Sherwin Williams Universal Khaki: Color Review -

Sherwin’s Color of the Year for 2026

When it comes to the most popular paint colors, there’s no doubt that the top 10 are neutrals. This is the main reason I’m glad that Sherwin Williams chose one for their Color of the Year.

Sure, it’s easy to fall head over heels for a ‘color’, as colors usually create a more emotional response – neutrals are well…neutral, and dare I say, boring?

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HOWEVER…

As I’ve been saying for years, Colors of the Year shouldn’t be chosen for their shock value or emotional appeal. COTYs should be chosen for more important reasons.

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog (2022) was one of their BEST choices – 3 years later and it’s STILL hugely popular!

But first, let it be known that I don’t kiss the arse of ANY paint brand when it comes to paint colors I do and don’t love. They don’t pay me to write a single word (sadly). I pay myself in personal high fives and lattes (with a shot of Bailey’s when I’ve done an especially good job).

This means you’re getting an honest opinion (probably more of it than you even wanted).

While it’s a ‘good’ choice, Universal Khaki won’t have the ‘universal appeal’ of Evergreen Fog. It’s here for a good time, but not a long time.

Anyway, let’s get back to what makes a Color of the Year a good choice (or not) and how that relates to Universal Khaki…

a) It’s usable in the ‘average home’ to some degree. Universal Khaki will be usable in MANY homes. However, its undertone will hold it back a bit for the masses. The reality is that not as many interior finishes suit its undertones (which we’ll get to shortly).

b) It can be used on more than one surface. Abso-friggin’-lutely – Universal Khaki hits it out of the ballpark in this regard.

c) It gets people EXCITED to paint! Ermmmm, I can’t say Universal Khaki has the ‘excitement factor’ – it’s likely only me that’s really excited. This said, I also get excited by a full wine glass and a bag of Cornuts, so I’m clearly easy to please.

Seriously, though, I’m excited because it’s not wild and crazy. It’s not ‘Raspberry Blush’, which was Benjamin Moore’s COTY for 2023 and isn’t at ALL usable in almost any home.

There is no ‘universally appealing’ paint color – you can only kill so many birds with one stone (or feed so many birds with one scone, for all you positive thinkers).

However, Universal Khaki is a ‘good choice’ (personally, I can think of a few other shades I like more, but hey, it’s not like I’m a COLOR EXPERT OR ANYTHING…).

So, without further ado, let’s check out this hue…

WHAT TYPE OF COLOR IS UNIVERSAL KHAKI?

Universal Khaki is a warm, neutral, tan paint color. While the most popular tan paint colors are in the lighter range, Universal Khaki offers more depth and interest via its LRV (which we’ll talk about shortly).

However, because this particular color hasn’t really ‘hit the scene’ (due to its depth/undertones), I don’t have many images of it from any of my Online Color Consulting clients. Most opt for lighter, more popular shades of beige and tan. Once I have more images from clients, readers, and friends, I’ll be sure to add them!

This is all I’ve got, my funny friends, but keep reading for more helpful info and tips…

WHAT ARE UNIVERSAL KHAKI’S UNDERTONES?

Ahhhhh, here’s the important stuff (if you ask me). Warm neutrals are never just ‘neutral’; they have undertones.

BEIGE PAINT COLORS: Sit on an orange undertone (that can swing orange-pink or orange-yellow, but orange is the head honcho).

TAN PAINT COLORS: Rest their laurels on a yellow undertone (that can swing yellow-green or yellow-orange, but yellow is the boss).

Because Universal Khaki is a TAN paint color, it has yellow undertones – ones that lean decidedly toward a yellow-green.

Will your walls look yellow? Heck no, it’s still a neutral paint color; yellow is just the type of warmth it offers vs. orange or pink.
Will your walls look green? Unlike yellow, you are a bit more likely to see a touch more green in Universal Khaki.

Why?

OH boy, do you really want to go down that rabbit hole? YA YOU DO, my cute little color nerd!

Okay, so some tan paint colors lean into their warmth and have less gray. Other tan paint colors pick up GREIGE (a green undertone). Universal Khaki has a bit more greige in its backdrop than the average tan paint color, making it a) a bit more muted in its approach to warmth (less yellow) and a bit more green with its undertone (but no obnoxiously so).

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Universal Khaki…

WHAT’S THE LRV OF UNIVERSAL KHAKI?

With an LRV of 40, Universal Khaki is a medium-depth paint color, but on the lighter end of the range.

