Storm Grey
A medium, cool grey with a faint blue undertone.
At a glance
- Hue family
- blue
- Warmth
- cool
- Tone depth
- medium
- Saturation
- Moderate
Similar to
Quick intelligence summary
- Feels like
- cool, medium, balanced
- Works well with
- See the pairings section below for calculated harmony options.
- Common uses
- See uses & contexts below for interiors, fashion and practical guidance.
- Accessibility snapshot
- Pairs better with black text (4.7:1) than white (4.4:1).
See this colour in the real world
Colours in photographs vary with lighting, material, camera processing and screen calibration — the named colours below are visual approximations, not exact measurements.
Woven silk holds fine pattern detail sharply, but its true sheen only shows in person or in motion — a flat scan like this one represents colour more reliably than shine.
This scanned close-up is flatter and more evenly lit than silk usually appears in person — real silk's directional sheen means the same fabric looks brighter and more saturated at some angles than a flatbed scan can show."No1 paisley pocketsquare silk, detail, front" by Giftzwerg 88, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsLicence details
- Source:
- Wikimedia Commons
- Creator:
- Giftzwerg 88
- Licence:
- CC BY-SA 3.0 — free to share and adapt commercially, provided the work is attributed and any adaptation is shared under the same licence.
- Reviewed:
- 2026-07-25
Colour stories
Why a gloss finish changes how a colour looks
A glossy or polished surface reflects light specularly (in a concentrated, mirror-like way) rather than scattering it evenly the way a matte surface does. This means a glossy surface's apparent colour and brightness change sharply depending on the exact viewing angle and what's nearby to reflect — the same underlying colour can look far lighter, darker or more saturated depending on where the highlight falls.
In practice: Judge a gloss or high-sheen finish sample from more than one angle and under more than one light position before deciding — a flat photo of a glossy swatch is one of the least reliable ways to judge how the finish will actually look.
Used in outfit palettes
Storm Grey appears in the following curated Fashion outfit palettes.
Cool monochrome office
Sharp, professional, unfussy.
Cool greys can look flat under fluorescent office lighting specifically — worth checking the combination under your actual workplace lighting.
Pairings
Subtle, bold, analogous, complementary and neutral options — established design convention, not a guarantee of visual success in every context.
Complementary
Opposite hues (180° apart) for maximum hue contrast.
Analogous
Neighbouring hues on the colour wheel for a low-contrast, harmonious feel.
Analogous
Neighbouring hues on the colour wheel for a low-contrast, harmonious feel.
Triadic
Three hues evenly spaced around the colour wheel for balanced contrast.
Triadic
Three hues evenly spaced around the colour wheel for balanced contrast.
Split-complementary
The two hues bracketing the complement, for contrast with less tension.
Split-complementary
The two hues bracketing the complement, for contrast with less tension.
Tetradic
Four hues at 90° steps around the colour wheel for a rich, varied palette.
Tetradic
Four hues at 90° steps around the colour wheel for a rich, varied palette.
Tetradic
Four hues at 90° steps around the colour wheel for a rich, varied palette.
No curated profile yet
Monochromatic
Same hue at different lightness levels, for a cohesive tonal palette.
Monochromatic
Same hue at different lightness levels, for a cohesive tonal palette.
Monochromatic
Same hue at different lightness levels, for a cohesive tonal palette.
No curated profile yet
Monochromatic
Same hue at different lightness levels, for a cohesive tonal palette.
For an accessible, low-contrast-risk pairing, monochromatic (same-hue) combinations are usually the safest starting point — see the harmonies above.
Uses & contexts
Continue exploring
Related questionThe history of greyGrey has moved from a largely utilitarian, undyed or industrial colour to a deliberately chosen, sophisticated neutral in modern interiors, fashion and branding.Colour familyRelated questionMountainCool greys and muted blue-greys evoke bare rock and distant haze, grounded by darker slate and stone tones.Nature paletteRelated questionArcticCool whites and pale blue-greys reflect snow, ice and low winter light, with minimal warm contrast.Nature paletteRelated questionStormCool, desaturated greys and blue-greys mirror heavy cloud cover and rain-darkened surfaces, with minimal warm contrast.Nature palette
Meaning & story
No documented mood, cultural or historical claims for this exact shade yet.
True of the neutral family generally
Inherited from the neutral hue family, not specifically documented about this exact shade — see methodology.
- Blue is often considered calming and is widely used in corporate branding, particularly in finance and technology, to convey trust and stability.
- Blue, and ultramarine in particular, is traditionally associated with the Virgin Mary in Christian art, historically used for her robes in Renaissance and medieval European painting.
Pigment & family history
Terminology
Lighter, darker & directional variants
Calculated directional adjustments. Some directions converge on the same result from this starting colour — shown as one merged card with an explanation, not repeated duplicates. Generated shades link to a curated profile only when one is close enough.
Lighter
Lightness increased
Darker
Lightness decreased
Warmer & Greener & Yellower
Hue rotated toward warm (red/orange) From this starting colour, moving warmer and greener and yellower converges on the same calculated result.
Cooler & Bluer & Redder
Hue rotated toward cool (blue) From this starting colour, moving cooler and bluer and redder converges on the same calculated result.
More muted
Saturation softened
More saturated
Saturation increased
In nature
Technical details
Technical values
CMYK is an approximate device conversion, not a calibrated print value — see methodology.
Convert this colour to another format →
Common design-industry reference value for the named colour.
Characteristics
- Hue family
- blue
- Undertone
- cool
- Tone depth
- medium
- Pastel
- No
- Earth tone
- No
- Jewel tone
- No
- Vivid
- No
- Greyness
- 90%
- Visual weight
- 36/100
Accessibility
vs. white text
4.43:1 — fails
vs. black text
4.74:1 — AA
Confidence: medium · Qualification: identity_only, technically_qualified
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