Read all about Sherwin Williams Dovetail, plus see 15 real homes that use it!
For a while now, I’ve been doing in-depth paint color reviews to provide crucial information about certain paint colors. My hope is that these detailed posts will help make finding your new home paint colors easier!
In this paint color series, I’ve covered many different shades of neutrals such as white, off-white, greige, beige, and gray. And I’ve sprinkled in a few popular blues and blue-greens as well.
Today, I’m back at it with a warm medium gray that looks terrific in a variety of lightings and settings. Sherwin Williams Dovetail (SW 7018) is a warm, comforting mid-toned gray that has a wink of blue sprinkled into the mix.
Once you get all the details on this color, I feel confident that you’re going to be finding a spot to add it into your home decor! Let’s dive in and check out SW Dovetail in more depth.
FAQs about Dovetail
What color is Sherwin Williams Dovetail?
Dovetail is a medium charcoal gray color that has a touch of blue in it, which makes it pop really well against white paint. If you want a Benjamin Moore equivalent, I would say that Benjamin Moore Metropolis may just be what you’re searching for.
Is Sherwin Williams Dovetail warm or cool?
Dovetail is a very warm mid-toned gray paint. It is warmer than most grays which can make it look softer than your traditional go-to grays.
Where should I use SW Dovetail?
Try using this hue anywhere! It looks incredible in any room of the house in a variety of spaces such as:
Walls (whole rooms)
Accent Wall or Feature Walls
Kitchen islands
Bathroom vanities
Trim
Interior doors
Exterior siding
And more!
This color is ideal for many different home styles including farmhouse, transitional, and traditional-style.
If I paint my walls Dovetail, what trim color should I use?
Here are three trim suggestions, if you’re looking for a bright, crisp white to contrast with, but also pair well with Dovetail:
Extra White (Sherwin Williams)
Highly Reflective White (Sherwin Williams)
Pure White (Sherwin Williams)
If undertones make your head hurt, you’re not alone! Grab your free copy of 5 Biggest Paint Choice Mistakes Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
Undertones of Sherwin Williams Dovetail
Undertones are a part of paint that you just can’t ignore. They may be obvious or more subtle, but they are THERE. And they always seem to come out when you least expect or want them.
That’s why I’m a huge advocate for using paint swatches around your home as you evaluate paint colors. They help you identify undertones as the paint is influenced by your lighting and decor. Paint notoriously looks different in the store than it will in your home. Please, don’t choose a paint color without first using paint swatches!
Grays can often lean blue, green, or purple. Sherwin Williams Dovetail is a warm gray with blue undertones that add a soft quality. Additionally, every once in a while, you may see purple or possibly even green undertones.
As far as sampling goes, I highly recommend these mess-free, re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick paint samples ⤵
How Different Types Of Lighting Affect SW Dovetail
Different lighting tends to pull out different qualities in paint colors. Here’s an idea of how different types of light will impact the appearance of Dovetail.
- North-facing light – northern light is cool, which will make this shade appear slightly less warm and more “traditional gray.”
- South-facing light – this warm lighting will pull out the warmth of Dovetail even more.
- East-facing light – eastern light will make Sherwin Williams Dovetail read warm in the bright morning light. In the afternoon, when the light is to the west, this same color will read darker and passively warm.
- West-facing light – Western light is the opposite of eastern light. This rich warm light will pull out the warm qualities of Dovetail in the afternoon as the light hits the paint.
Great Coordinating Colors for Dovetail
Thanks to its higher level of warmth, this shade isn’t quite as versatile as some other grays are. Generally speaking, this hue will coordinate well with warm, light grays and greiges and darker earth tones.
Here are some specific colors to try pairing with Dovetail.
- Alabaster
- Pure White
- Eider White
- High Reflective White
- Repose Gray
- Peppercorn
- Extra White
- Creamy
- Agreeable Gray
- Naval
- Sea Salt
- Monorail Silver
LRV of SW Dovetail (SW 7018)
I’m going to speak objectively for a minute. Paint shifts and moves with varying light and different decor situations, which means that it will rarely read the same way in two different houses. With that in mind, I like to find a method for evaluating paint that is more objective.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a number on a scale between 0 and 100. How can numbers be anything but objective? Each and every paint shade has an assigned value based on how much light that color REFLECTS. A lower number means less light is reflected, while a higher number means more light is reflected.
