Learn all about Sherwin Williams Pewter Green 6208, plus see it used in 27 real homes!
Neutral paint colors have been the “go-to” for designers and homeowners for many years due to their unoffensive nature. Their ability to play nice with a large selection of other paint colors means that they’re easy to work with and liked by most people.
However, there’s a shift happening in the world of color. Where bold colors were once frowned upon, they’re now adored mainstays.
Unfortunately, many people don’t know how to use them to their full advantage. Neutrals (if you choose the right color) are easy on the eyes and the color palette. But moody, bold colors…now that’s where the rubber meets the road.
That’s the purpose behind writing this series of deep dives featuring different paint colors. I want to provide enough information about each shade to help you choose your new paint colors confidently and transform your home into the getaway you’ve always dreamed of.
Today I’m doing an in-depth look at Sherwin Williams Pewter Green (SW 6208). Let’s jump right in to learn more and see if you love this color as much as I do.
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FAQs about Pewter Green
What color is SW Pewter Green?
SW Pewter Green is a dark, cool-leaning muted green color. This shade is a little sage-like, but at the same time, certain types of light can bring out its hidden olive side.
It’s dark but not too dark and has a soft quality that many dark shades don’t possess.
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Where should I use SW Pewter Green?
This shade adds a bold pop of color anywhere you use it. While it does look stunning on walls, my favorite way to use this color is in strategically placed accent areas such as:
• Kitchen cabinets
• Bathroom vanities
• Mudroom cubbies
• Built-in shelves
• Interior doors
• Kitchen islands
• Trim/molding and other architectural accents
• Home offices
If undertones make your head hurt, you’re not alone! Grab your free copy of 5 Biggest Paint Choice Mistakes Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
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Sherwin Williams Pewter Green Undertones
Pewter Green has some moderate gray undertones, which help to make this dark green an unexpected neutral.
While it works well in many spaces, it’s not neutral-colored enough to look incredible anywhere. The last thing you want is to paint what you think is gray-green only to find it reads olive (in the worst way).
- West-facing rooms will bring out a bit of the muddiness in the color but also add some lovely blue warm tones to this shade especially in the late afternoon.
- East-facing rooms, alternatively, will have their warm-tones early in the morning as the sun rises. Then, the light will cool down and you’ll start to see the gray tones peek out a bit more in this shade.
- North rooms will see a lot more crispness to this green. This is because this room gets the least natural light, typically.
- Southern rooms get steady filtered warmth all day. Here’s where a muddy blue-gray might peek out a bit too.
NOTE: The best way to know if a shade will work for you? SAMPLE! You’ve got to get the actual little cans and throw up some color in the area. Make sure to observe it throughout the day and in different lighting scenarios. It’s a pain, but it’s oh-so-worth it, particularly with bold colors like this.
As far as sampling goes, I highly recommend these mess-free, re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick paint samples ⤵
PinGreat Coordinating Colors For Pewter Green
Sherwin Williams Pewter Green’s cool green with gray undertones means that while this color is more neutral than a true green, it’s still slightly fussy about the colors that it will pair well with.
I particularly love using it with soft, creamy whites, gray-blues, taupes, and rich golds.
If you’re looking for specific coordinating colors, check out any on this list:
- Pure White
- Spare White
- Winsome Gray
- Rare Gray
- Snowbound
- Sierra Redwood
- Rockweed
- Sea Salt
- Comfort Gray
- Oyster Bay
- Shoji White
- Silvermist
- Silver Strand
- Revere Pewter
- Alabaster
- Neutral Ground
- Alpaca
- Casa Blanca
LRV of Sherwin Williams Pewter Green (SW 6208)
Ok, let’s get just a bit technical for a minute. Visually, color is a chameleon because it doesn’t look the same every time you see it. Lighting and surrounding decor influence how it reads. With that in mind, I like to add a way of evaluating colors that’s immune to those fluctuating outside influences.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a number ranging between 0 and 100. Each color has an assigned LRV number to indicate how much light a color reflects. Darker shades have lower LRV numbers (because they reflect less light), and lighter shades have higher LRV numbers (since they reflect more light).
The LRV of SW Pewter Green = 12
PinThis value puts this hue firmly in the dark category. It absorbs way more light than it reflects, although, in rooms with bright natural light, it does wash out a little.
LRV…what? Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
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Pewter Green Compared to Other Colors
I think determining the undertones of paint colors can be extremely challenging, especially for the average everyday homeowner. Lucky for you, I have a trick that works every time! Looking at colors side by side with similar colors helps to see the undertones on both shades.
Here’s how Sherwin Williams Pewter Green stacks up against three different popular paint color choices.
Sherwin Williams Pewter Green vs. SW Rosemary
With an LRV of 14, Rosemary is brighter than Pewter Green’s LRV of 12. At a quick glance, these two colors look very close to each other. Although, if you look deeper, Rosemary is a little less gray and a little more olive than Pewter Green.