Once you go darker than this, you risk your walls looking more ‘brown’ than ‘tan’. For example, Sherwin Williams Urban Jungle (next down from U.Khaki) is a gorgeous soft shade of brown with a glorious greige backdrop.

Learn all about how FRIGGIN’ IMPORTANT LRV is when choosing paint colors!

QUICK REFRESHER ON LRV

Here are the approximate ranges of the suggested colors…

Light-depth paint color: 55-72.
Light-medium depth colors: 40-54.
Medium-depth colors: 20-40

Notice how this sample looks more brown than tan…

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Urban Jungle

But don’t be fooled, Universal Khaki still has some serious meat on its chonky lil’ bones. Because of this depth, it’s not likely to be used as a ‘whole home’ paint color, which is what holds it back a bit (if you ask me).

Universal Khaki is best on a single room basis.

On that topic…

WHERE DOES UNIVERSAL KHAKI LOOK GOOD?

While it’s not universally appealing, it’s definitely no one-trick pony. Here are some of the best places to use this neutral…

Single rooms
Painted kitchen cabinets (assuming your countertop and backsplash suit its muddy, earthy green undertone
Exterior siding or stucco – it’s a fantastic depth, especially for the well-lit sides of your home (it washes out less than lighter shades).
As an accent wall with a range of softer, off-white paint colors or a warm white paint color

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO UNIVERSAL KHAKI?

We’ve already looked at Urban Jungle, which is kind of like a darker version of Universal Khaki. Let’s explore some lighter and similar shades, including a few from Benjamin Moore.

UNIVERSAL KHAKI VS. SHERWIN WILLIAMS RELAXED KHAKI

If you’re looking for a lighter approach to tan, without getting into the slightly washed-out range, Relaxed Khaki is an option.

With an LRV of 50, Relaxed Khaki is a good dose lighter than Universal Khaki. This makes it more of a contender for multiple rooms, as it’s not as heavy-looking. However, you still need to watch those green undertones, as they’re less likely to suit the average interior finishes’ needs.

Here’s a Peel & Stick sample of Relaxed Khaki

UNIVERSAL KHAKI VS. SHERWIN WILLIAMS AVENUE TAN

For those who are pining for a wee wink more green, Avenue Tan can be a great alternative to U.Khaki.

When comparing the two, notice how Universal Khaki looks a bit more ‘neutral’ in comparison to the more obvious green hues in Avenue Tan. Another difference is that Avenue Tan is a jog lighter, with its LRV of 44.

UNIVERSAL KHAKI VS SHERWIN WILLIAMS KHAKI SHADE

On the other hand, you might find Universal Khaki not warm enough, or even a bit drab.

This easily happens if you have dominant eastern afternoon, western morning, or northern exposure). In this case, Khaki Shade has similar intentions but a bit more visible warmth.

Along with that tweak in warmth, it’s also a bit lighter with an LRV of 44.

As for Benjamin Moore…

Benjamin Moore Sag Harbor Gray is a beauty. Also known as Embassy Green, this color is similar to Universal Khaki, offering a touch more green undertone. Sure, its LRV of 42.04 makes it a bit lighter, but it’s still SUPER comparable.
Benjamin Moore Bennington Gray is an interesting option. Offering a noticeably lighter look (LRV of 46.68), Bennington Gray is almost like a lighter version of Universal Khaki with a bit more life to it.

WHAT COLORS GO WITH UNIVERSAL KHAKI?

Thanks to its depth (slightly lower LRV than usual), Universal Khaki suits a decent range of colors. Of course, it depends on whether you need these colors for adjoining rooms, cabinets, trims, or otherwise, but this list should get you started…

A decent range of off-white paint colors, as long as they aren’t beige
Warm white paint colors, even CONSIDERABLY warm whites, can go with Universal Khaki
It looks amazeballs with shades of navy blue
Medium to dark shades of greige can be stunning
Lighter shades with similar undertone profiles (light tans that wink at greige)
It won’t be as happy with most colors that are lighter AND cooler than it, so tread carefully.

DOES UNIVERSAL KHAKI GO WITH CREAM TRIM & CABINETS?

This section is a HUGE win, as yes, it looks amazeballs with many cream cabinet and trim paint colors. Sure, it’s not necessarily a huge UPDATE for these types of spaces, but not everyone wants to be bang on trend – they just want colors they love that suit their finishes.

Common Question: How to Update Cream Cabinets & Trims

The Best Light to Medium-Depth Greige Paint Colors

Beige & Tan Paint Colors with a bit more DEPTH

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