The Mysterious Color That is Behr Dolphin Fin (Review & Dupes!)

Dolphin Fin is a really interesting gray color that is hard to put your finger on. It’s the kind of gray that you stare at to try to figure out what color it actually is, before you decide that it must be gray.

Swatch of Behr Dolphin Fin beside a photo of a happy dolphin swimming in the blue ocean with a school of fish

Don’t worry though, I’ve got pictures to help you form your own opinion!

Let’s talk undertones, take a look at Dolphin Fin in real life, explore a warm and cool color palette, and finally, dig up some dupes!

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What Color is Behr Dolphin Fin (790C-3)

Dolphin Fin is a gray paint color with just a hint of beige. Sometimes you can see the warmer greigey tones, sometimes it looks like a perfectly balanced gray, and sometimes it can look a little blue/silver.

What Are the Undertones of Dolphin Fin

I went way down the rabbit hole with this one y’all, in the name of…science? Obsession? Stubbornness? (Is that a word?)

I don’t know.

Dolphin Fin paint dot beside a picture of the hex chart, over a background of a dolphin leaping out of the water at sunset

At first glance, Dolphin Fin is what I consider a greige paint color. Compared to many other gray paint colors, it definitely leans warm on the swatch.

What doesn’t make a lot of sense, is that it very often has blueish undertones on the wall (occasionally a little green). If you were to paint over yellow, it would even look purple while you were doing it.

I even read reviews from other color experts who describe Dolphin Fin as a cool gray.

Why? How?!

I don’t know. I am officially raising the white flag on this one. I tried Dolphin Fin over swatches of all kinds of different colors, and it always looks pretty much the same.

I can agree that it very often does look cool on the wall, but I hate not knowing why.

Regardless, sometimes Dolphin Fin does look how you would expect too. It can look greige or even almost beige.

Dolphin Fin looking like a traditional gray on the wall behind round natural fiber wall decor — Background photo credit: @b.and.c.vintage

Best guesses:

Extra sensitive to natural light. Potentially a perfect blank canvas?
Choose your trim thoughtfully, because I can only think that this and your lighting are the big difference makers with this one.

Undertones in a nut shell: Confusing. Most often, Dolphin Fin looks like a true gray.

Is Dolphin Fin Warm or Cool

In my opinion Dolphin Fin has almost equal chance of looking warm or cool.

LRV and RBG of Behr Dolphin Fin

The LRV of a color indicates on a scale of 0 – 100 how much light a color reflects (or doesn’t reflect). True black has an LRV of 0 and pure white has an LRV of 100.

In the paint world, we are working in a range of about 3 – 93 because no paint color is purely black or completely white.

The LRV of Dolphin Fin is 59.

Behr Dolphin Fin plotted at 59 on a hex chart from 0 (black) to 100 (white) over a background of neutral decor items

At 59, Dolphin Fin is in the LRV range that most whole-home colors are.

The RGB of Dolphin Fin is: Red 204, Green 202, Blue 193.

Based on the RBG the hex value for Dolphin Fin is #CCCAC1.

Dolphin Fin Color Strip by Behr

You can find Dolphin Fin on the Behr color strip that runs from Irish Mist (an off-white) to Black Bean:

Behr Dolphin Fin color strip ranges from lighter - Irish Mist, and Silver Drop, to darker colors Granite Boulder, Squirrel, Dusty Mountain, and Black Bean

Here are the rest of the colors from this strip:

Irish Mist (790C-1)
Silver Drop (790C-2)
Granite Boulder (790D-4)
Squirrel (790D-5)
Dusty Mountain (790D-6)
Black Bean (790D-7)

Lighter Version of Dolphin Fin

One shade lighter than Dolphin Fin on the same color strip is the shade Silver Drop.

You can read my whole post about that color here: Behr Silver Drop Will Keep You Guessing! (Complete Review & Dupes)

Silver Drop is very much like Dolphin Fin in terms of sometimes looking greige and sometimes looking silver.

Darker Version of Dolphin Fin

The shade one darker than Dolphin Fin on the same color strip is Granite Boulder. From what I have seen, Granite Boulder is a tiny bit more likely to have a green undertone than Dolphin Fin is.

Behr Dolphin Fin in a Warm and Cool Color Palette

Just this once, I decided to make both a warm and cool color palette for Dolphin Fin. Amongst warm colors, Dolphin Fin should look cooler and more gray/silver. With cool colors, it should lean a little warmer and sandier.

