Dorian Gray
SW 7017 · Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
Dorian Gray
SW 7017
Subtle yellow-brown, a warm color
- Color family
- Neutral
- Sold for
- Interior and exterior
Sherwin-Williams Dorian Gray SW 7017 is a medium warm gray from the middle of the Repose Gray SW 7015 fan-deck strip. It has an LRV of 39, dark enough that the walls read as gray from any distance and light enough to keep a room from closing in. Our method reads the undertone as a subtle yellow-brown: a gray with a little brown in it, not a beige. It is one of Sherwin-Williams' Top 50 colors and is used most on exteriors and kitchen cabinets.
Updated
Is Dorian Gray warm or cool? Undertones by the numbers
leans yellow
Undertone
Subtle yellow-brown
A gentle lean, quiet on the wall.
Measured, Dorian Gray has a small amount of yellow, almost no red and no green: a gray first and a warm one second. That warmth reads as brown rather than beige, so it never looks like a tan even on a big wall. Against a crisp white trim it is a clean mid gray. Beside warm oak or a brown leather sofa the brown comes forward and it reads greige. Beside cool blue-gray tile or steel it looks warmer than the chip and drifts toward taupe. By the numbers its lean is closer to Agreeable Gray SW 7029 than to Repose Gray SW 7015 at the top of its own strip. Repose Gray has a hair of green that Dorian Gray lacks. Hibernate SW 9573 is nearly the same color.
Dorian Gray in north, south, east and west light
Dorian Gray needs a real window. In a north-facing room it reads grayer, cooler and a shade darker than the chip, close to the next color down its strip. The small brown lean keeps it from going cold, but the room will feel enclosed, which suits a study and not a hallway. South rooms warm it and lift it, and in afternoon sun it reads as a warm mid gray with a hint of greige. East rooms show it warmest at breakfast. West rooms can push it taupe late in the day. Warm bulbs at 2700K to 3000K keep it true; 4000K bulbs turn it into flat concrete.
Watch for
- In a north room with one window it reads a shade darker and closer to Dovetail SW 7018
- Beside orange-toned oak the brown lean comes forward and it reads greige
- Under 4000K bulbs it goes flat and cold, like concrete
Best rooms and surfaces for Dorian Gray
Dorian Gray is a kitchen-cabinet color first. On doors and drawer fronts it reads as a solid warm gray that hides marks, sits well with a white counter, and takes brass or black hardware. It suits a study, a dining room or a bedroom you want to feel enclosed. It also makes a good accent wall behind a bed or a TV in a room otherwise painted Repose Gray SW 7015 or Mindful Gray SW 7016. For a whole house it is too deep; hallways and stair walls without windows turn dark. It works in a bathroom with a window and white tile, and on a vanity. Skip it in a windowless powder room unless a moody one is the goal.
Dorian Gray on an exterior
Sherwin-Williams lists Dorian Gray among its top exterior colors, and siding is where most people meet it. In full sun it reads a step or two lighter, a soft mid gray with the brown warmth showing. On the shaded side it holds a deeper, cooler gray. It holds its own against stone and brick, and it hides dirt better than a light gray. White trim gives crisp lines. Iron Ore SW 7069 or Tricorn Black SW 6258 works on the door, and Urbane Bronze SW 7048 gives a quieter, browner pairing.
Try Dorian Gray on your own walls
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Dorian Gray vs Mindful Gray, Repose Gray, Agreeable Gray and Dovetail
Mindful GrayDorian GrayDorian Gray vs Mindful Gray SW 7016
Dorian Gray is noticeably darker; undertone subtle yellow-brown vs subtle yellow-beige.
Mindful Gray SW 7016 is one step up the same strip, an LRV of 48 against 39, so it is a step lighter with the same lean. Our method files both as warm grays with a small yellow warmth. On a wall they are the same color at two strengths. Pick Mindful Gray for walls in a room with average light. Pick Dorian Gray for cabinets, an accent wall or an exterior, or for a bright room where Mindful Gray would wash out.
Repose GrayDorian GrayDorian Gray vs Repose Gray SW 7015
Dorian Gray is much darker; undertone subtle yellow-brown vs subtle yellow-beige.
Repose Gray SW 7015 is the top of Dorian Gray's strip and much lighter, an LRV of 58. Measured, Repose Gray has a hair of green and no brown. Dorian Gray has a little brown and no green, so it reads warmer as well as darker. They pair well, Repose Gray on the walls and Dorian Gray on cabinets or an island. Pick Repose Gray alone for a whole house; pick Dorian Gray alone for one room or the outside.
Agreeable GrayDorian GrayDorian Gray vs Agreeable Gray SW 7029
Dorian Gray is much darker; undertone subtle yellow-brown vs subtle yellow-beige.
Agreeable Gray SW 7029 is much lighter, an LRV of 60. By the numbers, though, its lean is nearly identical to Dorian Gray's, a small yellow warmth with a trace of red. Dorian Gray is what Agreeable Gray looks like with the lights turned down, which makes them a safe pair in one house. Choose Agreeable Gray for main walls and small rooms. Choose Dorian Gray where the walls should read as a definite gray, or on cabinets and siding.
DovetailDorian GrayDorian Gray vs Dovetail SW 7018
Dorian Gray is much lighter; undertone subtle yellow-brown vs subtle orange.
Dovetail SW 7018 is two steps down the strip and noticeably darker, an LRV of 26 against 39. It also carries a touch more red, so it reads browner, more taupe than gray. Dorian Gray is the one for a room you still want light in. Dovetail is the one for a dark island, a front door, or a bedroom meant to feel closed in. On an exterior Dorian Gray reads mid gray in sun; Dovetail stays dark.
Questions about Dorian Gray
What colors go with Dorian Gray?
Sherwin-Williams pairs it with Eider White SW 7014 on trim and ceilings. Its named accents are Skyline Steel SW 1015, a lighter warm gray, and Jasper Stone SW 9133, a muted gray-green. In practice it sits well with white, black, navy, olive, walnut and white oak, and with brass or matte black hardware. Orange-toned oak makes it read greige.
Is Dorian Gray good for kitchen cabinets?
Yes, and cabinets are where it is used most. It reads as a solid warm gray on doors and drawer fronts, deep enough to hide fingerprints and light enough to keep the kitchen open. Pair it with a white quartz or marble counter, a white or light gray backsplash, and walls in Eider White SW 7014 or Repose Gray SW 7015.
Is Dorian Gray good for exteriors?
Yes. Sherwin-Williams lists it among its top exterior colors, and on a house it reads as a soft mid gray in sun. It sits well with a black or charcoal roof, with red or brown brick, and with stone that has warm veins. Trim it in Pure White SW 7005 or Extra White SW 7006 and put a black or bronze door on it.
What is one shade lighter than Dorian Gray?
Mindful Gray SW 7016, the next color up its fan-deck strip, is a step lighter with the same warm lean. One step darker on the strip is Acier SW 9170. Among its closest matches, Pussywillow SW 7643 is a touch lighter and Hibernate SW 9573 is nearly the same color.
Does Dorian Gray look green or blue?
Measured, it has no green and no blue, only a small amount of yellow-brown warmth. In a north room under cool bulbs it reads cooler and flatter, which some people describe as blue. Beside pink or red-brown finishes the eye can read it as faintly green. Warm bulbs and a warm white trim bring it back to a plain gray.
Get a sample before you paint
Use the visualizer to narrow your shortlist, then confirm the finalist on your actual wall. A peel-and-stick sample of Dorian Gray, checked in morning and evening light, is the last step before a gallon.
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