6 Best DARK Greige & Taupe Paint Colors (Sherwin Williams)
DARK Greige & Taupe Paint Colors for Walls, Exteriors & More
Are you looking for the perfect dark greige or taupe for your cabinets, walls, or exterior? You’ve come to the right blog! Today, we’re exploring the DARK side of things with Sherwin William’s most popular dark neutrals. But before we start, as per usual, we need to have a little chat (insert wine here).
THE TRICKY THING ABOUT DARK GREIGE & TAUPE PAINT COLORS
Depending on your color religion, you either think greige and taupe are the same thing (three gentle slaps with a wet noodle) or are different colors entirely. From this side of the great color wheel, while they both have similar INTENTIONS (to be warmer than gray and cooler than beige), their undertones set them apart.
THE BASICS OF GREIGE
Greige is one of my favorite neutrals. Sandwiched between gray and beige, it’s also more likely to survive the various trends as it doesn’t entirely commit to one or the other (referring to the gray and beige/trends of the last 20 years). Some greiges cater to gray, making them look a bit cooler, whereas others lean into the warmth of beige, making them look warmer.
But regardless of which way they lean, they ALL favor a green undertone (and, more rarely, a wink o’ violet).
Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (stair railing and island) is a dark greige
But whereas you can find some pretty darn neutral-looking greiges in the LIGHT end of things (their undertones are just SUPER subtle), you’ll find that as greiges get darker, they often grab more undertone. This means there are very few dark greiges that make the cut as they’re often more of a ‘color’ than a ‘neutral.’
THE BASICS OF TAUPE
Just like greige, taupe sits between gray and beige and can also lean a bit warmer or cooler depending on its particular blend. However…
Taupe’s undertone of choice is VIOLET (violet-pink) and more rarely flashes green.
Taupe is equally as challenging as greige when it comes to darker options. You’ll find that the darker taupe goes, the more VIOLET and BROWN it picks up—consider yourself warned.
The key to determining whether you need greige or taupe is to decide which undertone—green or violet—best suits your finishes! Remember, just because you prefer one undertone over another doesn’t mean your home agrees with you.
BTW, pay attention to the LRV of each color to ensure you’re getting the DEPTH you want. Not sure what LRV is? It could save your PAINT LOVIN’ LIFE – read about it HERE.
1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANONYMOUS SW 7046
Anonymous is a stunner, although I wonder what its real name is (wink wink). Comin’ in hot with an LRV of 20, Anonymous is medium-dark shade of greige and a great way to make an impact without diving into the DEEP end of the dark range.
Anonymous has a soft green undertone (which is what makes it a greige). If you don’t like green undertones, it might make you a little twitchy, but it could give a polite but not overwhelming nod to finishes that demand this particular undertone.
Check it out in a palette with Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray and Benjamin Moore Gibraltar Cliffs…
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Anonymous
2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS MINK SW 6004
As far as dark taupe paint colors go, Mink (and the darker Folkstone) are my faves. However, with their degree of gray and brown, they could arguably be called warm grays, depending on their environment. These two colors have slightly noticeable violet undertones while still acting as neutrals.
Mink has an LRV of 21 and is a popular choice for exteriors when a particular stone/brick/roof caters to a violet undertone – same with Folkstone (LRV 14). In the above photo, it’s much easier to see how Mink could be seen as taupe, not warm gray.
This next photo shows how quickly a color like Mink or Folkstone (garage doors) can swing warm with a good dose of southern or afternoon western sunshine…
Exterior Paint Colors: Does Exposure REALLY Matter?
3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS KEYSTONE GRAY SW 7504
Regarding dark greige, Keystone Gray isn’t the first to come to mind due to its depth. However, seeing as it’s on the EDGE and is such a friggin’ fantastic color, I want to take a closer look with you.
Keystone Gray is a solid medium-depth greige-taupe. This means that it doesn’t cater hard to green or violet undertones. This can work great for some homes, but if your surrounding finishes demand green or violet, you might need to commit to a stronger shade.
TOP SAMPLE: Keystone Gray / BOTTOM: Sherwin Williams Dovetail (a warm gray)
FULL Paint Color Review: Sherwin Williams Keystone Gray
Get your CURATED PEEL & STICK COLOR BUNDLES HERE!
4. SHERWIN WILLIAMS URBANE BRONZE SW 7048
I love Urbane Bronze, and if it didn’t exist, not only would my home be slightly lacking in oomph, but Sherwin Williams wouldn’t have a great dark greige for us to explore. Urbane Bronze has the most WICKED passive warmth and green undertone, as shown on these stair railings…
Urbane Bronze is also a great option for kitchen cabinets, islands, and bathroom vanities, as well as feature walls!
Looking for something with a BIT more warmth/richness? Check out Benjamin Moore’s Dragon’s Breath.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
Urbane Bronze vs. 6 TOP GREIGE Paint Colors
5. SHERWIN WILLIAMS SPALDING GRAY SW 6074
Spalding Gray is another gorgeous taupe that will seem warmer and browner than the previously discussed Mink (while still having similar but more muted undertones.) With an LRV of 22, Spalding Gray has a solid medium depth, making it a great choice for kitchen islands (or all the cabinets), exteriors, and accent walls.