Making Dolphin Fin Look Warmer – Cool Coordinating Colors

Behr Dolphin Fin in a cool beachy color palette featuring Breezeway, Bakery Box, Silver Drop, and Midnight Blue, with Dolphin Fin, all on paint lids over a beachy backdrop of gray with sea shells, marshmallows and sticks, and s'mores supplies

Theoretically, in a color palette like this one (that features cool coordinating colors) Dolphin Fin should lean warmer and a little more beige.

Pleeease take this advice with a grain of salt, and test your colors, because I don’t really understand why it looks blue-ish in the first place. – Sincerely, Me.

Behr Breezeway

Breezeway is a fresh, beachy green that coordinates beautifully with Dolphin Fin.

Paint dot of Behr Dolphin Fin beside a paint dot of Breezeway

Behr Bakery Box

Bakery Box is a cool and crisp white that should help Dolphin Fin look it’s warmest.

Paint dot of Behr Dolphin Fin beside a paint dot of Bakery Box

Behr Midnight Blue

Midnight Blue is a classic navy blue that should go with almost anything you already have. I like it with Dolphin Fin because every coastal palette needs a nautical navy! (Naut-y navy! … I’ll see myself out.)

Paint dot of Behr Dolphin Fin beside a paint dot of Midnight Blue

Behr Silver Drop

We’ve already talked about Silver Drop of course, but it is a great color to consider using alongside Dolphin Fin if you ever want something just a touch lighter.

These two don’t contrast enough for one to be a feature color, so I’m meaning when you want to paint a smaller or darker space.

Coordinating Colors Silver Drop and Dolphin Fin swatched side by side as paint drops

Making Dolphin Fin Look Cooler – Warmer Coordinating Colors

While this color palette is warm, it should actually help Dolphin Fin look cooler and more silver/blue/gray.

Dolphin Fin warm toned color palette features Irish Mist, Swiss Coffee, Jojoba, Intellectual, and Canyon Dusk, all on paint lids over a textured cloth with autumn colored flowers

Behr Canyon Dusk

Canyon Dusk is actually pretty similar to the 2023 Color of the Year from Sherwin Williams: Redend Point.

Paint dot of Behr Dolphin Fin beside a paint dot of Canyon Dusk

Irish Mist

You probably recollect that these two are on the same color strip! Irish Mist is an off white that obviously works very well with Dolphin Fin, but it also tends to stay a touch warmer.

Behr Swiss Coffee

I don’t know that Swiss Coffee would be my first choice for white with Dolphin Fin, but it is a good way to keep it looking lighter and cooler.

Paint dot of Behr Dolphin Fin beside a paint dot of Swiss Coffee

Jojoba

Okay, so Jojoba isn’t technically a warm color… It is a warmer green though! A sage color will always work well with other neutrals.

Behr Intellectual

Intellectual is a dark gray brown similar to Sherwin Williams former color of the year Urbane Bronze.

This color would be a nice trim option on an exterior, or an unexpected choice for a feature wall, while still being very neutral.

Paint dot of Behr Dolphin Fin beside a paint dot of Intellectual

Complementary Color for Dolphin Fin

The official complementary color for Dolphin Fin (the color directly across the color wheel) is a blue gray. The Behr shade Glitter is a very close match.

Behr Glitter (N540-2)

Dolphin Fin paint dot and hex chart swatched beside it's complementary color Glitter over a background of a beach

What Trim Colors Go With Behr Dolphin Fin?

If you already have wood trim in your home, you can definitely still use Dophin Fin on the walls, but be aware that the warmth of wood is very likely to make Dolphin Fin look more blue.

Here are a few of Behr’s popular whites that you might be considering for trim:

White Paint that Goes with Dolphin Fin

Ultra Pure White

Ultra Pure White is supposed to be the cleanest and brightest white available across all of the most popular brands. It’s a top choice for trim for that reason!

A color like Ultra Pure White that does not have much by way of undertones will allow Dolphin Fin to do what it wants to do in your space. This could also mean that it looks different day to day or even depending on the time of day, so definitely give it a good old test first.

Bakery Box

We already talked a little about this white earlier, but it is a cool and bright white. This one should help Dolphin Fin stay looking warmer.

