The 16 Best Sherwin Williams Exterior Paint Colors for 2023
By: Britteny
Are you considering repainting your home’s exterior in the year ahead but unsure what shade to select? Don’t worry — our roundup of the best Sherwin Williams exterior paint colors for 2023 is full of inspiration. To compile this list, we examined the colors we’re loving right now that we expect to remain popular in 2023, as well as hues we’re excited to use more often going forward.
Whether you want to see what your home could look like painted with a trending Sherwin Williams shade or are interested in updating other aspects of your exterior, our designers are here to help. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.
Trend Forecasting
As design experts, we love trend forecasting and pride ourselves on our ability to do it well. We spend lots of time talking with vendors about their offerings, examining paint chips, and testing new colors.
We also enjoy looking back at previous years’ color predictions and seeing if we were on the mark. Dark, moody hues and earth tones dominated our roundup of top Sherwin Williams paint colors for 2022, and our designers ended up using these colors in countless renderings this year.
We’re not done with dark and nature-inspired hues just yet — you’ll notice a similar theme in our predictions for 2023. And we’re not alone — even Sherwin Williams selected a warm, earthy hue as their 2023 color of the year.
Without further ado, check out our roundup of the best Sherwin Williams exterior paint colors for 2023 below.
#1 // Andiron
Several shades of green made our 2022 roundup of top exterior paint colors, and that theme is carrying over into 2023. Andiron — a dark green with an LRV of 5 — is a timeless, elegant hue we started using a lot more of this year. We love recommending Andiron as a field color on modern and contemporary homes, but it can be used on a variety of house styles to achieve a dramatic, earthy look. Andiron looks especially beautiful when used with natural elements like wood and stone siding, as seen in the design above.
(Not sure what LRV means? We explain what it is and why it’s important to consider when selecting a paint color for your home here.)
#2 // Urbane Bronze
Urbane Bronze was named Sherwin Williams’ color of the year in 2021, and it’s still a popular hue today. It’s been one of our go-to colors for years, and we don’t foresee that changing anytime soon.
Urbane Bronze is a dark and warm greige with an LRV of 8 and gorgeous depth. It’s rich, bold, and versatile — our exterior home designers love using this color in all sorts of exterior applications. The way Urbane Bronze reads on an exterior differs depending on natural light, plus it has a green undertone to consider, but its complexity is part of the reason we love it.
#3 // Mindful Gray
Mindful Gray is a mid-tone gray with an LRV of 48. This neutral paint color has super subtle undertones and plays well with a variety of other hues, from white to darker grays and black. It’s part of Sherwin Williams’ Nurturer Collection, which is full of warm and cozy colors, so it’s a great option if you want to make your home look more inviting.
Our designers tend to use Mindful Gray on traditional-leaning homes, but, as you can see above, it also works on more modern dwellings. We love how it makes the wood siding pop and creates contrast with the dark trim, siding, and roof.
#4 // Universal Khaki
Universal Khaki is a warm, mid-toned tan paint color with an LRV of 40. We love pairing Universal Khaki with wood accents to create a warm and welcoming aesthetic with a rustic flare. It also looks lovely with shades of brown, warm grays, and off-whites. The above home’s stucco is rendered in Universal Khaki, with a darker hue — Benjamin Moore’s Appalachian Brown — on some of the trim and the soffit. Wood columns and paneling on the entry ceiling add warmth.
#5 // Oyster White
If cozy and comforting vibes are what you’re after, Oyster White needs to be on your radar. With an LRV of 72, this hue is considered an off-white, but calling it a light greige wouldn’t be wrong either. The warmth and creaminess of Oyster White lends itself to more traditional-style homes, but we also love it on modern farmhouses.
In the rendering above, Oyster White is used on the home’s trim with a dark siding color to create contrast.
#6 // Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray is a warm greige with an LRV of 60 and one of our favorite neutrals to recommend. It’s a versatile hue that translates beautifully on any texture and pairs nicely with light and dark tones. Agreeable Gray is warm and inviting. We often use it as a field color, but it also works well as an accent.
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.
#7 // Inkwell
Inkwell is a modern, moody shade that brings dimension and drama to exteriors. With an LRV of 4, it’s definitely dark, but because of its strong blue undertone, Inkwell appears as more of a deep charcoal gray than a black.
In the rendering above, Inkwell isn’t the main exterior paint color, but it still manages to steal the show. It stands out against the lighter siding — painted with Benjamin Moore’s Ocean Floor — and adds visual interest to this home.
