Sherwin-Williams Dorian GrayvsSherwin-Williams Dovetail
Why this comparison: Mid-depth SW grays for cabinets and islands; Dovetail runs darker and warmer. Dorian Gray and Dovetail are close but distinct (ΔE 9.24). Visible difference on the wall, especially in flat daylight.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
Dorian Gray is meaningfully lighter (LRV 39 vs 26). On a wall, Dorian Gray reads mid-tone; Dovetail reads mid-tone.
What Each Color Really Is
A mid-tone greige built on a soft red-brown base — warm, but only just. Saturation sits near 11 percent, so the beige side never announces itself the way a true tan does; it reads as stone or wet sand rather than brown. That low saturation is also why people describe it three different ways in the same thread. Some see taupe, some see a faint purple flash, and outdoors plenty of people see green. All three are true, because there is barely enough color in it to commit to one story.
LRV 39 is the number that decides whether you like it. Repose Gray sits at 58 and Mindful Gray at 48, so Dorian Gray is a full step deeper than the greiges most people already know — closer to Intellectual Gray (36) than to anything in the pale range. On a wall that means real depth: shadows in corners, visible contrast against white trim, a room that feels furnished. In a dim room it means the walls close in, because a mid-tone with no light to reflect behaves like a dark color.
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 | Dorian Gray | Dovetail |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | SW 7017 | SW 7018 |
| Hex | #ACA79E | #908A83 |
| RGB | 172, 167, 158 | 144, 138, 131 |
| LRV | 39 | 26 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Neutral | Gray |
How Light Changes Them
Warm sun brings the tan side forward and keeps it stone-colored all day. The room it was made for.
Cool, thin light with nothing to reflect. Warmth drains, the wall reads flat and heavy. Test a big sample.
2700K bulbs make it cozy and taupe. Cool 4000K LEDs push it gray and can expose the purple lean.
Lawn and leaf reflection tips it toward sage in summer. Sample on the shaded side too, not just the sunny wall.
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
Main rooms with real daylight · craftsman and farmhouse siding · kitchen cabinets and islands · anyone whose last gray kept reading blue
One small north window and no lamps · you want light and airy · your trim is builder cream · you love a crisp, cool 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.
Dorian Gray vs Dovetail FAQ
Which is lighter, Dorian Gray or Dovetail?
Dorian Gray is lighter: LRV 39 vs 26. Dorian Gray is meaningfully lighter (LRV 39 vs 26). On a wall, Dorian Gray reads mid-tone; Dovetail reads mid-tone.
Which is warmer, Dorian Gray or Dovetail?
They share the same undertone family — both read red-orange / warm. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Dorian Gray and Dovetail?
Dorian Gray and Dovetail are close but distinct (ΔE 9.24). Visible difference on the wall, especially in flat daylight. 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 Dorian Gray and Dovetail together in one house?
Yes, in separate rooms. They are close enough to feel related but different enough to notice, so give each its own room and connect them with a shared trim white. Avoid putting them on adjoining walls.
Ask a Question