PinSherwin Williams Pewter Green vs. Retreat
SW Retreat has an LRV of 21, making it quite a bit brighter than Pewter Green. Its gray undertones are much more prominent than those in Pewter Green. Both colors look incredible in their respective ideal circ*mstances.
PinSherwin Williams Pewter Green vs. Privilege Green
With an LRV of 23, SW Privilege Green is much brighter than Pewter Green. Both of these shades are dark green, but Privilege Green is much more green with less prominent gray undertones.
PinMore Colors to Consider
Not ready to commit to Pewter Green? No problem! Check out these other moody shades to see if they might be a better fit.
- 15 Favorite Green Paint Colors – check out other favorite green shades
- 15 Top Sage Green Shades – if you’re specifically wanting a sage, here’s your go-to list
- Chelsea Gray by Benjamin Moore – a sophisticated gray shade
- Mindful Gray by Sherwin Williams – a lightened up, unassuming gray shade
- Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams – dark, moody and Sherwin Williams’ “2021 Color of the Year”
- Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams – a dark, stormy, moody gray
- Peppercorn by Sherwin Williams – a true, deep, dark, gray
- Wrought Iron by Benjamin Moore – a dark, muted black with gray and brown undertones
Feeling lost? I gotcha, boo! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
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27 Real Life Homes Using SW Pewter Green
Ok, let’s get to the fun part of this color study! See how this shade REALLY “shows its color” by checking out the way they shift and read in real homes and varying decor styles. Here are 27 real-life homes using Sherwin Williams Pewter Green paint!
A quick note here: don’t forget to consider picking the right paint finish…it’s not only about getting the color right! We have an in-depth explanation of choosing sheens here.
Kitchens Painted Pewter Green
For kitchens, eggshell or satin are popular finish choices for walls. For cabinets consider semi-gloss or high gloss for the most durable finish (and a gorgeous glow).
1. Sherwin Williams Pewter Green Cabinets
Although Pewter Green is in the green paint color family, there are times (like in this example from Style by Emily Henderson) where it looks more gray than green. It’s bold but reads neutral here and looks very tasteful with the warm gold accent pieces and wood tones.
2. Cabinets Painted Pewter Green
The medium-level warm lighting draws out the olive qualities in Pewter Green in this example. It looks rich and inviting without making the kitchen took too dark!
3. Island Painted SW Pewter Green
If you love the lovely gray-infused color of sage, this example from Haggard Home is for you. The very bright lighting and white cabinets wash out the dark green cabinets in the island until it looks medium gray-green. This shade makes a fun island color!
4. Dark Green Kitchen Cabinetry
The low natural light in this kitchen from Peach and the Willow brings out the dark side of Pewter Green. The granite counters, warm wood floors, stone fireplace, and Christmas tree combine to give off beautiful earth-tone vibes in these gorgeous green cabinets.
5. SW Pewter Green Center Island
Truth be told, I love all the different faces of Pewter Green. But seeing it paired with creamy white and reading olive might be my favorite face of this hue. Keep the kitchen light and bright by only painting the lower cabinets in such a dark shade.
P.S. Doesn’t this shade look smashing with brass accents in the door hardware, faucet and lighting in this space from Anita Yokota?
SW Pewter Green Living Areas
6. Built ins by Fireplace
Sure, anyone could paint those built-ins off-white, and they would look fine. But when you go with a bold color that complements all the earthy tones in the room, well, then you have a winning combination!
7. Living Room Painted Pewter Green
In contrast to the previous examples where Pewter Green was used as an accent color, this example takes a bold by using it on the walls. The effect is stunning even in the dark warm light.
8. Wainscotting with Wallpaper
When you want to create a formal and sophisticated ambiance, pair Pewter Green with an elegant wallpaper. In low lighting surrounded by dark decor, this shade shared by Aaron and Sandy Bryan in their living room, looks very dark and beautiful.
9. Spectacular Shiplap in Gorgeous Green
The Magnolia Project, LLC is killing it in this comfy space with SW Pewter Green looking good in all the best of ways. Do you dig the shiplap wall treatment? Me too!
And she really understands how to pair this shade with other colors because the green looks beautiful coupled with the leather as well as the rustic wood fireplace mantel.
Bedrooms with Sherwin Williams Pewter Green
10. Accent Wall with Low Light
This bedroom is incredible. The rich tone of Pewter Green combined with the warm earth tones and lighting create the perfect cozy ambiance you want in a bedroom.
The yellow-tinted lighting makes this shade read less gray and more olive.
11. Pewter Green Kid’s Room
Dark, rich colors are a natural fit for man caves, boy bedrooms, and even men’s offices. It looks great as the sole pop of color in a black and white color scheme.
