Our Review of Greenblack by Sherwin Williams

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Greenblack by Sherwin Williams is a gorgeous deep black with a hint of velvety green. If you want to boost the curb appeal of your home significantly, this striking color might be just the ticket. We’ve applied it to many home styles and textures with fabulous results, particularly homes nestled in nature.

To learn more about Greenblack by Sherwin Williams, keep reading below. We go over technical details like LRV, our recommended color pairings, and even share a few alternatives if Greenblack isn’t quite what you’re looking for.

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A digital rendering of a modern farmhouse painted in Greenblack by Sherwin Williams.

Sherwin Williams’ Greenblack: The specs

Greenblack by Sherwin Williams has a low LRV of 4. (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.)

During the morning and warm evening light, its green undertones will likely appear stronger, especially on south-facing homes. Keep this in mind if you are aiming for the green appearance.

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 split level home painted in Greenblack by Sherwin Williams, with black windows, a wood front door, and a paver walkway.

Recommended applications for Greenblack

Sherwin Williams’ Greenblack is surprisingly versatile for such a dark paint color. One of our favorite features of Greenblack is that it can be paired with brick effortlessly. Whether it’s red or orange, Greenblack will look amazing and really ground the bold hues of brick. It also looks nice with limewashed brick in bright and soft whites.

Brick isn’t the only material Greenblack can complement. Stone of varying colors, mostly grays and light tans, are great to add to skirting or to highlight an entry with Greenblack as an anchor for contrast. Wood accents in both dark and light stains are fabulous choices, as well as metals like steel and copper. Copper gutters, planters, and light fixtures almost shimmer against the dark paint and add warmth.

An industrial style home is easy to achieve when pairing Greenblack with metals, concrete, stained wood, and black details. However, our designers have applied Greenblack to a variety of home styles including contemporary, mid-century modern, ranches, and even farmhouses.

Virtual rendering of a home painted in Greenblack by Sherwin Williams' with black garage doors, black windows, and a wood front door.

Greenblack color pairings

The versatility of Greenblack doesn’t necessarily end at its color pairing options. Although we recommend sticking with other blacks, whites, and grays, sometimes a pop of color can be explored.

In the rendering above, Greenblack is paired with Sherwin Williams’ Tricorn Black on the eaves, soffits, trim, and fascia. A light gray stone creates contrast on the skirting and surrounds the quaint porch. The wood cladding on the left side of the home and on the porch ceiling provide warmth, as does the wood railing and front door. Black garage doors ,windows, and light fixtures modernize the home.

Sprawling home with a first floor and walk-out basement, large deck, and multiple entertaining spaces.

It doesn’t get more natural than this! The design above shows a sprawling home settled in the woods on a tiered landscape. Greenblack can be seen on the vertical siding and Ipe wood siding along the bottom half of the home. The home’s original stone on the chimney and left side of the home were kept, the brown tones perfectly tying in with the brown of the wood. Steel planters around the fire pit continue the orange-brown tones and also help to separate the entertaining area.

One story home with a turquoise front door, wood columns, and black windows.

As previously mentioned, Greenblack’s versatility in color pairing can go a bit further than you’d think. In the rendering above, Greenblack is flanked by Sherwin Williams’ Agreeable Gray, a wonderful warm greige. The front door color, Galapagos Turquoise by Benjamin Moore, commands the eye to the entry of the home and offers a little bit of personality.

One story modern home with wood columns and garage door, a stone and paver walkway, and black paint.

Pros and cons of Sherwin Williams’ Greenblack

PROS:

  • Looks lovely on many home styles
  • Adds an interesting and dramatic feel to an exterior
  • Complements a variety of building materials (metals, wood, stone, brick)

CONS:

  • Could be too drastic of a change for some
  • On north-facing homes, the green could be lost due to lack of natural light

Greenblack alternatives

Greenblack by Sherwin Williams is an exceptional choice for a dark and dramatic color palette. Below are a few other similar options to consider, each with their own unique characteristics.

Virtual rendering of a home painted in Greenblack by Sherwin Williams with white trim and windows, a screened porch, and outdoor entertaining spaces.

Sherwin Williams’ Inkwell vs. Greenblack

If you tend to lean more toward blues rather than greens, check out Sherwin Williams’ Inkwell. When next to each other, Greenblack looks a bit more muted than Inkwell and with a bit more gray as well. Inkwell can be used on many home styles, however our designers tend to save it for homes surrounded by dense nature or for homes with a lot of texture and lines. Our designers tend to apply Inkwell as the primary shade of the home, rarely using it as an accent color. However, we’ve seen it on shutters and bump-outs as well.

Inkwell, like Greenblack, has an LRV of 4, meaning lots of natural light, especially in the evenings, will make the blue undertones read more obvious. If this is what you want, make sure your home faces south to receive the most natural light possible.

When looking at potential Inkwell color pairings, other neutrals are a safe bet. Blacks and whites, stone, wood, copper, and even brick are great complements to Inkwell. For a timeless classic, pair it with white trim like Snowbound by Sherwin Williams. For a more modern take, try Inkwell with trim of the same color, black windows, and black accents for lighting.

A large colonial home with black windows and garage doors, evergreen landscaping, and simple lighting.

Sherwin Williams’ Iron Ore vs. Greenblack

Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams is slightly lighter than Greenblack with an LRV of 6. It has virtually no undertones, but it can have a smidge of brown that could be noticeable next to natural materials like wood. It could be perceived as a true black if paired with a white like Sherwin Williams’ Shoji White, but overall, it’s a well-balanced shade of charcoal.

Iron Ore is a popular choice as the central color of a home, but it’s also nice for doors, shutters, and to highlight specific architectural details.

A modern home with a slanted roofline, wood accents, black windows, and a modernized driveway.

The bottom line on Greenblack

Greenblack by Sherwin Williams is a stunning shade that can add a dramatic flair to your home’s exterior. It seems like it was just made for homes surrounded by lush landscape or by the water. The green in its undertones lets houses in these settings harmoniously blend with their surroundings.

Our recommended color pairings do seem limited, but the chance to add a bright color to the front door makes up for it. Timeless and classic looks can be nice with white trim. On the contrary, sleek, modern looks can be achieved through black trim and avoiding sharp contrast. All in all, Greenblack by Sherwin Williams is a wonderful shade of black that’s versatile, appealing, and stylish.

Are you ready to dip your toes in the dark side? Fill out our short questionnaire! With your answers, our designers can get started creating a custom design for your home exterior. 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!

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