Our Review of Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore

By:

Bold and sophisticated, Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore is a dramatic color that brings a rich and moody aesthetic to any exterior. It offers a versatile depth that can elevate various design and architectural styles, creating a striking appearance. As a dark color, Dragon’s Breath can create a beautiful contrast with lighter colors or a muted tone-on-tone look with similar darker colors.

Keep reading to learn more about this daring shade, our recommended applications, color pairings, and more.

If you’re wanting to transform your home with just paint, we’ve got you covered! Our paint visualizer package is great for those looking to see their home transformed with paint only. If you do need help with other aspects of your exterior, we’ve got you covered there too. We can assist with visualizing design elements such as porches, front doors, and much more. Learn all about our virtual exterior design services.

Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our own properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. 

Digital rendering of a farmhouse painted in Dragon's Breath by Benjamin Moore with a brown roof, wood garage doors, and wood lintels.

Benjamin Moore’s Dragon’s Breath: The specs

Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore is quite dark at an LRV of 10. (Curious about LRV? Learn more here, including why LRV is so important to keep in mind when choosing the perfect paint color for your home.)

Despite being a dark hue, it doesn’t feel overly harsh or cold because of its brown-gray undertones. These earthy undertones allow Dragon’s Breath to harmonize with natural surroundings, adding an inviting and warm feel to an exterior. They also make it more approachable in design and easier to incorporate than black or darker, cooler grays. The blend of brown and gray gives Dragon’s Breath a sense of depth and sophistication, ideal for creating a strong statement without overpowering the façade.

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.
Digital rendering of a midcentury home painted in Benjamin Moore's Dragon's Breath with a yellow-green front door.

Recommended applications for Dragon’s Breath

Whether used on siding, trim, or accent details, this deep hue grounds a home and definitely enhances curb appeal. Dragon’s Breath excels when applied to various exterior elements, adding both dimension and a sense of permanence to a home. As the central hue on an exterior, it can upgrade your home with an elegant, moody tone that feels stately and grand. It works exceptionally well on homes with classic architectural elements like stone façades or wooden accents, where Dragon’s Breath can complement the texture and create a cohesive polished look.

If you’re hesitant to go dark across the entire exterior, consider using Dragon’s Breath as an accent color on shutters, front doors, or window trim. Its deep tones will provide a beautiful contrast when paired with lighter colors, giving your home an eye-catching aesthetic. A front door painted in Dragon’s Breath commands attention as a focal point, adding just a bit of drama at the entrance to set the first impression of the home.

Virtual rendering of an a-frame home painted in Benjamin Moore's Dragon's Breath with bright white trim and wood accents.

What colors pair well with Dragon’s Breath?

Our designers love to pair Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore with crisp whites for a timeless and clean contrast. Whites like Benjamin Moore’s Simply White or  are great options. Bright whites will accentuate the richness of Dragon’s Breath, giving an exterior a sleek, but traditional look.

The design above shows a classic combination of Dragon’s Breath as the central hue with Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace on the columns, trim, and windows. The stark contrast creates such a timeless style that will be gorgeous for years to come. A bluestone walkway from the driveway to the front door and stone cladding on the home pull the gray from Dragon’s Breath add dimension and textural interest.

We love the glass balcony railing to keep things minimal and to maximize the view from the balcony as much as possible. It prevents breaking up the façade, allowing for a cohesive flow of the design throughout. Simple landscaping complements the home, but lets the home be the focal point. White hydrangeas tie in with the white trim and add to the contrast. A wood front door, garage doors, and stairs pull the warmth from Dragon’s Breath and make the home feel cozy and classic. Of course, copper gutters are the perfect choice for this design that continue the addition of brown tones.

Small home with stone skirting, a metal roof, and a bluestone walkway.

Soft neutrals are a wonderful choice if you’re looking to achieve a subdued or muted color palette. Warm off-whites like Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee or Ballet White will soften the dark base of Dragon’s Breath while keeping the overall exterior warm and inviting.

You can also pair Dragon’s Breath with darker neutrals to play on its earthy qualities. Deep Creek by Benjamin Moore would be a gorgeous option to create a cohesive, natural feel that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding landscape. The rendering above shows Deep Creek as the central hue, with Dragon’s Breath on the shutters. We love this monochromatic style and know it would look so good on a lake house or mountain home.