The LRV of Dovetail = 26
Since Dovetail is in the bottom quarter of paint shades when it comes to LRV, it’s a beautiful medium gray to dark gray that has enough saturation to prevent washing out in bright light.
LRV…what? Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
Dovetail Compared to Other Colors
I like to compare shades with similar colors side by side. It’s a great way to get more information on how colors read, including their undertones. Here’s how Sherwin Williams Dovetail compares to three other popular gray paints.
Sherwin Williams Dovetail vs. Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray
With an LRV of 47, Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray (HC-168) is quite a bit brighter than Dovetail and has more obvious green undertones. In addition to the saturation difference, these two colors vary from each other because Chelsea Gray leans cool next to Dovetail’s warmth.
Sherwin Williams Dovetail vs. Dorian Gray
Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray (SW 7017) has an LRV of 39, which puts it a hair closer to being a solid medium gray color than Dovetail is. This shade has greige/warmer undertones and will pair well with both darker and brighter colors.
Sherwin Williams Dovetail vs. Gauntlet Gray
With an LRV of 17, Gauntlet Gray (SW 7019) reads darker and moodier than Dovetail does. Its deep, rich saturation could feel too dark in rooms with low levels of natural light. But you can enjoy this color, and its brown-taupe undertones with an occasional wink of purple, in the right space.
Remember: Paint colors won’t look the same in your house as they do in the store or on your computer screen. If you really want to see how paint colors behave and shift, use those paint swatches. They will help you see how your lighting and surrounding decor influence the paint color.
More Colors to Consider
I know, picking colors can be challenging! If you don’t feel sold on Dovetail just yet, check out these other grays – I’m sure you’ll find (at least) one to fall in love with!
- Repose Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a warm, mid-toned greige
- Stonington Gray (Benjamin Moore) – a rich, mid-toned neutral gray
- Light Pewter (Benjamin Moore) – a crowd-pleasing light gray with greige undertones
- Sherwin Williams Passive – a light gray with cool undertones
- Anew Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a light-medium warm greige
- Mindful Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a warm greige falling in the light-medium range
- Light French Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a light, balanced gray
- Krypton (Sherwin Williams) – a sophisticated gray-blue
Feeling lost? I gotcha, boo! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
15 Real Life Homes Using SW Dovetail
Now that we’ve covered all the background info you need to know about this color, it’s time to jump in to see how this color shifts and shimmies in real homes! Let’s check out how Dovetail behaves with different lighting situations and decor styles. Here are 15 real houses that use Sherwin Williams Dovetail paint.
Bedrooms in Dovetail Paint
A quick note here: don’t forget to consider picking the right paint finish…it’s not only about getting the color right! We have an in-depth explanation of choosing sheens here.
In general for bedrooms, and low-traffic areas, flat paint is fine. If you like something with a bit of shine (and more ease of cleaning) opt for eggshell or satin.
1. Airy Master Bedroom
You want your bedroom to feel comfy and cozy, right? Large bedrooms can tend to feel big and even “cold.” To combat that, use a darker shade such as SW Dovetail to make it feel smaller and cozier like Tag and Tibby did in this space. Dovetail is a perfect hue for some drama, or if you’re looking for a strong masculine color.
2. A Bright and Cozy Gray
The bright artificial light definitely washed the Dovetail paint out in this room by west_and_co, but that actually makes this popular color perfect for the space because it feels light but doesn’t look pale. The lighting effect is literally the difference between night and day in this picture.
3. Green Undertones in Dovetail Paint
Every now and then, you can catch a wink of green in Dovetail – and that’s usually when yellow light is shining on it because the actual undertone is blue (blue + yellow = green!).
This example from A Joyful Self (link removed as site is no longer active) shows the difference really well because the section of wall that has the yellow artificial light reads green-ish while you can see a hint of a blue undertone in the natural light to the left of the picture.
4. Bold Board and Batten
Kristin of KG Designs used Dovetail as a bold color choice for the accent wall in her master bedroom.
