Cabernet vs Agreeable Gray
Where Cabernet belongs to PPG's range, Agreeable Gray is a Sherwin-Williams color. Cabernet reads as pink, while Agreeable Gray reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Agreeable Gray (LRV 60) reflects noticeably more light than Cabernet (LRV 14), a difference of 46 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 43.8, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 9 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cabernet vs Agreeable Gray in Real Spaces
9 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cabernet and Agreeable Gray in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cabernet would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Agreeable Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cabernet.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Agreeable Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cabernet.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Agreeable Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cabernet.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Agreeable Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cabernet.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Agreeable Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cabernet.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cabernet would.
Color Details
Cabernet vs Agreeable Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cabernet on one side and Agreeable Gray on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Cabernet comparisons
See how Cabernet stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 14, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 14, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 14, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cabernet reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 14, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (14 vs 7) makes Cabernet the marginally brighter of the two.