Dovetail, by Sherwin Williams - Complete Paint Color Review (2023)

Sherwin Williams Dovetail, SW 7018, is a beautiful, dark gray paint color. It is a sophisticated shade that is versatile and usable, in small doses.

Dovetail is part of the following color collection: High Voltage, Cool Neutrals, and Top 50 Colors.

If you are looking for a dark gray paint color, keep reading for all the details on Dovetail to see if it is the best dark gray for your home.

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What Color is Dovetail by Sherwin Williams?

Dovetail is a gray paint color. It is darker than some of the super commonly used gray paint colors, such as Agreeable Gray or Repose Gray.

That doesn’t mean that it isn’t a great paint shade though. Or, that it is too dark to use in a lot of places.

Dovetail is a sophisticated sort of shade that brings a bit of richness and groundedness to a space.

Sherwin Williams Dovetail Undertones

Like all gray paint colors, Dovetail has undertones. Most commonly, you will see Dovetail take on a purple undertone, but it isn’t a particularly strong undertone, as they go. Instead, it is more of a hint towards purple. So, Dovetail doesn’t look purple usually, but it can lean towards purple in some lighting.

To help you read between the lines a bit here, Dovetail is a gray with a purple undertone that is a bit safer than some of other grays that have purple undertones. Will it work in your house? Well, to find that out, you’ll need to sample it. My favorite way to sample paint colors is with Samplize squares… more on that later though.

Since Dovetail is a greige paint color, it also has some beige or brown in it. Sometimes, you will also see Dovetail look a tiny bit green, depending on the lighting and what is around it.

Is Sherwin Williams Dovetail Warm or Cool?

With its purple and beige undertones, Dovetail is a warm gray paint color.

Warm gray paint shades tend to have purple or beige undertones. Like other warm shades, Dovetail gives off a cozy sort of feeling.

Sherwin Williams Dovetail LRV

Dovetail has an LRV of 26. LRV stands for Light Reflectance Value that provides information about how light or dark a paint color is.

The LRV scale goes from 0, which is completely black, to 100, which is completely white. As you can see, an LRV of 26 is fairly low on the scale. In fact, Sherwin Williams classifies Dovetail as a dark paint color.

Dovetail isn’t the darkest gray around. It shares a paint strip with Gauntlet Gray, which is an even dark gray paint color. But, it has enough depth to it to pack a pretty good punch in a room.

This low LRV also means that it isn’t the best paint color for a whole room. Sure, you’ll find a room here or there that looks perfectly dramatic and moody with a dark paint color like Dovetail, but most commonly, a lighter paint color is going to better for walls.

Where Can I Use Sherwin Williams Dovetail

So, with that being said, where does Dovetail work?

Dovetail is a great on cabinets, accent walls, furniture or molding. It also works on a home exterior on things like shutters, trim, garage doors, siding, and more.

Sherwin Williams Dovetail is good for modern, contemporary, traditional, transitional, modern farmhouse, cottage and minimalistic style homes.

What Color Go With Sherwin Williams Dovetail?

Dovetail goes well with other warm gray colors with similar undertones, dark blues, and white and off-whites.

Some specific paint colors that go with Dovetail are Skyline Steel, a warm brownish greige paint color, Inky Blue, a mid-tone blue paint shade, and Eider White, a light grayish greige with purple undertones.

Trim Colors for Sherwin Williams Dovetail

If you’re looking for a trim paint color for Dovetail, check out my two favorite trim shades from Sherwin Williams.

First, Dovetail goes great with High Reflective White. High Reflective White is a very clean white paint color that is almost undertone free. This means that it works with just about any other paint color. It looks fairly crisp and stark though.

Second, Dovetail also works with Pure White. Pure White is perfect for trim if you want a softer look for your trim. Pure White has a bit of yellow and gray in it that take the starkness out of this white paint color. It will still look like white trim, but not quite as bright.

Dovetail Compared to Other Paint Colors

When I do a full paint color review, I like to compare the paint color I’m talking about with other popular paint colors in the same color family or with the same uses. In this case, I’ll compare Dovetail to other popular warm gray paint colors.

If you’re interested in Dovetail, you may also be wondering about Agreeable Gray, Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray, Dorian Gray and Acier. Let’s look at those four paint colors now.

