Peppercorn
SW 7674 · Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
Peppercorn
SW 7674
No distinct lean, no distinct lean in this calculation
- Color family
- Neutral
- Sold for
- Interior and exterior
Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn SW 7674 is a deep charcoal gray with very low chroma in its published coordinates, a near-neutral. It has an LRV of 10, dark enough to read almost black across a wall yet with enough gray left to show as charcoal in daylight. That margin is what separates it from Iron Ore SW 7069, which sits a step closer to black. People use it on exteriors, kitchen cabinets, front doors and accent walls, and as the softer choice where a real black would feel heavy.
Source: Sherwin-Williams's color data. Undertone labels describe our calculation, not the paint formula or a test in your room. How we assess colors.
Is Peppercorn warm or cool? Undertones by the numbers
too close to gray to lean
Undertone
No distinct lean
A true neutral, no lean at all.
Peppercorn falls in our lowest-chroma category, meaning its published coordinates sit close to gray; a painted surface may still show a warm or cool cast. On a wall that means the surroundings decide its temperature. Beside a warm white or an oak floor it reads slightly steely; beside cool tile or a blue-white it looks a shade warmer and browner. Tricorn Black SW 6258 is the same neutrality taken to black, and Iron Ore SW 7069 sits between the two, also neutral and a step darker. Urbane Bronze SW 7048 is the one that differs in kind: it carries a subtle yellow-brown, so next to Peppercorn it looks brown and Peppercorn looks gray. Forged Steel SW 9565 is its closest twin, a hair lighter and hard to tell apart.
Peppercorn in different lighting
In a north-facing room Peppercorn may look darker and cooler, approaching black in corners with little light. South and west exposures can reveal more charcoal gray and surface texture. Check east-facing rooms after the morning sun has gone, then compare the sample under your evening lamps. Even a low-chroma swatch can take on a warm or cool appearance in a room.
Watch for
- In a small north room with one window it stops reading charcoal and turns flat black by afternoon.
- Cool white bulbs around 4000K give it a blue cast that is not in the paint.
- Against an orange-toned oak floor it can look steely and cold; a warm trim white such as Alabaster SW 7008 eases the pairing.
Best rooms and surfaces for Peppercorn
Peppercorn is the charcoal for people who find black too hard. On kitchen cabinets and an island it reads as a soft dark gray that still shows the profile of a shaker door in daylight. It takes brass, black or nickel pulls without complaint. As a wall color it suits a bedroom, a dining room or a home office where the goal is an enclosed, quiet room. Keep the ceiling white and the bedding or rug light so the walls stay a backdrop. A powder room or a bathroom with a window works, while a windowless bathroom under cool lights turns it flat and cold. Interior doors and a fireplace wall are its easiest wins. It sits well with white oak, walnut, marble and white quartz; with dark floors and dark furniture it can turn a room into one dark mass.
Peppercorn on an exterior
Peppercorn is in the Sherwin-Williams Top Exterior Colors collection, and on siding it is the answer for a house that should read dark gray rather than black. Full sun lightens it to a clear medium-dark gray, so a whole house in it looks charcoal by day and near-black at dusk. A shaded north wall stays close to the chip. Nebulous White SW 7063 trim keeps the contrast soft and Extra White SW 7006 makes it crisp. On a lighter house it gives a front door or shutters that read gray, not black, which is the reason to choose it there over Tricorn Black SW 6258.
Try Peppercorn on your own walls
Upload a photo of your room, or the outside of your house, and TryMyHome renders Peppercorn onto the walls for an illustrative preview beside your floors and furniture. Confirm the color with a physical sample. Your first 3 renders are free.
Peppercorn vs Iron Ore, Urbane Bronze, Tricorn Black and Black Fox
Iron OrePeppercornPeppercorn vs Iron Ore SW 7069
Peppercorn is noticeably lighter; both fall in our no distinct lean category. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Iron Ore SW 7069 is the darker of the two, an LRV of 6 against Peppercorn's 10, and both measure in our lowest-chroma category. On a wall the gap is a soft black against a charcoal: Iron Ore closes toward black in ordinary room light where Peppercorn still shows gray. Pick Iron Ore when the room or the house should read black in most light. Pick Peppercorn for a dark that stays visibly gray, or for a north-facing room where Iron Ore would go flat.
