Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Dolphin Fin |
| SKU | PPU18-15 |
| Hex | #B6B2A6 |
| RGB | 182, 178, 166 |
| HSL | 45°, 10%, 68% |
| LRV | 47 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Neutral |
What Color Is Dolphin Fin, Really?
Behr Dolphin Fin (PPU18-15) is a mid-tone greige: gray softened with just enough warmth to keep it from feeling cold. Its saturation sits at 10 percent, so it reads as a near-neutral with a gentle warm lean rather than an obviously beige or tan wall color. At an LRV of 47, it lands almost exactly in the middle of the light-to-dark scale, which means it gives real color to a wall while still bouncing back close to half the light that hits it.
Much of its popularity comes from one fact: it is the Behr greige most often compared to Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray on Reddit and design forums, so people shopping at Home Depot land on it as the closest in-store answer.
It suits homes that want a lived-in, flexible neutral: open floor plans, rentals being refreshed on a budget, and anyone who finds pure gray too stark but does not want committed beige.
The measured hue of Dolphin Fin sits at 45 degrees, which is the yellow-orange part of the wheel, but at only 10 percent saturation. In plain terms, that means it is a near-neutral gray with a slight warm lean, and in some light that warmth can read faintly red-orange or khaki rather than clean gray. You will notice the warm side most in the evening under incandescent or warm LED bulbs, and on walls that catch direct afternoon sun.
Against a stark white like Ultra Pure White (1850), Dolphin Fin looks clearly warm and slightly green-khaki. Against a beige, it flips and reads gray. That flip is normal for low-saturation greiges.
Before committing, test it next to whatever fixed elements it must live with: tile, countertop, carpet, and your actual trim color. If your floors are orange-toned oak, the shared warmth usually works in its favor rather than clashing.
Best Rooms and Uses for Dolphin Fin
A 47 LRV makes Dolphin Fin genuinely versatile. It is dark enough to define a wall and hide scuffs better than an off-white, yet light enough to run through a whole main level without closing rooms in, provided they get reasonable daylight. Living rooms, hallways, bedrooms, and open-plan kitchens and living areas are all natural fits.
It also works on lower kitchen cabinets or a bathroom vanity as a soft, low-risk alternative to painted gray, with a lighter neutral on the walls above. On exteriors it behaves like a classic putty-greige body color that pairs easily with white trim and a dark door.
Where it is less useful: as an accent wall against white, the contrast is mild and can look accidental rather than intentional, and it is too mid-toned to serve as trim. Keep trim lighter or much darker and let Dolphin Fin do the field work.
How Lighting Changes Dolphin Fin
At LRV 47, Dolphin Fin is a true mid-tone, and mid-tones shift more visibly with light than very light or very dark colors. In a north-facing room, the cool, steady light pushes it grayer and a touch flatter; it can read almost like a plain gray there. South-facing rooms do the opposite: all-day warm light pulls the yellow-orange lean forward, and it can look closer to a soft khaki greige.
East-facing rooms get the warm version in the morning and the gray version in the afternoon; west-facing rooms reverse that, warming up noticeably at sunset.
Bulbs matter as much as windows. Warm bulbs around 2700K emphasize the beige side, while cooler 3500K to 4000K bulbs keep it in gray territory. Because an LRV of 47 does not brighten a room on its own, dim rooms will need decent artificial light or the color can feel heavy.
Most complaints about Dolphin Fin are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Dolphin Fin vs Similar Colors
The most-searched matchup is Dolphin Fin versus Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray (SW 7015). Repose Gray is noticeably lighter at LRV 58 versus 47, and it leans cooler and grayer. On the wall, Repose Gray keeps a room airier and safer in dim spaces, while Dolphin Fin gives more visible color and warmth. Pick Repose Gray for small or north-facing rooms; pick Dolphin Fin when off-whites and pale grays have been disappearing on your walls.
Inside Behr's own deck, Rushmore Gray (HDC-CL-27G) at LRV 45 is nearly identical in depth and hue; most people could not tell the two apart across a room, so availability and the rest of your palette can decide. Behr Greige (PPU24-11) at LRV 46 sits a touch grayer and slightly less warm, which makes it the better choice if Dolphin Fin's khaki lean shows too strongly in your afternoon light.
Colors That Go With Dolphin Fin
For trim and ceilings, Swiss Coffee (12) is the easy pick: at LRV 80 it is a warm, creamy white that matches Dolphin Fin's warmth without glaring against it. If you want a brighter, more modern edge, Polar Bear (75) at LRV 86 gives cleaner contrast while staying soft.
For a second wall color in adjoining rooms, Silver Drop (PPU18-19) at LRV 60 is essentially a lighter step of the same greige family, so the two flow together in an open plan. For an accent wall or a painted piece of furniture, In the Moment (MQ6-49), a muted teal at LRV 22, adds color without fighting the neutral base. On a front door or kitchen island, Cracked Pepper (PPU18-01), a soft black at LRV 5, gives the strong anchor a mid-tone scheme needs.
Warm woods like oak and walnut sit comfortably with it, and both black and brushed brass hardware work.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr PPU18-15 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Dolphin Fin within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #B6B2A6 in HSL space. Pair Dolphin Fin with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Behr Dolphin Fin warm or cool?
Dolphin Fin is a warm-leaning neutral, but only slightly. Its saturation is about 10 percent, so it reads as gray first with a subtle warm, yellow-orange cast underneath. In cool north light it looks mostly gray; in warm afternoon sun or under 2700K bulbs the beige-khaki side comes forward. It never reads as a true beige.
Is Dolphin Fin more gray or more beige?
More gray. It is a greige, meaning gray with a warm undertone, and the gray dominates in most lighting. Held against a crisp white it shows its warmth, but held against an actual beige it clearly reads gray. If you want a wall that photographs gray but feels softer in person than a true gray, that is exactly what Dolphin Fin does.
What trim white goes with Behr Dolphin Fin?
Behr Swiss Coffee (12) is the most reliable pairing. It is a warm white with an LRV of 80, so it shares Dolphin Fin's warmth and avoids the stark, blue-white clash a bright white can create. If you prefer more contrast, Polar Bear (75) at LRV 86 is a cleaner white that still stays on the soft side.
What does Dolphin Fin's LRV of 47 mean in practice?
LRV 47 means the color reflects about 47 percent of the light that hits it, putting it in the middle of the scale. It will not brighten a room the way an off-white does, but it will not darken it dramatically either. Well-lit rooms handle it easily; dim rooms will need good lamps or it can feel heavier than expected.
How is Dolphin Fin different from Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray?
Repose Gray (SW 7015) is lighter and cooler: its LRV is 58 versus Dolphin Fin's 47, so it keeps rooms brighter and reads as a paler, grayer neutral. Dolphin Fin is a full step deeper with a warmer lean, so walls show more actual color. Small or low-light rooms favor Repose Gray; rooms with plenty of daylight can carry Dolphin Fin.
Should I sample Dolphin Fin before painting?
Yes. As a mid-tone greige, it shifts noticeably between gray and warm khaki depending on exposure and bulbs. Paint a sample at least two feet square, or use a large peel-and-stick swatch, on two different walls. Look at it in morning light, afternoon light, and at night with your lamps on, next to your trim, flooring, and countertops, before buying gallons.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Dolphin Fin behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY DOLPHIN FIN ON YOUR ROOM →Ask a Question
Not sure about Dolphin Fin in your room?
Ask Jessica below — every question gets a real reply, usually within a day.