Our Review of Anonymous by Sherwin Williams
By: Sarah
Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous is a sophisticated mid- to dark-toned neutral paint color that we’re loving for home exteriors. Anonymous is a complex color. While it’s tough to classify in some aspects, it is clearly a warm, earthy hue. And we think this is just the beginning of its popularity.
Keep reading to learn more about this paint color’s technical specs, recommended applications for Anonymous, pros and cons, and similar alternative paint colors.
Every single one of the paint colors that we recommend for our virtual exterior home designs is a color that we’ve seen with our own eyes and have used on actual home exteriors. While we always suggest testing a paint color yourself before committing to the investment, know that our expert designers have also done extensive research and testing on your behalf.
Anonymous: The Specs
Anonymous reads as a brown-green-gray paint color. If that sounds noncommittal, that’s because Anonymous is a complete chameleon. Use it on exteriors with plenty of natural wood, and you’ll notice the brown tones and warmth coming out. When it’s painted on surfaces that are alongside lush greenery, you might call Anonymous a gray-leaning sage green. And if it’s paired with charcoal grays, concrete, and/or lots of stone, the gray will talk to you.
Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous has an LRV of 20, which is on the darker side. (Learn all about LRV here.)
Recommended Applications for Anonymous
We love complex neutrals because they can work in tons of different applications — on all sorts of surfaces and in a variety of color schemes — yet they’re far from dull when used on large swaths of a façade. Perhaps that’s what Sherwin Williams was going for with the name of this paint color?
Anonymous works beautifully on siding, brick, and even stucco. Plus, it blends nicely with stone, wood, and all sorts of metals. You can’t go wrong!
Anonymous Paint Color Pairings
Our designers love to pair Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous with blacks or near-blacks and off-whites.
Some dark paint color pairing winners are Black Beauty and Black Satin, both by Benjamin Moore.
And for the off-whites, we suggest Ballet White, Revere Pewter, and Seapearl, also all by Benjamin Moore.
Anonymous is warm, so it works best with warm accent colors. It’s also beautiful when paired with the natural warmth of wood in all sorts of stains.
Pros and Cons of Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous
Pros:
- As a complex neutral, Anonymous is versatile but isn’t dull.
- It’s creative but doesn’t feel too trendy.
- Anonymous can come across as both cozy and elegant.
Con:
- Anonymous is hard to pin down. How it reads is highly dependent on how much light your home gets (this is the case with every color, but it seems more so with some of these mid- to dark-range neutrals). And its complex undertones are highly reactive to surroundings. Testing this paint color on your home is super important!
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.
Anonymous Alternatives
Perhaps you’re intrigued by Anonymous, but it doesn’t feel quite right for your home. Too light? Too dark? Prefer Benjamin Moore paints to those of Sherwin Williams? Below are a handful of similar paint colors — warm medium- to dark-toned complex neutrals — that might be your exterior paint color Goldilocks.
Squirrel Tail by Benjamin Moore
While Benjamin Moore’s Squirrel Tail has an LRV only 3.5 points higher than Anonymous, it feels noticeably lighter. It also has a touch more green to it.
Desert Twilight by Benjamin Moore
Just a couple steps lighter still, and even more green-leaning, Desert Twilight by Benjamin Moore is a complex neutral we love to use for homes that get more shade throughout the day.
Deep Creek by Benjamin Moore
If you’re looking for a complex neutral that’s a shade or two darker than Anonymous, consider Deep Creek by Benjamin Moore. With an LRV of 13, this paint color is a bit more bold and also reads more strongly brown than gray.
Aged Pewter by James Hardie
Loving all of the benefits that come from upgrading your home’s siding to James Hardie’s fiber cement siding? Us too. Stay in the same color range as Anonymous with Hardie Board siding in Aged Pewter. It’s quite a bit more gray than Anonymous, but is still warm and highly versatile. After all, there’s a reason it’s one of our favorite James Hardie siding colors.
The Bottom Line on Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous
As you can see in the virtual exterior design examples throughout this post, Sherwin Williams’ Anonymous is an earthy neutral paint color with versatility and depth. And it’s a hit on home exteriors of all shapes, styles, and substance.
Considering painting your home’s exterior but want to see what it will look like before you commit? That’s why we started brick&batten! Fill out our simple questionnaire, and our designers will get to work on mocking up the new home exterior of your dreams. You’ll also receive a clickable resource list to help you work with contractors, DIY your updates, or some combination of the two. Let us help you make your dreams a reality.
Subscribe for more content like this!
