Sherwin Williams Passive: Undertones, Best Use, & LRV
By Kylie
July 24, 2025
I always say you should never judge a color by its name; however, with Sherwin-Williams Passive, the name says it all! Why? Let’s find out!
WHAT TYPE OF PAINT COLOR IS PASSIVE?
Passive is a gray paint color with stormy, cool undertones. This means it’s not a crisp and icy gray paint color – nor is it fresh, but rather a more ‘moody’ looking gray.
That said, put Passive in a room with north-facing exposure, and it could look quite icy, especially if you have a lot of natural light. On the other hand, with its cool approach, Passive can be a great way to balance out the warm sun rays in a south-facing room or one with western afternoon sunshine.
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
WHAT’S THE LRV OF PASSIVE?
Passive has an LRV of 60, which puts it in the LIGHT range; however, it’s on the slightly darker end of the light scale. With this depth, you may find it holds itself a bit better in a room with TONS of natural light, whereas a lighter or off-white paint color could wash out.
But if you have a dark room, be careful, as Passive can feel quite dull and flat, and you’ll need good interior lighting to bring it to life.
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Passive…
WHAT ARE PASSIVE’S UNDERTONES?
Welllll, on a good day in the right light, Passive coooould look like a true neutral gray; however, Passive has some seriously PASSIVE undertones to consider!
Every gray will have blue, green, or purple undertones—often a blend.
Passive is one of the MORE VERSATILE gray paint colors, as it can pick up any of the cool undertones without being 100% loyal to one in particular.
If you go down one notch, you’ll see Sherwin Williams Argos, which is a light-medium gray with a stormy blue-green undertone.
The Best Green-Gray Paint Colors
There are times that Passive will give you those same undertones, but unlike Argos, Passive can lean a weeee wink into purple in the right conditions (just a wink).
WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLOR WITH PASSIVE?
Oooo, if I’m going for Passive on my walls, I’m probably going to hit my trim, ceilings, and doors with…
- Sherwin Williams White Snow for a cleaner (but still slightly warm), contrasting look
- Sherwin Williams Pure White for a contrasting, but slightly softer approach
SHOULD I Paint My Wood Cabinets White? A QUESTIONNAIRE
The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams
WHERE DOES PASSIVE LOOK BEST?
Passive is best for walls, absolutely.
- Does it work well on exteriors? It caaan, but generally speaking, no —it’s not a color people reach for for exteriors.
- Is it a good paint color to update cream cabinets and trims? It’s a hard no on that one—Passive will clash with cream.
- How about wood cabinets and trims? It can depend on the undertone of the wood/stain, but Passive is at its best with white trims and cabinets.
5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
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WHAT PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO SW PASSIVE?
GOOD QUESTION! Every color has its own particular nuances, and there will be NO perfect match—you WILL see shifts in undertones, temperature, and depth —but you could check out…
- Benjamin Moore Perspective CSP-5 is a great comparable.
- Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray is beautiful and worth checking out.
- Read this blog post for colors with similar intentions and flexibility.
And if you’re thinking of color-matching between brands (i.e., getting BM to make an SW paint color), you might want to read THIS first.
Not sure if Passive is right for you? Want a bit warmer or cooler? I’ve got more!
READ MORE
The Best Light & Dark Gray Paint Colors
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams On the Rocks
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Big Chill
Get the best paint color advice.
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
KYLIE M INTERIORS, ONLINE VIRTUAL PAINT COLOR EXPERT, Timeless & Trendy Home Update Ideas for Design & Decorating. North America: Canada, USA, UK, Australia, & More.
Originally written in 2020, updated in 2025
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Do you need help, but aren’t quite sure what ‘help’ looks like? Are you drowning in paint samples and decision fatigue?
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This isn’t another ’10 Best Cabinet Colors’ list, because there is no SINGLE best white for every home and every kitchen.
Learn how to choose a white cabinet paint color that works with your countertops, backsplash, flooring, trim, lighting, and home—so you can rule out the wrong whites, sample fewer colors, and choose with confidence.
158-page PDF – Instant Download
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It’s about finding accent colors that work with YOUR home, YOUR style, and YOUR comfort level.
Because the best accent color isn’t one you love on a paint chip, it’s one that makes everything around it look better.
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Homeowner’s Guide: Exterior Paint Colors
Painting your home’s exterior is a BIG investment and choosing a color based on a tiny paint chip, a trend or the house down the street can be an expensive mistake.
Learn how to look at YOUR roof, YOUR windows, YOUR brick (or stone) and YOUR home as a whole so you can understand what colors make sense.
The goal? Less guessing, fewer samples and a lot more confidence before gallons of paint go on your home.
206-page PDF – Digital Download
$44.95Exterior Trim Paint Colors
This isn’t a list of ‘the best trim colors’, although you’ll get a ton of links to great shades!
You’ll learn how to look at your home and understand whether it needs contrast, repetition, connection, or a little visual peacekeeping to pull it all together.
Because trim might seem like a small detail…but spread it around all four sides of your home on multiple surfaces and it suddenly has a pretty big job.
118-page PDF – Instant Download
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Comments
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Im loving your blog! I’m rapidly becoming addicted to all of the ins and outs of color. What wall color would you recommend if I’m using On the Rocks as my cabinet color? My countertop is Azul Celeste, and has a lot of blue grays in it. I was looking at Passive, but the LRVs are almost identical. I’m making myself crazy trying coordinate my grays. (Reaching for my margarita and taking a big swig. 😉 ) I have southern light, but a big deck overhang, so not as much light as you might expect.
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Well, Erin, with On the Rocks cabinets you’ll have a heck of a time unless you head into the VERY SOLID light-medium depths OR white!
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