Dorian Gray, by Sherwin Williams

Dorian Gray is a medium dark gray paint color by Sherwin Williams.

Because of its popularity, Dorian Gray is included in the following Sherwin Williams color collections: Senior Living Cool Foundations, Acute Care Cool Foundations, Living Well – Renew, and Top 50 Colors.

Let’s take a minutes to find out all the important details about this gorgeous paint color.

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Dorian Gray Color Characteristics

Dorian Gray is a medium paint color. It is not so dark that it’s too terribly imposing in a room, but it does have a bit of depth to it.

This makes it an interesting paint color. Instead of being a paint shade that just sort of fades into the background, Dorian Gray is one that can make you stop and think, “Wow, that looks nice!

Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray Undertones

As with all paint colors, Dorian Gray comes with undertones.

In particular you will find a gray base, with a hint of purple, brown, and maybe even green undertones.

Dorian Gray doesn’t lean heavily towards anyone of these undertones, and mostly looks gray. But, you can see it pick up these undertones depending on the lighting and the fixed elements and furnishings in the room.

Because of the brown in Dorian Gray, and the lack of any strong cool undertones (such as blue or green), Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray is a warm gray paint color.

It is not quite as greige as some other greige paint colors, but some might consider it a greige paint color. If it is in the greige range, it is entirely at the gray end of the range.

If you want to check out some true greige paint colors, click here.

Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray LRV

Dorian Gray has an LRV (Light Reflectance Value) of 39. The LRV range goes from zero, which is completely black, to 100, which is completely white.

So as you can see, Dorian Gray is fairly low on the range. But it is still classified as a medium paint color, and it will reflect some light around the room.

Dorian Gray Color Strip

Dorian Gray paint shares a color strip with some of Sherwin Williams other best selling paint colors.

Repose Gray, Mindful Gray, Acier, Dovetail, Gauntlet Gray, and Black Fox are all included on Dorian Gray’s color strip.

You might read that this means that this is they are all just lighter or darker versions of each other. But this is not true.

If you look at each individual color, you will see different undertones popping out in all of these gray shades.

For instance, in Repose Gray you find a bit of blue undertones. In Gauntlet Gray, you see a lot of brown.

So, while the shades are all slightly different, you will find that they generally coordinate.

If you are looking to do an accent wall with Repose Gray, you could use Dorian Gray.

Or if you want to use Dorian Gray is your main wall color but one cabinet color that will coordinate, Dovetail might be a good bet.

Coordinating Colors for Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray is a nice paint color because it goes well with many popular paint colors right now.

Dorian Gray coordinates with some other gray paint colors, many greige paint colors, dark blue or navy pink colors, cream and white paint colors, and blue-green paint colors.

Sherwin Williams pairs Dorian Gray with Jasper Stone, a muted grayish green-blue paint color, Skyline Steel, which is a light gray, and Eider White, a grayish off-white paint color.

One of my favorite color palettes for Dorian Gray, is to pair it with navy blue, black metals, bright whites, and medium dark wood tones.

This color palette works in many spaces, such as in a kitchen or bathroom. It is also a great exterior color scheme for Dorian Gray.

Trim Colors for Dorian Gray

People frequently wonder what color trim to put with their wall paint color.

Dorian Gray is going to work nicely with clean, white paint colors.

My first top choice for a trim color for Dorian Gray is High Reflective White, which is going to give a nice crisp contrast between the wall and the trim.

Second, Dorian Gray goes well with my all-time favorite trim color, Pure White.

Pure White is a great trim color because it goes well with almost all paint colors. It is very neutral, which means that there is not too much in the way of undertones that clash with wall paint shades. It is still a bright trim color, but is a little bit softer than High Reflective White.

Dorian Gray Compared

Each time I do a full paint color review, I always like to compare the paint color to other popular paint colors that people might be considering.

I find this helps people choose the right paint color for them and their space.

Let’s look at Dorian Gray in comparison to Mindful Gray and Dovetail.

Dorian Gray vs. Mindful Gray

As I mentioned above, Mindful Gray and Dorian Gray share a color strip. In fact they’re just one shade off of each other.

Mindful Gray is a bit lighter than Dorian Gray.

And, while Dorian Gray has a purple undertone, Mindful Gray has a bit of a blue undertone. Neither of these is particularly good or bad, just something to consider when choosing a paint color.

For example, while you should not expect either shade to look blue or purple, you might see that undertone come out in certain lights.

This is why it is important to pick up shade with an undertone you can live with.

So, choosing the undertone you prefer is a good way to decide whether you pick Mindful Gray or Dorian Gray.

Additionally, consider the light in the room.

If your room has very bright light, Dorian Gray might be a good shade for you.

But if your room doesn’t have quite as of bright lighting, Mindful Gray would be the better pick between the two because it has a higher LRV.

Click here for full color review on Mindful Gray.

Dorian Gray vs. Dovetail

Dovetail is another gorgeous Sherwin Williams gray paint color that shares a color strip with Dorian Gray.

Dovetail has a bit more brown in it than Dorian Gray. It is also a darker paint color. With an LRV of 26, Dovetail sits firmly in the dark range.

Dovetail feel quite a bit heavier on your walls than Dorian Gray.

This doesn’t mean that it’s a bad color though. It just means that you have to have the right space for it.

For example if you want a bold accent wall, Dovetail will be a good choice.

And if you want a darker warm gray paint color for cabinets, Dovetail is a beautiful shade.

But, Dovetail might not be the best choice for a whole room color, as it is very dark. In this instance, you might want to go with Dorian Gray.

Click here for more information on Sherwin Williams Dovetail.

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Where to Use Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray

Overall, Dorian Gray is a really beautiful paint color they can work in a lot of different style homes. It is elegant and timeless, soft and warm, comfortable yet refined.

Dorian Gray is a perfect paint color if you want a shade that is gray, but not icy.

Dorian Gray works very well on walls, on home exteriors, and on cabinets.

Final Thoughts on Dorian Gray, by Sherwin Williams

Dorian Gray is a gorgeous paint color. It can work in industrial style, farmhouse style, traditional, or contemporary homes. Dorian Gray also pairs nicely with popular interior decorating colors right now.

If you want a warm gray paint color, that has a bit of depth without being too terribly dark, Dorian Gray is definitely one to consider.

Want to see all your paint options in one convenient place? Click here to get everything you need to start painting, including Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore paint color decks!

Thanks for sharing!