cabinets
    Photo credit: @finishingroommke

    In this same kitchen I believe the artificial light is quite warm, because here we see the color again, but it looks more pink/taupe.

    Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray on upper cabinets in a white kitchen with SW Porpoise on the lowers and a white tile backsplash.
    Photo credit: @thefinishingroommke

    If you like how Worldly Gray looks here, you will also like Sherwin Williams Taupe of the Morning.

    Both are great choices, but Accessible Beige is perfect for a neutral to beige looking cabinet, and Worldly Gray is perfect for a greige to taupe look.

    If you are looking for the perfect cabinet color along these lines, you will love my posts: The Best Mushroom Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets and Best Trending Taupe Paint Colors.

    Is Accessible Beige or Worldly Gray Better?

    Despite their similar appearance at first glance, Accessible Beige and Worldly Gray offer quite different things.

    Choose Accessible Beige for a creamy greige with warmer beige undertones. It’s a nice alternative to a creamy off white because it is warm but balanced by neutral gray.

    Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige on the wall in one half of a room with Worldly Gray on the other half behind a wood framed sofa with white cushions.

    Choose Worldly Gray for a cleaner greige look that can also have a taupe undertone. It’s a great way to have a warm gray without an especially tan or beige look.

    I hope this helped you really see the difference between these two colors, and gave you a better idea of which neutral is perfect for you!

    Neither feeling quite right? That’s okay! Here’s some more:

    Behr Swiss Coffee on walls and Accessible Beige Trim on the walls
    Accessible Beige swipe of paint above a swipe of Agreeable Gray
    Swatch of Sherwin Williams Shiitake over a background of a soft white kitchen with Shiitake on a cabinet.