We love Deep Creek so much, we added it to our list of 15 Benjamin Moore’s best exterior paint colors of 2022.

Virtual rendering of a natural brick home with shutters painted in Benjamin Moore's Dragon's Breath, a black roof, and wood lintels.

Paired with natural brick, Dragon’s Breath can be absolutely stunning. Try Dragon’s Breath on the windows and trim, where the gray tones cool the warm orange and red in the brick. If you have a pergola or screened porch frame, try it there too. Dragon’s Breath has a beautiful ability to blend with outdoor environments, it doesn’t compete with brick like a bright white would, and adds a modern edge to outdoor living spaces.

The design above shows Dragon’s Breath on the trim and shutters. Had this design used white with the brick, it would be a much starker contrast and not as muted and toned down. Both are wonderful options, it all depends on preference and the desired style.

Digital rendering of a large farmhouse with vertical siding painted in Dragon's Breath by Benjamin Moore, stone skirting, and wood accents.

Pros and cons of Benjamin Moore’s Dragon’s Breath

PROS:

  • A moody color that’s also warm allows for versatility in design
  • Looks great on modern and traditional home styles
  • Works as the central or accent color

CONS:

  • Could be too dark for some

Dragon’s Breath alternatives

Dragon’s Breath is certainly a great choice for an exterior paint color, but we’ve provided a few other options below.

Farmhouse style home with wood lintels, wood columns, and black windows.

Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze vs. Dragon’s Breath

Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams is slightly darker than Dragon’s Breath with an LRV of 8. This deeper light absorption makes Urbane Bronze even moodier as the central color on a home. As an accent color, it will have a bit stronger of a contrast to brighter and lighter colors. Put simply, it’s a rich, luxurious hue that is undoubtedly gorgeous. There’s a reason it was named Sherwin Williams’ color of the year in 2021.

While both Urbane Bronze and Dragon’s Breath have. warm undertones, Urbane Bronze leans more towards gray, giving it a metallic profile. It can read contemporary and modern, while Dragon’s Breath tends to feel more organic and softer. However, both shades are versatile enough to use on traditional and modern home styles with ease.

Farmhouse style home with wood lintels, black windows, and beige stone cladding.

Sherwin Williams’ Iron Mountain vs. Dragon’s Breath

Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore is a cool-toned gray with tan industrial vibe. It’s rich and charcoal-like with an LRV of 10.96. Its cool undertones give it a more modern, edgy feel, making it ideal for exterior or accent details on contemporary homes.

Compared to Dragon’s Breath, Iron Mountain is more stark and crisp since it lacks the brown warmth found in Dragon’s Breath’s undertones. Iron Mountain can work well in monochromatic or urban design, but our designers have used it on traditional homes as well.

Modern style home with a black garage door, light beige stone cladding, and a metal awning.

The bottom line on Dragon’s Breath

Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore is a versatile, rich color that can dramatically transform an exterior. Its brown-gray undertones and low LRV give it depth, making it a perfect choice for those seeking eye-catching curb-appeal. Whether used as the central or accent color, Dragon’s Breath can pair beautifully with a range of whites, neutrals, and deeper hues, allowing for plenty of design flexibility. For those looking to elevate their home’s exterior with a bold color, Benjamin Moore’s Dragon’s Breath is an excellent choice.

Ready to make a statement with Dragon’s Breath? Let this color breathe new life onto your home’s exterior. All we need are your answers to our short questionnaire for our designers to get started creating a custom design. We’ll even provide a shoppable resource list so getting started is as easy as clicking a few links. Get started here.

Author

Originally from Tennessee, Ami currently lives in South Carolina, which has been home since leaving the military in 2016. Interior and exterior design has always intrigued Ami, especially the styles and characteristics seen in other countries as an avid traveler and photographer. She lives for the renewal of older or historic homes that maintain their character, and regularly creates her own mood boards and virtual designs for inspiration or to help others with their spaces. Having always had a passion for design and following their work for years prior, Ami was excited to be brought onto brick&batten’s team of writers. Her writing endeavors actually started in an academic/scientific setting, then in a regulatory aspect. Writing about paint colors, emerging or current trends in exterior design, and so much more revolving around something she’s always enjoyed was a fun and welcomed change!

Schedule a Complimentary Call