Sherwin Williams Porpoise & Anonymous: Paint Color Review
Porpoise & Anonymous: two of the BEST GREIGES dark greiges
While there are tons of gorgeous light greiges out there, greige is a TOUGH one to pull off in the DARKER end of things as it easily turns BROWN. This is why we’re taking an up-close and personal look at two of my FAVE dark greige paint colors, Sherwin Williams Anonymous & Porpoise…
In order to show you RELATEABLE & REAL homes, I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality photos I need or the RIGHT photos, but DEFINITELY have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!
Are Porpoise & Anonymous Greige or Gray?
Anonymous and Porpoise are DEFINITELY greige paint colors as they’re WARMER than gray. Even in north-facing light, you’ll be hard-pressed to get these two colors to lean cool enough to be considered even as warm grays. In south-facing light, you’ll see them lean a bit more into their rich greige warmth.
Sherwin Williams Anonymous
Read more: North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
What are the LRV’s of Porpoise & Anonymous?
Porpoise has an LRV of 13, Anonymous has an LRV of 20. While they’re BOTH medium-dark colors, with its lower LRV, Porpoise is a GOOD tone darker. However, it’s not as dark and moody as the ever-popular Urbane Bronze.
In this next photo, you’ll see Urbane Bronze in ALL of its greige glory…
FULL Paint Color Review: Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
What are the undertones of Porpoise & Anonymous, will they look green or NEUTRAL?
When it comes to the undertones of Porpoise and Anonymous, it depends on how sensitive you are to GREEN. If you don’t like green undertones, you PROBABLY won’t like either of these. On the other hand, if you LOVE green undertones, you might not find them to have ENOUGH as the undertone is a bit passive.
Comparing the previous two photos, notice how Anonymous can look a bit darker in CONTRAST to white trim, but a bit lighter in CONTRAST to wood trim! SO COOL!
What’s the best way to sample any paint color?
Like with every paint color, I highly recommend using SAMPLIZE. Samplize is a peel & stick paint sample that you can easily move around your room for over HALF THE COST of traditional sample pots – and they deliver right to your front door!
Learn all about Samplize HERE
What’s the best white trim color for Anonymous or Porpoise?
Where do I even START? There’s a whole range of whites that suit these two bad boys, including Sherwin Williams Alabaster, Pure White, High Reflective White and Benjamin Moore White Dove (mad love).
How to Pick the Best White Paint Color
SHOULD I Paint My Wood Cabinets White? A QUESTIONNAIRE
The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams
Are Porpoise & Anonymous good colors for my home’s exterior?
HECK YES! As long as your brick, stone and roof suit the green undertone and subtle warmth, Porpoise & Anonymous can be gorgeous colors for exterior siding or trim.
In this next photo, remember that this is a SHADED area and these colors will look much lighter on the sunny side…
Read more: 5 Tips to Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
What’s the best way to sample paint colors?
Like with every paint color, I highly recommend using SAMPLIZE. Samplize is a peel & stick paint sample that you can easily move around your room for over HALF THE COST of traditional sample pots – and they deliver right to your front door!
Learn all about Samplize HERE
Does Benjamin Moore have a color that’s similar to Porpoise or Anonymous?
When it comes to finding similar colors between brands, it’s tough as there will ALWAYS BE shifts in undertones, depths, etc… the CLOSEST that Benjamin Moore has are Benjamin Moore Squirrel Tail, Roosevelt Taupe, Iron Gate and Gargoyle.
If you’re thinking of color matching between brands (ie. getting Benjamin Moore to make a Sherwin Williams paint color), you might want to read THIS first.
What type of paint colors look do these two colors look good with?
Because Porpoise and Anonymous are on the darker end of things, they’re actually a lot more flexible than the LIGHTER end of the greige range.
- medium-toned stormy grays with blue-green undertones
- off-whites that are tan, beige and cream, such as Sherwin Williams Moderate White, Aesthetic White & White Duck
- light greige and beige/tan paint colors and some warm grays
- many soft cream paint colors
READ MORE
Sherwin Williams Best DARK Greige & Gray Paint Colors (COMING SOON!)
Paint Color Review: Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray
Paint Color Review: Sherwin Williams Dovetail
The 12 Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colors
Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
Chat soon,
Kylie-
We are painting our new build SW anonymous. We have a lighter neutral stone on the house, black roof, and planning to do white trim. Would BM white dove blend okay with factory finished white gutters and garage doors? Or is SW Pure white a better option?
I want a softer look for the white, but don’t want anything sticking out.
Of the 2, Pure White will be more subtle with factor white gutters/garage doors, whereas White Dove will be that bit warmer. You will still see a shift between your gutters and Pure White, it just won’t be as strong 🙂
Just painted our wood siding colonial house white duck- the wood is cedar and it looks AMAZING. I tried amazing gray shutters (darkened 30%) and it was a bit too washed out. Looking at lower LRV colors now. Do you think Anonymous be a good option?!
It could be lovely! I like Felted Wool too 🙂
In the picture with the urbane bronze and porpoise panel, is the siding on the building Anonymous? thanks
Nope, I’m not sure what the original color is 🙂
Hi Kylie, I’ve learned so much from your blogs and videos. Can Porpoise or Anonymous as a vanity color pair nicely with rustic looking tan floor tile? Walls will be a neutral off white.
Oh, I pair Porpoise with beige/tan tiles allll the time – I would trust its depth to work more than Anonymous (having not seen the tiles, of course) 🙂
Love your blog.
First, we bought a townhome that is in great shape, good quality, but dated. we have a honey oak kitchen and floors. The ceilings are high, if that matters and the nook brings in a lot of light. We are refinishing the floors so they will still be oak, just a bit better. With the amount of honey oak in our house and the trim, I am thinking we will replace with painted cabinet doors. the wall will be Alabaster.
• I am thinking Porpoise for the cabinets.
• adding a rug
• letting the table and chairs add modern interest in the nook
Secondly, am I crazy for not wanting to paint all of the trim? We have the ability, my husband and I both come from design fields, but I wonder if we start that process, we will be taking away from some the look of the town home.
We are mid century modern transitional.
(The living room/dining room beyond have a sectional in the deepest of neutral greens, ochre and wine accents with multiple woods on the furniture.)
Hmmmm, it’s SO hard to say without seeing your home, but with doing NON-WHITE cabinets, it can be so much easier to keep wood trims in play. It doesn’t always go as well when cabinets are painted white. I’m definitely intrigued by your plan!
We building a new home and have chosen porpoise as our main body color. Half the house is a very pretty brick with lots of tones that pop next to porpoise. I’m working on the soffit and fascia. We want lighter, but not too light. Would you ever mix up porpoise at 75% or less to be an accent color? I’m not too excited about the other SW colors on that strip, but I do love the porpoise and the urbane bronze. Thank you, Amy
Hey Kylie,
I am looking to do a feature wall with SW anonymous. We have a cool toned charcoal grey upholstered bed however and warm medium toned hardwood floors. What colour would you recommend on the remaining walls to keep the bedroom earthy, moody and warm? The bedroom is north facing but does have a lot of pot lights and big windows spanning one wall. Using AI as a starting point, SW balanced beige was a suggestion. Would love to pull in warm wood tones and camel color accents as well if that plays a factor!