Nothing uber close. These were the nearest. Swirling Smoke may have more potential to shift purpleish in imbalanced lighting than Early Evening Smoke.

There are apps that will help with this. I can't find the one that's really good and breaks it down to the formula. If you ask in the Home decorating forum, someone might be able to help. In the interim, there is this;https://www.matchmypaintcolor.com/sherwin-williams/repose-gray

You should look at Swirling Smoke

Swirling Smoke / PPG1007-2 is close to Repose Gray SW.

WHY are you suppose to pick a PPG color?

I really appreciate all of the responses. This has been by far the hardest decision. My biggest concern is everything being too dark and turning my vision of a bright, airy house into a cave.

I painted a foam board so I could carry it around, took it to a friend's house for real lighting and also painted some on my walls.

I actually did buy a sample of swirling smoke today and painted various areas. This is a new build so there is no lighting yet other than natural light from windows. Initially Swirling Smoke looks significantly darker than it does in all of the pictures I have seen of it online. I know pictures can be deceiving but it seems like it should be close. Maybe on a larger scale and with lighting it looks lighter than on a small painted section of the wall? I was trying to find a lighter shade like Swirling Smoke without going streaight white. The next lighter looks to be just that. That won't work since all of my built ins are delicate white.

I also picked up a sample of PPG Whiskers and was surprised how it looks like a pale yellow. Online it looks like a warm, pretty greige but in person it looks completely different to me.

I will look again tomorrow once the small swatches of wall I painted are dry.

I read somewhere that a blogger had used 50% repose grey. Is that a thing to lighten paint? So if it is too dark I can just say lighten it to 75% or something?

PPG says to get the formula from SW to color match but SW says they have a formula but it would be useless to PPG

Would be interesting to know why they said that. Every store has the formula match to every other brand in their system.

The counter person has two choices. Use the formula conversion from the database and sell the can. Done. Or START with the formula and tweak to eyeball a better match. Some will scan a chip if you have it and start with those numbers.

And, yeah, it is a thing to cut, double, etc. formulas.

Problem is it doesn't work as simply or as logically as people think.

Out there on blogosphere the thought is when you cut a formula to change a color's appearance only the ONE part of the color that they want changed will be affected.

There are THREE parts to color. Hue, Value and Chroma.

When you tweak the formula ALL THREE PARTS are affected.

Not just the ONE part you don't like. In your case, changing the Value of Repose Gray - or in other words its lightness.

So, yeah, you can try cutting the formula by telling the paint person that you want it to be lighter but be aware its hue family and chroma (grayness/colorfulness) will probably change too.

You won't know which part of the color will be affected or by how much until they mix it, dry a sample and you look at it or measure it.

I know pictures can be deceiving but it seems like it should be close.

Unfortunately not. Every device you own displays color differently.

Your device determines what paint colors online look like.

Additionally, there is SO MUCH that happens to photos before they're posted on line.

A lot depends on the camera used to take the picture to begin with and assume the lighting in the space was manipulated for the photo.

Also should assume the photo was adjusted for lightness, balance, color, contrast, etc. post production in Photoshop. Or at the very least a photo filter was applied; for example one of the dozen filter options you have on Instagram.

The ONLY way to get a handle on what a color factually looks like is its hue/value/chroma/LRV notation.

LRV is the easiest to get - it's on the back of most chips and in every fandeck.

Hue/Value/Chroma isn't so easy.

And you need all 4 in order to paint a complete picture of a color's characteristics.

In other words, knowing just the LRV is helpful but it's only one part.

We have some of the more popular color's color notations mapped out here: https://campchroma.com/blog/

It's a matter of physics. The only way to accurately read color online is hue/value/chroma notations.

Ok so I'm reading up on all the values to get a better idea of the paints makeup.

Let me just say it is hard to find a paint based on a 6x6 swatch on the wall.

Another question:

How do I know how it will look on the wall as far as what the color it portrays? Is there a value for that? I don't want to say "undertones" because from what I read that word is overused and cringey. Is that hue? I picked a color that I really liked based on a swatch I painted in the living room, kitchen and laundry. When they started to paint they started in the additional bedrooms first and I made them stop because it looks nothing like it did in the other 3 rooms. I dont like it. It looks peach in some places and brown in others. I did not test that room because the builder asked me to test in an areas that could covered in case I went much lighter than the test paint.

Now I'm trying to find a safe color that won't turn my house into a drab cave.

