Sherwin Williams Dovetail SW 7018: Paint Color Review
One of the most popular medium-toned grays
There aren’t many paint colors as versatile as Sherwin Williams Dovetail. Whole rooms feature walls, cabinets, islands, interior doors, exteriors, and more – is there anything Dovetail doesn’t look good on? But that doesn’t mean it will be the best fit for you and your home, as it’s essential to research before slapping any paint on those walls!
IS DOVETAIL A WARM OR COOL GRAY?
Dovetail is a warm gray paint color, meaning it has a softer look than traditional cool gray or charcoal paint colors.
If you have a north-facing light, Dovetail may look a ‘bit’ more like a traditional gray while still holding a passive warmth. However, if you have south-facing or afternoon western light, you’re more likely to see the pretty warmth hiding inside it.
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
WHAT’S DOVETAIL’S LRV?
Dovetail has an LRV of 26, which means it’s a solid medium-depth paint color. With this depth, Dovetail will create a moody environment without looking gratuitously heavy, like some darker shades with lower LRVs.
If you have an overly bright room, Dovetail will naturally lighten up but still hold its bulk.
Sherwin Williams Cyberspace walls | Dovetail cabinets
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
WHAT ARE DOVETAIL’S UNDERTONES?
Many of my Online Color Consulting clients seek the perfect neutral gray paint color. Sadly, this doesn’t exist. Like death, taxes, and empty wine bottles, undertones are hard to avoid. While you can often find any of the three gray undertones in one color, Dovetail favors a very (very) minor purple undertone – one that can be hard to see at first or even second glance.
Sherwin Williams Dovetail with an older style granite countertop
Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Dovetail…
WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM OR CABINET COLOR WITH DOVETAIL?
Whether you have Dovetail cabinets and want white walls or need a coordinating white for your trim and cabinets with Dovetail walls, there are a bunch you can check out, including…
- Sherwin Williams Extra White
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
- Sherwin Williams White Snow
The Best White Paint Colors for Cabinets, Trims & Walls
The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams
IS DOVETAIL A GOOD EXTERIOR COLOR?
Absolutely! With its medium-range LRV, Dovetail is a great choice for many exterior palettes. However, like its main competition, Metropolis, it might look a bit warmer than expected in some exterior lighting, especially south-facing, morning eastern, or afternoon west-facing light. Just make sure it suits your stone, brick, roof, and other exterior considerations.
Sherwin Williams Keystone Gray (top), Dovetail (bottom)
Sherwin Williams Alabaster with Dovetail shutters and metal roof
5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
IS DOVETAIL A GOOD CHOICE FOR CABINETS?
You bet it is, but it can be a wink warm for some of the popular gray, white, and marble-look quartz and laminate countertops.
Sherwin Williams Pure White cabinets | Agreeable Gray walls | Dovetail island
The Best Gray & Greige Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets
WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO DOVETAIL?
You won’t find an exact match for ANY color between brands – you’ll always see shifts in undertones, temperature, and depths. This said, it’s important to sample and compare similar shades, so let’s check out…
- Benjamin Moore Metropolis is one of my favorites from Benjamin Moore.
- Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray offers a bit more depth but a similar approach.
- Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray offers a little shift in undertones for you!
- Nervous about purple undertones? Take a look at Sherwin Williams Classic French Gray.
Benjamin Moore’s Best DARK Gray & Charcoal Paint Colors
WHAT COLORS GO WITH DOVETAIL?
Regarding Metropolis, it’s important to remember that it’s a considerably warm gray, so it’s not quite as flexible as a traditional gray paint color. However, it does have some versatility with colors like…
- Taupes can be beautiful with Dovetail.
- Dovetail doesn’t want to be partnered with colors that are lighter and cooler than itself unless there’s some good separation/walls between them.
- Deep, grounded, darker earth tones, particularly some blue-gray blends and darker shades of green.
READ MORE
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Classic French Gray
The 4 Best Paint Colors for a Kitchen Island
Benjamin Moore’s Best Dark Gray Paint Colors
NEED HELP?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
WRITTEN IN EARLY 2019, UPDATED IN 2024
Would dovetail as an accent wall in one room look ok with hale navy as a kitchen island? You would be able to see both colors standing in either room.
HI,
I do really like this paint color. If I use it for the walls of a small bathroom, do you think peppercorn will jive with it for a vanity color? i know one is more warm and the other is more cool. the bathroom has no light to outside. so it doesn’t have natural light. TIA
Hi.. what would color dove tail look if lightened some? Thanks Linda. I like it warm color
Take a look at the color Acier, which is above Dovetail on the color strip 🙂
Warning to anyone considering dovetail for exterior of home. My house now looks purple in pretty much every light. I hate it so much I’m really considering spending another $6K to repaint it.
Oh Jeez, that sucks, Tom! I’ve never had it turn out overt purple! I’d love to see some images of this if you don’t mind… kylie@kylieminteriors.ca
Hello Kylie I am a big fan of your you tube channel and I was hoping to employ your services to help me with colour choice for a coastal house I am building. I am having trouble putting the colours together. I live in Australia.
Yvonne
Hi Yvonne, I would LOVE to help! Just visit my HIRE ME page to see what I’ve got! They might be out of stock at this minute, but should be back in a few days! I’ve done work down there before and would love to again!