Benjamin Moore Chelsea GrayvsSherwin-Williams Dovetail
Why this comparison: Cross-brand mid-gray rivals — BM’s Chelsea Gray reads slightly cooler than SW’s Dovetail. Chelsea Gray and Dovetail are very close (ΔE 3.5). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
Dovetail is slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 23, 3-point delta).
What Each Color Really Is
Chelsea Gray is Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection entry HC-168, and the collection tag matters: this is not a trend color invented for a Pinterest moment, it is a decades-old warm charcoal-gray that the current farmhouse-exterior and moody-kitchen-island trends simply rediscovered. Where a lot of "greige" paints split cleanly into either warm-beige or cool-gray, Chelsea Gray's undertone is genuinely layered — a brown base carries the weight, a real green surfaces in strong daylight, and in cooler or artificial light a violet flash can show through. Reviewers who chart its undertone in detail (Kylie M Interiors, Brick & Batten, and others who've painted it in multiple homes) consistently land on this same three-way mix rather than a single clean answer, which is unusual even among BM's more complicated grays.
At LRV 23 it sits in real charcoal-greige territory: noticeably lighter and less committed than Kendall Charcoal (LRV 13), but far too deep to function as a whole-house interior neutral the way a beige or a light gray would. That depth is the point on an island, a front door, or one accent wall — it reads as a deliberate color choice, not "we couldn't decide." Multiple reviewers note it looks noticeably brighter and warmer in direct exterior sunlight than the chip or a north-facing interior sample suggests, which is why so many owners test it indoors, think it looks almost black-brown, then paint the exterior and get a color that reads a full step lighter and warmer once the sun hits it.
A warm gray with real brown in the mix, and no single dramatic story behind it — which is the point. Dovetail sits in Sherwin-Williams' neutral collection as one of the brand's most consistently reached-for colors for cabinetry, exteriors, and doors, without ever getting the Color of the Year spotlight or the magazine profile that colors like Naval or Urbane Bronze got. It is famous the quiet way: contractors keep specifying it, kitchen islands keep getting painted it, and it keeps showing up in "best warm gray" round-ups years after it launched.
At LRV 26 it is a genuinely mid-deep color, closer in weight to Chelsea Gray than to Agreeable Gray. That depth is the whole trade: on a small sample chip it can look like a pleasant medium gray, but depth multiplies undertone on four walls, and Dovetail arrives noticeably darker and browner than the chip promised. That is a feature on a kitchen island or a single front door — it is exactly the risk on a whole small room with one window.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Chelsea Gray | Dovetail |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | HC-168 | SW 7018 |
| Hex | #86847C | #908A83 |
| RGB | 134, 132, 124 | 144, 138, 131 |
| LRV | 23 | 26 |
| Undertone | true neutral | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Gray | Gray |
How Light Changes Them
Warms up and brightens a full step from how it reads indoors — the brown-green comes forward and it looks richer, not muddier. This is the light it was made for.
The same warmth that flatters it outdoors can tip visibly green for an hour or two on west-facing walls and islands. Sample at 4-6pm before committing to that wall.
Cools down and can read flatter, with the violet undertone more visible than the green. Fine if you like it moodier; test first if you expected pure charcoal.
Warm 2700K lamps deepen it toward a cozy brown-charcoal. Cool white LEDs pull the violet forward and flatten it — swap the bulbs before you blame the paint.
Warm sun keeps the brown and gray balanced — this is the light where it reads rich, not muddy.
Cool flat daylight drains the warmth and leaves a dull, muddy green-gray. Test before committing a whole room.
Cooler and grayer in the morning, warmer and more brown-leaning by afternoon. The shift is real but gentle.
2700K lamps deepen the brown and make it feel grounded. Cool white LEDs flatten it toward a dull slate — swap bulbs before you blame the paint.
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
Kitchen islands and cabinets · whole-house exteriors and front doors · a single moody accent wall · powder rooms and vanities · anyone who wants "gray" with visible depth, not a flat neutral
You want a true, undertone-free gray with zero personality · your home is a cool-light, north-facing box with no warm materials · you are painting a whole interior's base wall color, not an accent · your countertops or siding are already cool blue-gray
Kitchen islands and cabinets · exterior siding and front doors · dens and home offices with real daylight · anyone who wants more depth than Agreeable Gray without going full charcoal
Your room is small, north-facing and dim · you want a true light gray you can paint without a sample · your trim and floors are cool gray or icy white · you're choosing between five look-alike warm grays in the store and need the fastest safe answer
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Chelsea Gray vs Dovetail FAQ
Which is lighter, Chelsea Gray or Dovetail?
Dovetail is lighter: LRV 26 vs 23. Dovetail is slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 23, 3-point delta).
Which is warmer, Chelsea Gray or Dovetail?
Dovetail is the warmer of the two (red-orange / warm); Chelsea Gray reads true neutral.
How similar are Chelsea Gray and Dovetail?
Chelsea Gray and Dovetail are very close (ΔE 3.5). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Chelsea Gray and Dovetail together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 3.5 they are so close that two walls in each will read as a tinting mistake, not a design choice. Pick one, or keep them on different floors where they are never seen together.
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