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Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray (SW 7017) is a perfect gray paint that has quickly become one of Sherwin Williams’ most popular gray paint colors. Its versatility allows it to be used in a variety of settings, from living rooms to dining rooms, and even on kitchen islands. This neutral gray paint color is among the top 50 best-sellers for the paint brand, highlighting its wide appeal.
Whether used on an accent wall or complementing a bolder paint color, Dorian Gray offers a classic look with a soft and welcoming feel. Its application extends beyond interior walls to exteriors, gray cabinets, and furniture, showcasing its ability to adapt to both bright white and warm tones.
Let’s dive in a little deeper into this gorgeous paint color.
What Color is SW Dorian Gray?
Dorian gray is what I would describe as a warm gray paint color. Dorian Gray sits comfortably on the medium paint color spectrum, neither too light nor too dark. Its warm undertones make it a good choice for creating a cozy atmosphere in spaces with a lot of natural light needing a touch of warmth.
If you are looking for a color with depth, but remains soft, Dorian Gray is perfect for you. This color gray is very versatile and can be used almost anywhere inside and out of your home.
What is The LRV?
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is an indicator of the amount of light that is reflected by a color when it is illuminated by a light source. A higher value (closer to 100) means that a color will reflect more light back at you and a lower value (closer to 0) means that a color will appear darker, or absorb more light.
The Light Reflective Value (LRV) of 39 indicates that while Dorian Gray is not a light color, but it possesses enough light to add depth without overpowering a space.
It will not reflect a ton of light so keep that in mind when selecting this shade for different lighting conditions. Like any medium to darker shade, I would recommend you test out before fully committing.
Is it a Warm or Cool Color?
This warm gray paint color, thanks to its yellow hue family origins, provide a subtle warmth, making it a great paint color for living rooms and dining rooms alike.
Is Dorian Gray considered a greige?
It’s definitely not a traditional greige paint color. Dorian Gray leans more towards a deep, neutral gray than the lighter greige paint colors like Sherwin Williams Repose Gray or Agreeable Gray.
In a smaller room with not a lot of light, it will come across as darker than in a space with more light.
What are The Undertones?
Dorian Gray doesn’t have a ton of strong undertones.
Its subtle purple undertones can, under certain conditions, display a slight green undertone, but they are not overly obvious or obnoxious.
What Colors Coordinate Well?
Dorian Gray’s versatility allows it to pair well with a range of colors, from dark blue to navy, and even neutral paint colors, offering a cohesive color scheme throughout the entire house.
Does Dorian Gray Make a Great Exterior Paint Color?
Yes! It’s depth makes Dorian Gray an excellent choice for exterior designs, complementing building materials like stone and brick, enhancing garage doors and elevating exterior designs.
Is it a Good Choice As a Cabinet Color?
On kitchen cabinets or as a cabinet color, Dorian Gray achieves a clean, yet classic feel, matching seamlessly with various appliances and countertops, proving to be a perfect paint color for a kitchen island or even gray cabinets in a home office.
If I’m using Dorian Gray on my walls, what white trim color will look best?
Pairing Dorian Gray with a bright white like Pure White or Eider White can create a striking contrast, especially for white ceilings and white walls, emphasizing its warm tones.
What paint color is lighter than Dorian Gray?
For a lighter gray, Mindful Gray is a great choice, with a lighter side LRV of 48 compared to Dorian Gray’s 39, offering a subtle variation within the same color strip for different home spaces.
Dorian Gray vs Mindful Gray
When you see Mindful Gray and Dorian Gray next to each other they look very similar, with just a slight difference. Dorian Gray has an LRV of 39 and Mindful Gray has an LRV of 48.
Both fall in the yellow hue family and fall on the same SW color strip. Mindful Gray is the lighter of the two colors.
Dorian Gray vs Gauntlet Gray
The LRV of Gauntlet Gray is 17.20, so substantially darker than Dorian gray. Both fall in the same color family and have similar mild purple undertones.
Don’t Forget…
Don’t forget – no matter what you’ve read or photos you’ve seen online, it’s really important to sample paint colors in your home before committing!
Samplize provides real paint samples that are easy to move around your home, and cheaper than buying a gazillion paint pots! It’s the only way I buy paint samples.
Final Thoughts
Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray stands out as a versatile, warm, and neutral paint color that pairs well with both warm colors and neutral paint colors, making it ideal for a variety of applications from wall paint to exterior designs and cabinet color choices.
It’s a great soft, warm, paint color that would work in almost any room.