Spalding Gray is the sample on the left, and the slightly lighter Chatura Gray is on the right.
Now you might be thinking, ‘Kylie, what about Garret Gray and Chateau Brown, the colors right beneath Spalding Gray on the color strip? Aren’t they great taupes, too?’ OH, they’re good…but not THAT GOOD (wink wink)! While Garret Gray has a great approach to taupe, by the time we get to Chateau Brown, well, the name says it all.
6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS WARM STONE SW 7032
Seriously, don’t let Warm Stone’s terrible Pinterest page throw you off track – if you’re looking for a warmer-than-average greige-taupe, this is it!
Whether on Pinterest or Sherwin William’s website, Warm Stone looks brown—I won’t deny it. However, in real life, that brown warmth has a good shot of gray and super flexible undertones that don’t commit hard to green or violet (some people don’t even notice undertones at all). If the usual greige and taupe paint colors are too gray or colorful for you, this could be the ticket.
Now, there are a few other shades that almost made the cut but aren’t included in the above list for a few reasons.
1. They might already be listed in this blog post: The Best Medium Neutrals: Greige, Taupe, & Mushroom
2. I’m waiting for some good AFTER photos from my Online Color Consulting clients to show you how they look in real life!
WHAT’S SHERWIN WILLIAMS’ MOST POPULAR GREIGE-TAUPE PAINT COLOR?
When it comes to Sherwin William’s lighter range, it has to be Agreeable Gray. However, at the darker end of things, Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze pops up on everything from front doors and exteriors to feature walls and cabinets!
READ MORE
The Best Medium Neutrals: Greige, Taupe, & Mushroom
The Best Dark Brown Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore’s Top 8 MEDIUM & DARK Greige & Taupe Paint Colors
The 15 Best Steampunk & Industrial-Inspired Paint Colors
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Versatile Gray & Perfect Greige
The 12 Best Whole Home Gray & Greige Paint Colors
The 8 Best WHOLE HOME Warm Neutral Paint Colors
NEED HELP?
CHECK OUT MY ONLINE PAINT COLOR CONSULTING, COURSES & E-BOOKS!
Chat soon,
I’m obsessed with ‘Warm Stone’ & I am 98% committed to using it in our basement to add some amazing depth & richness on the walls. The last 2% is all about the trim/accents. Would you use SW Pure White as the accent/trim color? Or am I missing out on a fabulous white pairing by sticking with the tried & true ‘Pure White?’
Thank you!
Wahoo, I love Warm Stone too! And yes, Pure White is an AWESOME white with it – my first choice :).
Hi! I saw on SW page that they recommend incredible white as a complimentry color to warm stone. Would you choose pure white as your first choice considering that our exterior would be warm stone and our metal roof is urbane bronze. We have white windows and gutters and I’m struggling with finding perfect white for the trim. I’ve sampled way too many. Or we could do warm stone roof and accessible beige exterior? We’re flexible if you thought the urbane & warm stone together on exterior wouldn’t look good. It’s for our house and our barn. They’ll match.
Incredible White isn’t a great white for trim as it can flash pink. Pure White could be better for you :).
How do you decide whether a green or violet undertone best suits your interior finishes? I have red oak floors that are stained a dark mahogany red color. I would like to downplay the red tones in the floor. Would I be better off choosing a taupe or a greige paint color for my walls? Love your blog and color reviews!
Well, if it were ME, I woudl lean into taupe just a wee bit, rather than accent the red in the floor with green 🙂
Hi! What’s the name of the paint that’s on the cabinets in the top picture? It’s just what I’m looking for!
Hiya! The very top pic with the dark island, that’s SW Urbane Bronze!
I need to paint the exterior of my home. My brick is peachy with small black specs ththrough. I want to use a Greig or taupe. What would look the best. House faces west. Thank you!
We recently painted our dining room SW peppercorn and I love it! What would be a good warm gray/greige to use in the adjoining living room (north facing) they will stay warm? We tried dovetail and it looks blue gray to me…
Your paint reviews are so incredibly helpful!
How about SW Agreeable Gray or Anew Gray?
I spent a lot of time searching for the right color for our house exterior and couldn’t find many great photos with Warm Stone. After painting about 4-5 different samples on the outside, we chose Warm Stone, with black trim, a black garage door, a natural wood front door, and a natural wood stairway and railing. I’m so glad we did. It really gave new life to our 1980s house and carriage house.
Ooooo, I bet it looks STUNNING! I just had a client send in their ‘after photos’ using Warm Stone and I’m SUPER obsessed. It’s a super underrated color, but so darn good. (BTW, I’d love to see photos of your home, if you’d like to share them??? kylie@kylieminteriors.ca If not, I TOTALLY get it :).
Hello! Could you please tell me the color of the taupe cabinets on the last picture next to the matte black cafe fridge? Thank you!
We did a stairwell accent wall in Warm Stone and it is gorgeous. Rich and classy-looking.
ooo, I’d love to see it!
I am terrible with colors.
What do you think of exterior house: Body-Anonymous, Trim-pure white, Accent-Urban Bronze. Maybe a fun front door color???Mediterranean or ???
I think this sounds cool, I don’t see any red flags (assuming you have white windows)! If you need help with the front door color, I’m love to take a look, as it definitely depends on the roof/stone/brick/landscaping :).