Urbane BronzePeppercornPeppercorn vs Urbane Bronze SW 7048
Peppercorn is a touch lighter; undertone no distinct lean vs subtle yellow-brown. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Urbane Bronze SW 7048 sits a touch darker and carries a subtle yellow-brown lean where Peppercorn has none. Side by side the difference is warmth: Urbane Bronze looks brown-gray, Peppercorn looks plain gray. Choose Urbane Bronze for a house with brick, stone or cedar to tie into, or a room built around walnut and brass. Choose Peppercorn when the palette is white, gray and black and the dark should stay neutral.
Tricorn BlackPeppercornPeppercorn vs Tricorn Black SW 6258
Peppercorn is noticeably lighter; both fall in our no distinct lean category. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Tricorn Black SW 6258 is a true black at an LRV of 3, reflecting under a third of the light Peppercorn does. Both are neutral, so the difference is entirely depth. Tricorn Black gives a hard edge on doors, window frames and trim. Peppercorn is the wall and cabinet color, dark enough for drama but with enough gray to show the shape of a room. They also work together: Peppercorn walls with a Tricorn Black door is a common pairing.
Black FoxPeppercornPeppercorn vs Black Fox SW 7020
Peppercorn is noticeably lighter; undertone no distinct lean vs subtle orange. Based on published LRV and our swatch classification.
Black Fox SW 7020 is a warm near-black with a subtle orange-brown lean, at an LRV of 7 against Peppercorn's 10. Peppercorn looks cooler by comparison, not because it is cool but because it has no warmth at all. Black Fox suits a house or a room with terracotta, warm wood and cream, where a plain charcoal would sit apart. Peppercorn is the one for gray that reads gray beside white trim.
Questions about Peppercorn
Is Peppercorn black or gray?
Gray. Peppercorn is a deep charcoal, and in any room with daylight it shows as dark gray rather than black. The phrase "peppercorn black" comes from how it looks on a small chip or in a dim corner. Tricorn Black SW 6258 is the true black, Iron Ore SW 7069 the step between. If the wall must look black in every light, Peppercorn is a shade too light for that.
What colors go with Peppercorn?
Sherwin-Williams lists Nebulous White SW 7063 for trim and ceilings, with Windfresh White SW 7628 and the soft green Willow Tree SW 7741 as accents. Extra White SW 7006 trim makes the scheme crisper. Beyond paint it takes white oak, walnut, marble and white quartz with brass or black hardware. A light greige such as Agreeable Gray SW 7029 on the surrounding walls keeps an open plan from going dark.
What is one shade lighter than Peppercorn?
Grizzle Gray SW 7068 is the next step up on the fan-deck strip, a dark gray at an LRV of 13 that reads clearly lighter on a wall. Peppercorn is the darkest color on that strip, so the darker steps come from elsewhere: Urbane Bronze SW 7048, then Iron Ore SW 7069. Among its closest matches, Forged Steel SW 9565 is a near twin, a hair lighter.
Is Peppercorn a good cabinet color?
Yes, and cabinets are one of its most common uses. On doors it reads as a soft charcoal that keeps the profile of a shaker frame visible in daylight, where a true black flattens it. Pair it with a light counter and a white or off-white wall so the kitchen keeps its bounce, and use a satin or semi-gloss finish for wiping.
Is Peppercorn good for a front door?
Yes. It is rated for exterior use, and on a door it gives a dark gray that reads softer than black against white, cream or light gray siding. Full sun lightens it to a clear charcoal. If the door should look black from the street, Tricorn Black SW 6258 or Iron Ore SW 7069 is the better pick. A satin or semi-gloss finish suits it.
Get a sample before you paint
Use the visualizer to narrow your shortlist, then confirm the finalist on your actual wall. A peel-and-stick sample of Peppercorn, checked in morning and evening light, is the last step before a gallon.
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Trim, ceiling and coordinating colors for Peppercorn
Sherwin-Williams pairs Peppercorn with Nebulous White SW 7063 on trim and ceilings, a gray-white that keeps the step between wall and trim gentle. Extra White SW 7006 gives the crispest line and reads a touch cool beside it, Pure White SW 7005 sits in the middle, and Alabaster SW 7008 warms the whole scheme. Compare their undertones as well as the amount of contrast before choosing one for the trim.
Colors lighter than Peppercorn
Colors similar to Peppercorn
Closest matches for Peppercorn in other brands
These are the closest digital colors in our catalog, not equivalent paint formulas or touch-up substitutes. Compare physical samples in the same finish before choosing. See the comparison method.