Sherwin Williams Dovetail vs. Agreeable Gray

Agreeable Gray has been a super popular Sherwin Williams paint color for year. It goes well in a lot of spaces and is very functional.

But, while Dovetail has purple undertones, Agreeable Gray tends to show more green undertones. Dovetail comes off as a bit more vibrant than Agreeable Gray because of this.

Additionally, Agreeable Gray is a much lighter paint color than Dovetail. While you can use Agreeable Gray on all sorts of surfaces, it is most commonly used on walls. In contrast, Dovetail is probably least frequently used as the wall paint color for a whole room.

If you want a paint color for a room in your house, Agreeable Gray is the go-to option here. But, if you want a pop of a deep, warm gray, go with Dovetail.

Sherwin Williams Dovetail vs. Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray

Chelsea Gray is a popular Benjamin Moore paint color that is in the warm gray family. Chelsea Gray is about the same depth as Dovetail. Both are dark paint colors.

Like Dovetail, Chelsea Gray also has purple undertones, but they are a bit less pronounced than Dovetail’s purple undertones. When you compare Dovetail to Chelsea Gray, seeing the two together highlights the purple undertones in Dovetail.

If you want a dark, warm gray, but are nervous about the purple undertones in Dovetail, Chelsea Gray may be a good choice for your space.

Click here for all the details on Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray.

Sherwin Williams Dovetail vs. Dorian Gray

Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray is another popular gray paint color that falls into the warm gray range. Like Dovetail, Dorian Gray has beige, purple and green undertones.

In fact, Dorian Gray and Dovetail shade a color strip. This doesn’t mean that they are just lighter or darker shades of the same paint color, but they are definitely in the same color family.

As you can see, Dovetail is a darker paint color than Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray is a solid medium paint shade, while Dovetail definitely falls into the dark range.

Dorian Gray and Dovetail have a lot of the same uses. Both of them work on cabinets, home exteriors, woodwork and accent walls.

If you want a gray color for all over your walls though, Dorian Gray is much more usable since it is a good bit lighter than Dovetail.

Choosing between these two colors is going to come down to how dark you want the surface to look. Dorian Gray gives off a more luxe look, while Dorian Gray feels a bit more dramatic. Again though, these shades are very similar, and if you like one of them, you’ll probably like the other too.

Sherwin Williams Dovetail vs. Acier

Acier is another Sherwin Williams paint color that is on the same color strip as Dovetail. It is considered a medium shade, though it isn’t much lighter than Dovetail.

Acier has similar undertones to Dovetail, but maybe a hint less purple. It is still a warm gray (in that same color family as Dovetail).

Acier works in all the same places as Dovetail. To decide whether Dovetail or Acier are going to be better in your space, you should definitely sample them in your home.

Wondering how to pick the perfect paint color?

I have the best solution for you!

Samplize sells 9×14.75 stick-on paint rectangles in almost every paint color.

These no-mess, peel and stick rectangles are made from real paint, so they will show you exactly what the paint color will look like.

Simply place them on your walls next to your trim, furnishings or fixed elements, and easily see whether the paint colors work in your space and with your lighting. Then, peel the sheet right off your wall and reapply it somewhere else if you like!

Oh, and you will receive them tomorrow with $5 overnight shipping! But, if you enter your email, you’ll get $5 off your first order – which basically means that you will get free, overnight shipping!

Samplize sheets are truly the easiest (and fastest!) way to test a paint color in your home, with no mess.

Final Thoughts on Sherwin Williams Dovetail

Dovetail is a beautiful paint color that is sophisticated and elegant. It is a shade that brings depth and balance to an otherwise light space, or that adds a luxurious vibe.

Dovetail is a great paint color for a home exterior, on woodwork or trim, as an accent wall, or on cabinets. If you want a rich, warm gray paint color, Dovetail should be on your shortlist!

Have a question or want to show off your project? I try to answer all comments within 2 weeks, but for a much faster response, join Love Remodeled’s Facebook page here!

Want to see all your paint options in one convenient place? Check out my Amazon Shop, where you can get everything you need to start painting, including Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore paint color decks!

Need some help picking a paint color? Pick up my 40+ page e-book, containing 30 of the hottest shades for 2022. These paint colors have been specially selected to help you choose from colors that are in style, and teaches you how to use them in your house!

(Video) Constable DFW Painting -Sherwin Williams sw 7018 Dovetail

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