SW Dovetail Living Spaces
5. Pairs Well with Stone Features
Remember how I said Dovetail looks terrific with earth tones? @ourpictureimperfectlife happens to highlight both earth tones (stones) and wood tones in their living room. Dovetail looks amazing as it takes a backseat to let the focal points shine.
6. Board and Batten against Dovetail Gray
I absolutely love the way that Dovetail contrasts with white in The Cartoon Kitchen‘s family room. It’s simple yet classic. Bold, yet understated. This living space shows what a great color Dovetail can be in a traditional-style home!
Kitchen Spaces Painted In Sherwin Williams Dovetail
For kitchens, eggshell or satin are popular finish choices for walls. For cabinets consider semi-gloss or high gloss for the most durable finish (and a gorgeous glow).
7. Dark Painted Cabinets
The artificial light in this room from Long Island Wood Renewal draws out the gray color. In the places where the light shines directly on the kitchen cabinets, they read as slightly more washed out and passively warm. However, the lower cabinets read as more classically Dovetail – dark, rich, and warm.
8. Great Color For A Kitchen Island
Dovetail has enough saturation that it will never look washed out to the point of reading as off-white. However, with enough light, even Dovetail can appear much lighter than it normally does. Case in point: This painted island by 2 Cabinet Girls.
Dovetail Dining Rooms
9. Elegant Formal Dining
If you’re searching for ideas of ways to create a stunning and comfortable (but also elegant) dining room, this design by Carla Aston is your example! The bright combination of natural and artificial light bring out an almost greige appearance in Dovetail…the perfect neutral!
10. Dovetail Gray Walls in Low Light
By contrast, this dining room from Stacy Love Construction has much lower light levels, causing Dovetail to read darker. It’s still beautiful, but gives a very different feel to the room. Use your paint swatches to make sure you get exactly the vibe you’re craving!
SW Dovetail Gray Bathrooms
Don’t forget the finish! For bathrooms the perfect sheen is either an eggshell or satin. Why? We’ll tell you in this post about paint sheen.
11. Compliments Wood Accents
Sherwin Williams Dovetail has enough pretty warmth to coordinate well with other warm colors such as gold and wood tones like in Pretty Dubs‘ home. And it’s neutral enough that it has a way of fading into the background while letting those colors shine. The trim color in this space is SW Dover White.
12. Purple Undertones on Vanity
Once in a great while, Dovetail can seem to flash a hint of purple undertones. That’s what’s happening here in this model bathroom by Alturas Homes. The bright cool light is pulling those undertones forward. They’re very subtle, but they’re there.
13. Artificial Light on Dovetail Paint
As with any paint color, lower light levels will make it read darker. Dovetail shows off its lovely rich saturation in this bathroom from Castro Design to create a masculine-feeling space.
Offices with Dovetail Gray Walls
14. Dovetail Home Office in Custom Build
In the home of Kristin of KG Designs, you see how different one color can look. Notice the walls where the light is shining versus the area above the window in the shadows. Dovetail reads much lighter in the light, but there’s still plenty of color to enjoy.
15. Beautiful with Bright White Built-ins
The lighting combination in this office space from Bethany of @bma_21 draws out the blue undertones in Dovetail. Although it’s very much a neutral gray, the blue adds an additional softness and slightly reduces the warmth level.
Home Exteriors featuring Dovetail Gray
16. Cool Gray Siding and Shingles
I particularly love Dovetail on home exteriors! It has the perfect amount of saturation to add some color without being overwhelmingly dark. On the home of Addison’s Wonderland, Dovetail contrasts beautifully and strikes a terrific balance between the white trim and warm-toned stone accents.
Dovetail is a gorgeous mid to dark warm gray paint. Its warm and blue undertones make it a gorgeous option for many homes, but not for all of them. If you think this popular Sherwin Williams paint may be a good fit for your decor, make sure you check it out on color swatches before you commit!
As far as sampling goes, I highly recommend these mess-free, re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick paint samples ⤵
Pin this paint color for later! And if you use this paint shade, leave a comment on the pin! That helps others decide if they want to try this color, too!
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