Sherwin Williams Elephant Ear SW 9168
| Official page: | Elephant Ear SW 9168 |
| Code: | SW 9168 |
| Name: | Elephant Ear |
| Brand: | Sherwin Williams |
| Collections: | Minimalist |
What color is Sherwin Williams Elephant Ear?
Sherwin Williams' Elephant Ear (SW 9168) exudes a timeless sense of sophistication and warmth. This rich and grounding color is perfect for creating a cozy atmosphere in living rooms, bedrooms, and home offices. The deep tones of Elephant Ear add depth and drama to a space, making it an ideal choice for accent walls or cozy reading nooks. Pair this elegant hue with soft neutrals and natural textures for a harmonious and inviting aesthetic that will make any room feel like a sanctuary. Elevate your home with the understated elegance of Elephant Ear (SW 9168) and immerse yourself in its soothing and stylish embrace.
Elephant Ear for living room
Check out this stunning Mid-tone color used in real living rooms. Explore how this Grey shade can create a unique space
Sherwin Williams SW 9168 on kitchen cabinets
Want a stylish kitchen? View real-life photo examples of this fascinating warm hue is paired with backsplashes, countertops, and hardware.
Elephant Ear for exterior
Looking for a fresh new look for your house exterior or starting from skretch? We’ve collected pictures of real-life homes that have been painted with this warm hue. Find inspiration for your house’s exterior, front doors, gates, shutters, frames or windows.
Sherwin Williams Elephant Ear reviews
View the photos of real spaces painted with this that were not included in specific categories.Close-ups, painted furniture, storages and dressers, hallways, stairs and ceilings.
Try before you buy

100% accurate
reusable paint samples
Peel, stick,
and repeat
Twice painted
with real paint
Next day
delivery
What are Sherwin Williams Elephant Ear undertones?
The undertone of Elephant Ear can be accurately described as a Red hue, as is apparent from the color space provided. By isolating the pure hue and eliminating any tints, tones, and shades, we were able to precisely determine its undertone. This approach has proven to be more accurate than traditional methods of defining undertones on a white background, which are now considered outdated.
HEX value
HEX value:
#988F85
RGB code:
152, 143, 133
Is Sherwin Williams Elephant Ear SW 9168 cool or warm?
With a hue of 32° thisGreyrefers warm paint shade according to HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) on the color wheel.
SW 9168 Elephant Ear HSL code: 32, 8%, 56%
Hue - degree on a color wheel from 0 to 360. 0 is red, 120 is green, and 240 is blue.
Saturation is expressed as a percentage. At 0%, it appears as a shade of grey, and at 100%, it is in full color..
Lightness is also a percentage value. 0% is black, and 100% is white.
- Warm colors are ideal for kitchens, living rooms or bathrooms
- Warmer hues make larger spaces feel more inviting
- Warm grey shades are versatile and provide a neutral canvas for your interior design. They seamlessly complement any style, whether it's Victorian, Scandinavian, or Modern.
- Warm greige shades combine the warmth of beige with the modernity of grey, offering a versatile and inviting backdrop for living rooms, dining areas, and bedrooms.
- Warm mid-tone shades like terracotta and warm beige create a cozy and inviting atmosphere in living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. They can brighten up spaces without being too overwhelming. However, it's best to avoid using these shades in very sunny rooms, as they can become too intense.
Act like a pro: Mixing warm and cool shades is a must have to get harmonius interior. Add accents that contrast with the primary color to create visual balance. If your walls are a warm color, don’t forget to add accent in cold colors (furniture, art, décor). A good practice is too use a complementary color scheme.
How light temperature affects Elephant Ear
Natural Lighting. During the day, natural light shifts from about 2000 K at sunrise/sunset to 5500–6500 K at noon.
In addition, natural‑light temperature depends on its direction:
| Direction of sunlight | Visible temp. | Hue | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cool | Bluish | All day |
| East | Warm | Yellow | Before noon |
| West | Warm | Orange‑red | After noon |
| South | Warm | Orange‑yellow | All day |
Artificial Lighting. When choosing bulbs, pay attention to their color‑temperature (Kelvins).
Use the slider to see how this Grey shade looks under different lighting:


4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Sherwin Williams Elephant Ear:
Monochromatic color scheme
This scheme consists of various shades, tints, and tones of a single color. While it offers a perfect combination of hues, without accent décor it may become monotonous.
Lighter shades
SW 9168
Elephant Ear
Darker shades
Complementary color scheme
This color scheme is a combination of two shades that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The high contrast between these colors creates a vibrant and dynamic visual effect. For the color Elephant Ear with a orange hue, complementary colors are those with a blue hue close to 212, such as Sherwin Williams Mount Etna and Debonair.
LRV of Elephant Ear
Elephant Ear has an LRV of 28.09% and refers to Medium colors that reflect a lot of light. Why LRV is important?
Light Reflectance Value measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from a painted surface.
Simply put, the higher the LRV of a paint color, the brighter the room you will get.
The scale goes from 0% (absolute black, absorbing all light) to 100% (pure white, reflecting all light).
Act like a pro: When choosing paint with an LRV of 28.09%, pay attention to your bulbs' brightness. Light brightness is measured in lumens. The lower the paint's LRV, the higher lumen level you need. Every square foot of room needs at least 40 lumens. That means for a 200 ft2 living room you’ll need about 8000 lumens of light – e.g., eight 1000 lm bulbs.
Color codes
We have collected almost every possible color code you could ever need. To copy the code, just click the icon to the right of it.
| Format | Code | |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | #988f85 | |
| RGB Decimal | 152, 143, 133 | |
| RGB Percent | 59.61%, 56.08%, 52.16% | |
| HSV | Hue: 32° Saturation: 12.5% Value: 59.61% | |
| HSL | hsl(32, 8, 56) | |
| CMYK | Cyan: 0.0 Magenta: 5.92 Yellow: 12.5 Key: 40.39 | |
| YIQ | Y: 144.551 I: 8.577 Q: -1.208 | |
| XYZ | X: 27.004 Y: 28.014 Z: 26.169 | |
| CIE Lab | L:59.902 a:1.54 b:6.517 | |
| CIE Luv | L:59.902 u:5.937 v:8.758 | |
| Decimal | 9998213 | |
| Hunter Lab | 52.928, -1.553, 7.736 |
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