Sherwin-Williams Evergreen FogvsSherwin-Williams Pewter Green
Why this comparison: SW’s 2022 Color of the Year against its deeper, older sage sibling. Evergreen Fog and Pewter Green are clearly different colors (ΔE 20.93). Don't substitute one for the other.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
Evergreen Fog is meaningfully lighter (LRV 30 vs 12). On a wall, Evergreen Fog reads mid-tone; Pewter Green reads dark, dramatic.
What Each Color Really Is
A gray-green whose green has to be earned. On the chip it looks like a slightly dirty gray; on a full wall or a run of cabinet doors the sage finally shows up, because color builds as you add square footage. That gap between chip and wall is the single most common surprise with this color — people buy it expecting gray and get green, or buy it expecting green and get gray, depending entirely on how much of it they end up looking at.
At LRV 30 it is a genuine mid-tone with weight. Put it next to Sea Salt (SW 6204, LRV 63) and Evergreen Fog is more than twice as dark — Sea Salt is a tint you barely notice, Evergreen Fog is a color you commit to. Go the other way to Dried Thyme (SW 6186, LRV 21) and Evergreen Fog suddenly looks soft and half-neutral. It sits in the useful middle: dark enough that cabinets read as painted furniture, light enough that a whole room in it does not close in.
A dark gray-green where the gray does most of the talking. Saturation sits around four percent, which in plain terms means the green is a direction, not a statement — put a chip of Pewter Green next to a true charcoal and the green appears immediately; put it on a wall by itself and most visitors will call it gray. What surprises people is that it swings in two directions, not one. In bright rooms with white cabinets around it, it cools off and can read almost blue-sage. Under warm bulbs and next to oak, the same paint goes soft and olive. Both are the real color; neither is a mistake in the can.
At LRV 12 it returns about twelve percent of the light in the room, and that number decides everything about how it behaves. Set it beside Evergreen Fog (SW 9130) at LRV 30 and the difference is not "a bit darker" — Evergreen Fog is a paint you can put on four walls of an average room and still see the room. Pewter Green is a paint that eats light and gives back depth. That is a trade, and it is a good one on a cabinet run or a small bathroom, where the darkness reads as intentional. Across a big dim room it just reads as dark.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Evergreen Fog | Pewter Green |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | SW 9130 | SW 6208 |
| Hex | #95978A | #5E6259 |
| RGB | 149, 151, 138 | 94, 98, 89 |
| LRV | 30 | 12 |
| Undertone | yellow / warm | true neutral |
| Family | Green | Gray |
How Light Changes Them
Warm, generous light pulls the yellow-green forward. The sage looks alive and soft all day.
Cool light drains the warmth and leaves muddy gray. Test a big sample before committing.
2700K bulbs make it richer and cozier at night. Cool 4000K LEDs flatten it to gray.
At exterior scale the blue takes over and the green fades. Sample on the actual siding.
The green finally shows and the color reads rich instead of gray. Its best case.
Grays down and drifts slightly blue. Fine on cabinets, tricky on four walls.
2700K bulbs push it warm and olive — flattering. Cool LEDs make it hard and flat.
With no daylight there is nothing to reflect. It stops reading as a color. Go lighter.
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 and bathroom cabinets · rooms with real daylight and warm wood · brass, bronze and aged-nickel hardware · anyone who wants color that still behaves like a neutral
Your room faces north and stays dim · your trim or cabinets are cream · you want obvious, unmistakable green · your woodwork is red-toned cherry
Kitchen islands and lower cabinets · powder rooms you are willing to light well · built-ins and library walls · exteriors and front doors
The room has no window · you want people to see an obvious green · your counters are dark granite or soapstone · you are painting every cabinet in a small kitchen
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Evergreen Fog vs Pewter Green FAQ
Which is lighter, Evergreen Fog or Pewter Green?
Evergreen Fog is lighter: LRV 30 vs 12. Evergreen Fog is meaningfully lighter (LRV 30 vs 12). On a wall, Evergreen Fog reads mid-tone; Pewter Green reads dark, dramatic.
Which is warmer, Evergreen Fog or Pewter Green?
Evergreen Fog is the warmer of the two (yellow / warm); Pewter Green reads true neutral.
How similar are Evergreen Fog and Pewter Green?
Evergreen Fog and Pewter Green are clearly different colors (ΔE 20.93). Don't substitute one for the other. 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 Evergreen Fog and Pewter Green together in one house?
Yes — at ΔE 20.93 they are clearly different colors, so they can work as an intentional pair: the lighter Evergreen Fog in main spaces, Pewter Green as the deeper accent room or feature wall.
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