Our Review of Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise

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Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise is a mid-range, complex neutral that we expect to see a lot more of this year. The greige shade made our list of the 17 best exterior house colors of 2022 and the 13 best Sherwin Williams exterior paint colors for 2022. In this review of Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise, we cover the technical specs of this shade, paint color pairing ideas, recommended applications, and other useful information. 

A home’s exterior paint color has a major impact on its overall appearance and curb appeal. But with a seemingly infinite number of shades to choose from and the wide variety of factors that can affect how a color will look on your house — what material it’s made from, how much natural light it’s exposed to, etc. — making a decision isn’t always easy. Unless you enlist our expert virtual exterior designers to help, that is. Our talented team is here to assist you in picking the perfect exterior paint color for your home.  
An exterior home design rendered in Sherwin Williams' Porpoise

Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise: The Specs 

Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise has a relatively low LRV of 13, which means it’s a darker shade that doesn’t reflect much light. (Learn all about LRV and why it’s important to consider when painting your house here.) Even though it’s dark and a bit moody, Porpoise is a warm hue that can have brown or gray undertones depending on a home’s accents and the amount of natural light it receives. 

A rendering of a two-story home exterior

Recommended Applications for Porpoise

Porpoise is a versatile color that can be used on a variety of home styles — modern, craftsman, and more — and materials. Its warmth and earthiness lends itself particularly well too exteriors that lean rustic (potentially modern rustic) or historic. Porpoise works well as a home’s main exterior paint color and also as an accent, as seen in the above rendering where it’s used on the trim and shutters. 

When used as the main color on a building, we love Porpoise paired with wood or metallic accents. 

A before and after of a home painted in lime wash

Porpoise Paint Color Pairings

Because of its earthiness, Porpoise works beautifully with other natural hues.

Porpoise also creates a lovely contrast with lighter paint colors, as seen in the design above where it’s used on various accents on the limewashed home. Our designers have also paired Porpoise with Benjamin Moore’s Jockey Hollow Gray, a timeless gray shade, Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster, a warm off-white, and Sherwin Williams’ Caviar, a sophisticated, near-black hue.

A home rendering with siding in Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise

Pros & Cons of Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise

PROS:

  • It’s a versatile hue
  • The undertones are subtle
  • For a darker shade, it still has plenty of warmth

CONS:

  • If you really want to make a statement with your exterior, Porpoise might not be bold enough. On the other hand, Porpoise can read pretty dark and moody if your home doesn’t get much natural light.
  • The undertones change depending on your setting. When in doubt, do a test before committing. 
We always recommend sampling and testing paint colors before committing. Factors such as natural lighting, undertones, and your property’s fixed elements will have a significant impact on how a color will appear on your exterior. Our friends at Samplize offer extra-large 9 x 14.75 inch peel-and-stick paint samples of the colors we love for exteriors. Order your ‘Real Paint, No Mess’ samples from Samplize here.

Porpoise Alternatives 

If you like Porpoise but aren’t sure if it’s the perfect exterior paint color for your home, consider comparing it with these alternatives. 

An exterior home design rendered in Benjamin Moore’s Deep Creek

Benjamin Moore’s Deep Creek

Benjamin Moore’s Deep Creek is a medium-brown shade with the same LRV as Porpoise. Deep Creek has green undertones, while Porpoise reads a bit more blue; however, at a quick glance, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between the two. 

An exterior home design rendered in Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous

Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous

Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous is a mid- to dark-toned neutral that’s warm and earthy. Anonymous has an LRV of 20, so it’s lighter than Porpoise, and it reads as a brown-green-gray paint color. Just like Porpoise, this shade also made our list of the 17 best exterior house colors of 2022.

An exterior home design rendered in Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze

Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze

With an LRV of 8, Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze is slightly darker than Porpoise, but it’s still a similarly warm greige with a green undertone. This popular hue was named Sherwin Williams’ 2021 color of the year, and, like Porpoise, it’s rooted in nature, with an earthy sensibility.

A two story home design rendered in Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise

The Bottom Line on Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise

Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise is a highly versatile neutral paint color. It complements a wide range of other hues and can be utilized as an accent or main color. We love its warmth and nature-inspired vibe.

Want to see what Sherwin Williams’ Porpoise will look like on the exterior of your home before you commit? Our team of design experts can help you do just that with a virtual home rendering. Get started today. 

Author

Britteny has worked as a professional writer and editor for more than a decade. She launched her career as a features writer in New York City, covering fashion, food & beverage, and hospitality. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including International Business Times, Glam, Thirsty Mag, and Cardinal & Pine and has worked with famous faces such as Kate Upton and Nigel Barker throughout her career. Britteny has been covering the exterior home design industry as a writer for brick&batten for almost two years. Britteny splits her time between New York City, her home state of Michigan, and Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of Belize in Central America. When she’s not writing or editing, Britteny can be found at the beach or in the kitchen testing out vegan recipes.