12. Boho Bedroom
When you want to bring hints of nature into the room, consider adding a dark nature-inspired color. Just like painting the lower cabinets dark but leaving the upper cabinets light keeps the kitchen light, the same technique can be used in any room of the house to add bold color without feeling like you’re in a cave.
13. Pewter Green Board and Batten
In this dark, indirect lighting, Sherwin Williams Pewter Green looks very muted and plain. The board and batten wall design help add some dimension to make the wall look incredible in such a dark color.
14. Pop of Color
I love using bold colors to add a fun pop of color to an otherwise simple room. Pewter Green catches the eye and draws it towards the bed. You can see how the direct light washes out the color, so it doesn’t look as dark as it does in the corners and shadows.
Pewter Green Painted Bathrooms
Don’t forget the finish! For bathrooms the perfect sheen is either an eggshell or satin. Why? We’ll tell you in this post about paint sheen.
15. Bathroom Vanity in Sherwin Williams Pewter Green
In this cool lighting, you can really see the gray undertones of the Pewter Green vanity come through. If you don’t see it at first, compare the vanity to the green fern on top, and you’ll see just how much gray is showing up (shared from Home Bunch).
16. Flooded with Natural Light
Here’s another approach to using Pewter Green in a bathroom! It wouldn’t work to paint the walls of a small bathroom in Pewter Green if it didn’t have bright light like this one because it would be too dark. However, all this light washes out the paint, so the bathroom doesn’t look as dark (or small).
17. SW Pewter Green in Bathroom
I love the use of this color in this bathroom from Oak House Design Co.! It’s paired with a lovely creamy white that helps showcase both colors to their advantage. Then Pewter Green adds a lovely pop of color on the vanity and door.
18. Blue-Gray Undertones
At first glance, I thought the walls were painted in a dark gray. But on closer inspection, I saw that they are really painted in Sherwin Williams Pewter Green! The bright cool light is pulling forward those gray undertones so that the paint reads more gray and less green.
SW Pewter Green Mudrooms
19. Mudroom Cabinets Painted Green
This bright mudroom from Style by Emily Henderson with lots of natural light, warm wood tones and Pewter Green as the cabinet color make you feel like the room is simply an extension of the outdoors. Seeing all the trees through the door window reinforces the effect.
20. Olive Mudroom
The brown, gold and other warm tones in this room try hard to make the walls read olive. However, the bright light is no match for the decor as it pulls out the gray where the light directly hits the walls.
Entryways with Pewter Green Paint
21. Dark Green Entryway
Painting bold colors on the walls often make a room look more formal. However, in this case, I think the dark green walls help make the space feel cozier by making it feel smaller. You can see just how much the color seems to change based on how much light hits it.
22. Pewter Green Entryway
I love the color pairing here! The creamy beige contrasts against the Pewter Green doors and board and batten accent wonderfully and keep the space feeling neutral rather than too cool.
Home Exteriors in SW Pewter Green
23. Green Front Porch Shutters
Pewter Green shutters add the perfect touch to this white-covered porch with a wood ceiling from The Decorologist. The wicker chairs help complete the outdoor space by tying everything together.
24. SW Pewter Green on House Exterior
This green isn’t one you would use if you want to stand out in a bright way! However, it fades into surrounding nature very well. Pewter Green can be an ideal exterior color because the natural light will help draw out the gray undertones so that it never looks bright green (beautiful example via Average Inspired).
Sherwin Williams’ Pewter Green in Other Spaces
25. Pewter Green Office Built Ins
Always remember just how dark this color is. It’s gorgeous and incredible when used to its advantage. And it was the right choice in this home office because it’s so dark that it allows the desk to stand out and become the focal point when it could have easily been lost in another color choice.
26. Basem*nt Game Room with Pewter Green Walls
Look how gray the walls look here in this room from Holland Avenue Home! Lighting plays a huge role in how paint reads. Make sure you check your paint swatches before moving full steam ahead to ensure you get the color you want.
27. Hallway Painted Pewter Green
Ok, here’s a perfect example of Sherwin Williams Pewter Green’s color-shifting abilities. In the picture where there’s natural light shining into the hallways, the color reads very dark sage. In contrast, the second picture, which uses only artificial lighting, shows the paint reading dark olive.
Sherwin Williams Pewter Green is a dark sage green that leans cool. A beautiful hue like this one will be a show-stopper in the right circ*mstances, but it won’t work in every home.
First, verify how this color will read in your home by using paint samples before you commit to living with it in your home!
Pin this paint color for later! And if you use this paint shade, leave a comment on the pin! That helps others decide if they want to try this color, too!
PinReady to show those boring, beige walls who’s the boss at home? Grab my free guide to help you sidestep the mistakes that almost everyone makes when it comes to picking paint! You’ll be on your way to perfect paint promptly…pinky swear.
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