Anchor Stranded Cotton

231 — Shell Grey Light

Reds family

Need details on Anchor 231? This medium-light, subdued red shade (Shell Grey Light) is hex #BDAAA7, RGB 189, 170, 167. Cross-brand equivalents in Madeira, J&P Coates, and Sullivans are listed below — ranked by perceptual similarity — alongside 8 nearby Anchor shades and color-theory harmony pairings.

Hex
#BDAAA7
RGB
189, 170, 167
HSL
8°, 14%, 70%
Lab
71.1, 6.3, 4.0
Lightness
70%
Light
Saturation
14%
Neutral
Hue
8°
Family
Reds

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 231

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works

Anchor 231 Shell Grey Light

Sullivans

Shell Grey Light 45103 75% Approx
Beige Brown Very Light 45240 60% Fair
Mocha Brown Very Light 45325 54% Fair
Shell Grey Medium 45102 54% Fair
Beaver Grey Light 45154 50% Fair

Crescent Colours

Lunar Eclipse 099 78% Approx
Garden Trellis 128 72% Approx
Tabby 042 66% Approx
Toasted Marshmallow 044 59% Fair
Antique Lace 125 59% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 231

Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Anchor 231 Shell Grey Light
Beige Brown Light Anchor 388 Very close ΔE 4.1 Antique Violet Very Light Anchor 869 Noticeable ΔE 7.14 Beige Grey Medium Anchor 391 Noticeable ΔE 7.68 Drab Brown Very Light Anchor 830 Noticeable ΔE 8.13 Shell Pink Light Anchor 893 Noticeable ΔE 8.48 Pearl Grey Very Light Anchor 234 Noticeable ΔE 9.09 Dusty Flesh Light Anchor 376 Noticeable ΔE 9.22 Flesh Very Light Anchor 778 Noticeable ΔE 10.61

Working with Anchor 231

On white fabric
2.2:1
On dark fabric
9.5:1
Temperature
soft warm
Closest to
silver

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 231

Anchor threads that pair well with 231, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
231
274 Grey Blue Very Light
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
231
388 Beige Brown Light 869 Antique Violet Very Light
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
231
848 Grey Blue Light 343 Antique Blue Light
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
231
1086 Taupe Medium Dark 233 Shell Grey Dark 892 Shell Pink Very Light

Reds Family

Anchor 231 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

231 Shell Grey Light 231 1021 Dusty Rose Very Light 1021 33 Pink Bright 33 26 Baby Pink Medium 26 31 Pink Bright Light 31 9 Coral Very Light 9 1022 Dusty Rose Light 1022 4146 Flesh Light 4146 894 Shell Pink Medium Light 894 328 Peach Medium 328 1016 Antique Mauve Very Light 1016

About Anchor 231

Shell Grey Light (catalog code Anchor 231) is a medium-light, subdued shade from the reds family with red-orange tones. With a gentle and grounded quality, this thread works beautifully in cardinal birds and apple motifs. You will find this color at home in patterns featuring ladybug designs and barn scenes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Anchor 231?

Anchor 231 is called Shell Grey Light. It's a medium-light red shade (hex #BDAAA7, RGB 189, 170, 167) in the reds family, commonly used for holiday designs, bold accents, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Anchor 231?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 231 (Shell Grey Light) is DMC 453 (Shell Grey light) with a 89% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 05 (Light Driftwood, 72%) and DMC 06 (Medium Light Driftwood, 66%).

What's a good substitute for Anchor 231?

The closest Anchor threads to 231 are 388 Beige Brown Light (ΔE 4.1), 869 Antique Violet Very Light (ΔE 7.14), and 391 Beige Grey Medium (ΔE 7.68). These are useful substitutes when 231 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Anchor 231?

Cross-stitchers pull Anchor 231 (Shell Grey Light) for charts featuring holiday designs, bold accents, berries, valentines. The medium-light tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.

What fabric color works best with Anchor 231 (Shell Grey Light)?

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first. For reference, 231 has a contrast ratio of about 2.2:1 on white fabric and 9.5:1 on black. As a soft warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion