Sherwin Williams Dovetail: The Quick and Dirty on LRV, Undertones and a Little More

Have you been wondering about certain paint colours, but can’t find helpful info? Well, have I got the blog posts for you! I’ve created my Colour Review series to cover some of the most popular Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paint colours. I’ve also got the Quick & Dirty series to cover colours that aren’t as popular, or that I don’t have enough of images of yet (as I ONLY use photos from my Online Colour Consulting clients).

And today we’re talking about…

What type of paint colour is Dovetail? Is it greige, gray or taupe?

Dovetail is a gray paint colour, that’s known for being flexible with its undertones and a great depth for MANY surfaces, which will talk about shortly.

Is Dovetail a warm paint colour or a cool one?

Dovetail is a WARM gray paint colour and even with north-facing light, you’d be hard-pressed to get it to flash cool.

What’s the LRV of Dovetail?

Dovetail has an LRV of almost 26, which makes it a medium-toned paint colour (learn more HERE)

Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

What are the undertones of Dovetail? Will it look purple, blue or green?

Good question! We know that gray paint colours can have three undertones, so it’s important to find the undertone of ANY gray you’re looking at to make sure it jibes with the finishes around it. Dovetail favours a very (very) minor purple undertone and only a wink o’ green – I’ve never seen it go blue.

What’s the best way to sample Dovetail?

Like with every paint colour, 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!

If I’m painting my walls Dovetail, what’s the best white paint colour for my trim?

If I’m using Sherwin Williams paint, I’m most likely to use High Reflective White or maybe Pure White.

Is Dovetail a good colour for the exterior of my home?

It could be! With its medium-range LRV, it can hold itself quite well in both intense south-facing light and shaded north-facing light. Just make sure it’s the RIGHT gray for your brick/stone, roof and other exterior considerations.

Dovetail on the shutters

Is Dovetail one of the more popular gray paint colours?

DEFINITELY. Of course, there are MORE popular ones, but they tend to be in the off-white to light range, as that depth is more commonly used on interior walls. Dovetail is most often used as a feature wall colour or on the exterior, however, if your room has reasonable light OR if you like a more moody approach, Dovetail can be stunning in an entire room.

Is Dovetail a good paint colour for kitchen cabinets or an island?

YES. Dovetail is a beautiful depth if you don’t want white cabinets, but also don’t want a colour that’s too dense or heavy. It’s also pretty flexible towards a lot of today’s more popular quartz/marble-look countertops.

What type of paint colours look good with Dovetail?

Like its slightly darker partner, Gauntlet Gray, Dovetail is a BIT finicky, but as long as you follow a few rules, you should get along just fine!

Dovetail loves to be partnered with some grays that are the same warmth as it or even a bit warmer
Dovetail also loves greige, such as SW Agreeable Gray or the warmer beige approach of Accessible Beige. That’s not to say that those combos will suit your home and its interior finishes, but they’re a place to start
Dovetail DOESN’T love to be partnered with colours that are lighter and cooler than itself unless there’s some good separation/walls between them

Not sure if Dovetail is right for you? Want a bit warmer or cooler? I’ve got more!

WHOLE-HOME NEUTRAL PAINT COLOURS

SHERWIN WILLIAMS GAUNTLET GRAY

Not sure which paint colour is best for YOUR home?

Check out my Online Paint Colour Consulting – I’d love to help!