Another question:

Would the properties of PPG Swirling Smoke give any indication it would not work with a mahogany stain? I have some cedar wrapped beams and a few barn doors.

How do I know how it will look on the wall as far as what the color it portrays? Is there a value for that?

Excellent question.

The hue/value/chroma color notation is a fact.

That's why it's called factual color.

It's derived from following a set of standards to measure the color. It's repeatable. You and I could both follow the same process and measure a swatch of the same color in different locations and get very similar results.

How a color actually looks in a space is actual color.

Everyone guesses about how a paint color is going to show up in a specific space. There's no such thing as fool proof paint colors.

Which is why everyone has to follow some kind of a process to test color in context of the space, inherent lighting, and contents of the room

We can use use factual color notations - hue/value/chroma/LRV - as a framework to anticipate how it will actually show up in a space.

For example, we use the notations to make sure the paint color relates to some important element. Like a rug or even the floor. Because if there's a level of relationship between the paint color and one or more elements, then odds are excellent the paint color is going to be perfect.

We also use each channel of hue, value and chroma to find paint colors with specific characteristics.

For example, based on your comment that you're looking for a color similar to Swirling Smoke only lighter I'd suggest you take a look at:

Silent Smoke PPG1025-2

Dogwood Blossom PPG14-24

Paraffin PPG-14.31

I don't want to say "undertones" because from what I read that word is overused and cringey. Is that hue?

The problem with "undertones" is everyone is making it up as they go. Undertones are just someone's subjective opinion about what a color actually looks like - according to their color acuity - in whatever context and light source they happen to be lookin' at it.

Which is why you'll find dramatically different opinions on the internet about what a paint color actually looks like.

Whereas hue family is, as mentioned, a factual, measurable attribute of color.

Wow. This is great info. I appreciate it.

I bought a sample of Silent Smoke yesterday when I bought Swirling Smoke. Silent Smoke on my foam board is a much deeper (darker?) color than the Swirling Smoke. I was surprised because I was expecting it to be lighter which is why I grabbed it. I ruled that and Whiskers out. Whiskers really surprised me because it looks very creamy yellow.

Silent and Swirling are very similar.

Silent is lighter than Swirling by a smidge. You don't have to understand these numbers in order to be able to see just how similar the two colors are.

L, Value, and LRV columns all speak to luminance - or lightness. The bigger the number, the lighter the color.

@Lori A. Sawaya I appreciate your responses. You made a lot of this color business make sense.

I am thrown by that comparison because in person (on a white foam board) Silent Smoke is not lighter than Swirling Smoke. Now I know why paint is so difficult to decide on.

I may make one more run to the paint store for the samples you suggested above then make my best guess on color. I feel like I have tried every color that I see that looks close to what I like. I have to make a decision.

The Swirling Smoke does look good with my floors and my mahogany stained barn doors so it may be my best bet. I will have one last go at some other colors before I decide though.

One more question you may or may not know the answer to:

Can they change one color into another or do they have to tint a new base? For example can they turn PPG Cool Concrete 10232 into PPG Swirling Smoke 1007-2?

Can they change one color into another or do they have to tint a new base? For example can they turn PPG Cool Concrete 10232 into PPG Swirling Smoke 1007-2?

Highly unlikely. Wouldn't hurt to ask because there's nothing about color that's absolute. Ever.

The Swirling Smoke does look good with my floors and my mahogany stained barn doors.

Oftentimes it's the first color you respond to positively that ends up being the right color.

Circling back to your original comment. Is Repose Grey the perfect color for you? If so, maybe you need to talk to your builder and tell him that you've tried to find a PPG color but haven't had any luck. My guess is that the Builder has an account with the place he is purchasing PPG and gets a discount which he probably isn't passing onto you. At the worse, ask him if you can purchase the paint and just pay for the labor. If it cost you a bit more it would be worth paying to get the perfect color you want and not settle because of the builder's wants.

@tedbixby Normally I would agree with you and I have approached most of my decisions like that. This time I would except for two things:

1. I do not know if repose grey is the perfect color for me. I have just been reading that it is very versatile and therefore likely safe.

2. I have already paid for the first color and now have to pay for the second color. I am already spending more than I hoped. If I pick a color other than PPG I would bet I have to pay additional cost considering the builder does not work with that line.

OK. Keep on the path you are going as Repose Grey really isn't a factor in this after all. Thanks for responding to my comment. Good luck with your search. I know how difficult it can be.

Great! Thank You for sharing the result. 🌈