Dark exterior paint colors are growing in popularity, and Sherwin Williams’ Peppercorn is one of our favorites. This dark gray neutral tone can add a dramatic touch to any home design. In this review, we highlight paint color pairings and recommended applications for Peppercorn, dive into the technical specs of the shade, and more.
Wondering what Sherwin Williams’ Peppercorn — or any paint color — will look like on your house? Find out before you invest the time and money to paint. Our expert virtual exterior designers can help you visualize a selection of paint colors on your home before you commit, ensuring you pick the perfect shade.
Sherwin Williams’ Peppercorn: The Specs
With an LRV of 10, Peppercorn is definitely a dark shade, but it still has excellent depth. And it’s light enough that it won’t read black, especially not on exteriors. Rather, it has a nice softness to it. (Learn what LRV is and why it’s essential to consider when painting your house here.)
Because Peppercorn doesn’t have a singular strong undertone, it is often referred to as a “true gray.” However, all grays have undertones, and it is possible to catch a slight hint of purple or blue or even green from Peppercorn in certain lighting. This is why it’s always important to test your paint colors before committing!
Recommended Applications for Peppercorn
Peppercorn is one of the most versatile gray shades around. It looks great as a home’s primary or secondary exterior paint color and also functions well as an accent on trim, columns, and other design elements. In the rendering above, it’s used on the home’s trim and garage and creates contrast with the base color, Seapearl by Benjamin Moore.
Peppercorn works well with a variety of home styles, too, from farmhouses to modern abodes. We’ve even used it on commercial properties and apartment buildings.
Peppercorn Paint Color Pairings
We love a high-contrast color palette, and we often pair Peppercorn with light shades to achieve this. The rendering above features Peppercorn and Benjamin Moore’s Rockport Gray — a much lighter gray — on the siding and Sherwin Williams’ Reserved White on the trim and column.
We don’t always pair Peppercorn with lighter hues, though. Here, our designers went with a similarly dark color on the trim: Benjamin Moore’s Bracken Slate (LRV of 14). Rich wood accents round out this moody design.
Pros & Cons of Sherwin Williams’ Peppercorn
PROS:
- A versatile shade that can be used as a main or accent color
- Gorgeous cool neutral
- It offers great depth and feels luxurious
CONS:
- It might be too dark if your home doesn’t get much natural light
- Because it’s cool, it can clash with paint colors that are strongly warm
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.
Peppercorn Alternatives
If you aren’t sure if Peppercorn is the perfect paint color for your home, consider these alternatives.
Sherwin Williams’ Iron Ore vs. Peppercorn
With an LRV of 6, Iron Ore is almost black. It’s noticeably darker than Peppercorn but still similar enough that we consider it a solid alternative. This true charcoal color has almost no undertones and, like Peppercorn, really pops against crisp white and neutral tones.
Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal vs. Peppercorn
Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore is a neutral dark gray paint color with rich, varied undertones. With an LRV of 12.9, it’s just slightly lighter than Peppercorn and reads a bit warmer, too. This versatile shade works well on just about any style of home, from modern or contemporary to Craftsman or traditional.
Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze vs. Peppercorn
Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze is a complex greige shade with great depth and range. With an LRV of 8, it’s a bit darker than Peppercorn and has stronger undertones (specifically green). We love using Urbane Bronze on contemporary homes or to add a modern feel to houses with more traditional architecture.
The Bottom Line on Sherwin Williams’ Peppercorn
Whether you want to add a touch of drama to your home or give it a more modern feel, Sherwin Williams’ Peppercorn is an excellent paint color choice. We’ve recommended this shade on tons of designs and don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
When you’re ready to see what Peppercorn or another paint color looks like on your home, we’re here to help. Get started today.
FAQs About Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn
Is Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn a warm or cool gray?
Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn is a dark neutral gray that sits pretty evenly between warm and cool. Depending on the light, you may catch subtle hints of blue, purple, or green, but it usually reads as a true deep gray.
Designer Tip: Peppercorn is one of those colors that can shift just enough to keep things interesting. We always recommend testing it on the actual exterior before committing.
What is the LRV of Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn?
Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn has an LRV of about 10, which makes it a very dark gray. It still has enough softness and depth that it usually won’t read as black on an exterior.
Is Peppercorn a good exterior paint color?
Yes, Peppercorn is a great exterior paint color if you want something dramatic without going quite as dark as black. It works as a primary color, secondary color, or accent on trim, columns, garages, and other exterior details.
What colors pair well with Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn?
Peppercorn pairs beautifully with creamy whites, light grays, warm neutrals, rich wood, and other deep charcoal tones. B&B has paired it with colors like Seapearl, Rockport Gray, Reserved White, and Bracken Slate.
Designer Tip: Peppercorn is naturally cool, so we’re careful with very warm paint colors. If the palette feels too disconnected, natural wood or a warm neutral can help bridge the gap.
Does Peppercorn look black on a house?
Peppercorn usually doesn’t look black on a house, especially in natural exterior light. It reads more like a deep charcoal gray with noticeable depth and softness.
If you love the drama of a dark exterior but aren’t ready to go all the way to black, Peppercorn is a pretty great place to start.
What house styles work well with Peppercorn?
Peppercorn works well on a wide range of home styles, including farmhouse, modern, contemporary, traditional, and even commercial exteriors. Its versatility is a big part of why our designers come back to it again and again.
Can you use Peppercorn on trim?
Yes, Peppercorn works beautifully on trim, garage doors, columns, and other architectural details. It’s a great way to add contrast without using a true black.
Designer Tip: If you’re using Peppercorn as an accent, repeat it in a few places so it feels intentional instead of like one dark detail floating on its own.
What is the difference between Peppercorn and Iron Ore?
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore is darker than Peppercorn and reads closer to black. Peppercorn has an LRV of about 10, while Iron Ore has an LRV of 6, so Peppercorn feels a little softer and more obviously gray.
If you want drama with a little breathing room, Peppercorn may be the better fit.
What is the difference between Peppercorn and Urbane Bronze?
Peppercorn is a cooler, truer gray, while Urbane Bronze is warmer and more greige with a noticeable green undertone. Urbane Bronze is also slightly darker, with an LRV of 8 compared with Peppercorn’s 10.
Designer Tip: Choose between them based on the fixed materials around the house. Peppercorn tends to work better with cooler palettes, while Urbane Bronze feels more at home with warm stone, wood, and earthy tones.
Should I sample Peppercorn before painting my house?
Yes, absolutely. Peppercorn can shift slightly depending on natural light, undertones, and the fixed elements around your home, so sampling it first is always worth it.
Designer Tip: Test it beside your roof, brick, stone, windows, and trim. A dark gray that looks perfect on its own can feel very different once the whole exterior comes into play.