#8 // Peppercorn
Peppercorn is a dark gray neutral tone that can add a dramatic touch to any home exterior. With an LRV of 10, Peppercorn is dark, but it also has excellent depth and a nice softness to it. One of our favorite things about Peppercorn is its versatility. It’s an excellent choice for a primary or secondary exterior paint color and also functions well as an accent. Our designers often use Peppercorn on trim, columns, and other design elements, too.
Furthermore, Peppercorn works well with a variety of home styles. We’ve even used it on commercial properties and apartment buildings like the one above.
#9 // Wool Skein
Painting your exterior with a welcoming hue like Wool Skein is an effective way to boost your curb appeal and add charm to your home. This subdued beige/tan paint color has an LRV of 63 and is timeless and full of warmth. The home above is a perfect example of how lovely Wool Skein looks on various textures. It’s used on the brick, stucco, and stone siding with Benjamin Moore’s Bear Creek as an accent.
#10 // Evergreen Fog
Evergreen Fog is Sherwin Williams’ 2022 color of the year, and we expect this gorgeous green-gray hue to remain popular through 2023. With so much time spent indoors during the pandemic, people are increasingly seeking connections to nature. Evergreen Fog brings a nature-inspired balance and sense of serenity to exteriors.
Evergreen Fog is particularly beautiful on farmhouses, Craftsman-style homes, Victorians, and cottages. Wood features, stone, and metals all work wonderfully with Evergreen Fog, adding to its simple sophistication.
#11 // Software
Software is a beautiful blue-gray that feels fresh and modern. While this neutral hue works in a variety of environments, we especially love it on homes near the water, like the lake house above. Our designers use Software with both light and dark accents and often pair it with wood elements.
#12 // Dover White
Dover White is a light, creamy off-white paint color that’s easy to work with and has a calming, relaxing vibe. This warm shade is considerably soft and has an LRV of 83. Dover White is a great option for a main exterior paint color or an accent hue. It pairs well with natural stone, wood, brick, and green accents.
Our designers love using Dover White on a variety of home styles and textures, including brick and stucco.
#13 // Naval
Naval is one of our favorite blue exterior house colors. With an LRV of 4, this near-black navy hue is seriously dark but still has great depth. It also has stunning purple undertones.
If you’re looking for an exterior paint color that will make your home stand out, Naval is a smart choice. This saturated blue really pops when paired with white trim, as demonstrated in the rendering above where it’s used with Benjamin Moore’s Simply White.
We’ve also recommended Naval for use on businesses, such as this restaurant in New Jersey. (You can read all about this spectacular transformation here.)
#14 // Cast Iron
You might have noticed that we can’t get enough of green paint colors. Cast Iron is another green we’ve been drawn to recently and are using in more and more designs.
Most of our designs that utilize Cast Iron as the main paint color also feature wood and stone elements because they play into the nature-inspired vibe the hue evokes. While Cast Iron is versatile and looks stunning on so many different house styles, it’s particularly well suited for modern cabins like the home above.
Cast Iron even works on garage doors and shutters! It adds a splash of color to this painted brick home and complements the small section of cedar shake siding rendered in Benjamin Moore’s Sea Haze.
#15 // Dovetail
Dovetail is one of the most versatile colors on this list, with a seemingly endless list of appropriate applications. With an LRV of 26, Dovetail is a saturated shade with a slight softness and a good amount of depth to it. This mid-to-dark-toned gray paint is elegant but earthy.
Dovetail is striking on its own, but we also like using it in color-blocked designs like the one above. It goes well with other grays and works with just about any color stone.
#16 // Mountain Road
Last but certainly not least on our list of the best Sherwin Williams’ exterior paint colors for 2023 is Mountain Road. This earthy neutral is aptly named and would look right at home used on a house in the mountains.
We love using Mountain Road on bungalows, ranches, and Craftsman-style homes like the one above, where it’s accentuated by the saturated trim in Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams.
The Bottom Line on the Best Sherwin Williams Exterior Paint Colors for 2023
Earth tones, near-black hues, and greiges are among some of the shades we plan to see lots more of in 2023. We hope this roundup has provided you with plenty of inspiration for your exterior home project.
(If you prefer Benjamin Moore paints, you can see our list of the best exterior paint colors for 2023 in their lineup here.)
If your home is due for a fresh coat of paint or other exterior updates, enlist our team of expert virtual designers to help. Get started today.
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