Diamonds Therapy

Diamonds Therapy is a pretty neutral white but it’s a little lower contrast than something like Ultra Pure White. I describe this one as an “Ikea white” because it is a bang on match for the stock white furniture from Ikea.

If you like the look of this one, you can read more here: Behr Diamonds Therapy Review and Comparison

Swiss Coffee

Swiss Coffee as we talked about before, should keep Dolphin Fin looking a bit cooler and more silver or blue-gray.

Graphic reads "Nail down your neutral color scheme in 60 minutes or less" with an image of the foolproof neutrals ebook. Button below reads "Show me how!"

Behr Dolphin Fin in Your Home’s Interior

Let’s hop right to it and look at some real homes shall we?

I am so happy to share that I have allll kinds of different looks to Dolphin Fin today. Don’t you love it when you can really see the color?

Behr Dolphin Fin in a Living Room

Leah from @happinessandhomedecor really came through for us with the Dolphin Fin-spiration.

Here it is in her living room:

Behr Dolphin Fin on living room wall. Fireplace and built in television. With a set of cozy couch. — Photo Credit: @happinessandhomedecor

Now, Dolphin Fin does look very cool gray in this particular photo, and in most of Leah’s photos. I think part of that is a camera or editing choice because all of the photos are quite cool, so take it with a little baby pinch of salt.

Here is one that I found where the color looks a little warmer, but it is still very much gray:

Behr Dolphin Fin looking slightly warmer in the same living room as the previous photo. The room is decorated for Christmas including a tree in the corner. — Photo Credit: @happinessandhomedecor

Hopping over to Steph’s place (@s_j_t_home) we have a great look at the full spectrum of Dolphin Fin, all on one wall!

Behr Dolphin Fin on living room wall with a ratan chair and TV cabinet — Photo Credit: @s_j_t_home

If you take a good look at that photo, you will see that the color looks much warmer and more beige on the left side, and more silver-gray on the right.

Here are a couple of cooler looking shots from the same room:

Behr Dolphin Fin on living room wall with TV cabinet, a Christmas tree beside ratan chair and shaggy rug — Photo Credit: @s_j_t_home

Behr Dolphin Fin on living room wall with a Christmas tree beside ratan chair and shaggy rug — Photo Credit: @s_j_t_home

Behr Dolphin Fin in the Dining Room

Steph also carried Dolphin Fin into her dining room, where again it looks pretty silver:

Behr Dolphin Fin on dining room wall with round table, ratan chair and shaggy rug. A set of round wall planter and a pendant light. — Photo Credit: @s_j_t_home

Behr Dolphin Fin in a Bedroom

Heading on over to Jessica’s place (@jessraemac5) we can see Dolphin Fin at work in this bedroom/nursery.

Behr Dolphin Fin on bedroom wall with floral comforter, a baby crib, velvet pouf and a shaggy rug — Photo Credit: @jessraemac5

With the blinds closed this is a bit of a darker look to Dolphin Fin, and a good example for lower light spaces.

Behr Dolphin Fin on nursery room wall. A 4 in 1 baby crib with changing table. A white unicorn stuff toy sitting on the velvet couch and a — Photo Credit: @jessraemac5

This is also our first glimpse of seeing Dolphin Fin look a little green. I think this is due to the green influences in the room, but also because pink is complementary to green, so it draws that out.

Behr Dolphin Fin on bedroom wall with floral comforter, three wall wreath, sheer curtains, gallery wall and plush fluffy pillow — Photo Credit: @jessraemac5

I have one more bedroom to show you, this time at Mary’s house (@marylynchristina):

Behr Dolphin Fin on bedroom wall. A stuff doll toy on the corner of the bed. — Photo Credit: @marylychristina

In this room the pink is much softer, but Dolphin Fin still looks a bit blue-green.

Behr Dolphin Fin with White Kitchen Cabinets

Back at Leah’s place we get to see how Dolphin Fin will look with white cabinets.

Behr Dolphin Fin on kitchen walls with Benjamin Moore Simply White Cabinets and black hardware — Photo Credit: @happinessandhomedecor

The color here is a fairly true white. It is Benjamin Moore Simply White, which is actually a really bright white, but it’s also pretty warm. We would expect then that Dolphin Fin would look cool like it does.

Closer photo of Behr Dolphin Fin on kitchen walls with Benjamin Moore Simply White Cabinets and black hardware — Photo Credit: @happinessandhomedecor

With cooler white cabinets you might be able to get the warmer side of Dolphin Fin to come out.

Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of Dolphin Fin on cabinets, if that’s something you are looking for, but I do have the dupe Sherwin Williams Repose Gray:

Behr Dolphin Fin dupe Repose Gray cabinets with gold hardware and black island with white stone countertops in a gorgeous custom two tone kitchen — Photo Credit: @bespokeredesign

You should expect that Dolphin Fin will look a bit cooler than these cabinets though. That’s just what it does!

Behr Dolphin Fin on an Exterior

Again we will have to look to the dupe Repose Gray for a glimpse at how Dolphin Fin will look on an exterior:

Dolphin Fin dupe Repose Gray on exterior wooden siding outside a house with a baby blue door and shutters. — Photo Credit: @jogalbraithathome

I actually think this time the comparison is pretty solid. The baby blue shutters are close to the complementary color for Dolphin Fin, and this is how you can expect the color to look on your exterior.

Behr Dolphin Fin dupe Repose Gray on siding with blue shutters and a lush front garden — Photo Credit: @jogalbraithathome

Don’t Forget Your Supplies!

This little brush might look funny, but it’s my absolute ride or die!

Rollers like these hold the most paint and make the job faster. Get a metal roller cage for easy on and off.

DryDex is the fastest (and funnest!) way to make chips and dents disappear. (Make sure you get a small spackling tool that actually fits in the container, and a sanding sponge.)

This tool will save your back and limit time on a ladder.

Dolphin Fin Compared to Other Gray Paint Colors

If you aren’t interested in how Dolphin Fin stacks up against other popular grays, feel free to skip to the dupes.

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

You can see that Agreeable Gray has a similar LRV, but looks much more griege than Dolphin Fin.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Agreeable Gray

I cover this color a little more in my post: Accessible Beige vs Agreeable Gray (How to Choose!)

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Chic Gray

Behr Chic Gray is warmer than Dolphin Fin (think orange color family rather than yellow). It is a tiny bit less saturated so it is still solidly gray.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Chic Gray

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Classic Silver

Classic Silver is a green-based gray and much darker than Dolphin Fin.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Classic Silver

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Dolphin Gray

Dolphin Gray is much darker than Dolphin Fin, and it’s almost completely gray. There is very very little actual color in it.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Dolphin Gray

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

Revere Pewter is much more yellow than Dolphin Fin. It is a true greige and reads beige much more often than Dolphin Fin does.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Revere Pewter

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Shark Fin

Shark Fin is another Behr gray that is darker and cooler than Dolphin Fin.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Shark Fin

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Silver Bullet

Behr Silver Bullet is a cool gray that often looks blue. Despite how Dolphin Fin looks sometimes, you can see that it is clearly much warmer than Silver Bullet.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Silver Bullet

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Silver City

Silver City is a green-based gray that is cooler and less saturated than Dolphin Fin.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Silver City

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Silver Drop

As you may remember, Silver Drop is one shade lighter on the same color strip as Dolphin Fin:

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar Behr colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Silver Drop

Behr Dolphin Fin vs Toasty Gray

Behr Toasty Gray is warmer and more saturated than Dolphin Fin, making it more greige. It’s also a little bit lighter.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to Toasty Gray

Behr Dolphin Fin vs White Metal

White Metal is the lighter version of Silver Bullet, so not only is it cooler and more blue than Dolphin Fin, it is also a good bit lighter.

Behr Dolphin Fin swatched beside similar gray colors, with a larger swatch comparing Dolphin Fin to White Metal

Dolphin Fin Dupes

Finally we get to take a look at some dupes and doubles for the fan favorite Dolphin Fin!

Dolphin Fin swatched beside dupes Nimbus, Bay Sands, Moon Shot, and Repose Gray over a background of a coral reef

Benjamin Moore Dolphin Fin Equivalent

The closest color match to Dolphin Fin that Benjamin Moore carries, is the shade Nimbus.

Benjamin Moore Nimbus (1465)

Nimbus is just a smidge lighter and warmer than Dolphin Fin. Too close to call in my opinion! It’s actually a pretty popular Benjamin Moore color in its own right.

Benjamin Moore Dupe Nimbus on half of a wall with Behr Dolphin Fin on the other half

Valspar (Lowe’s) Equivalent to Dolphin Fin

I wasn’t 100% happy with any of the color matches that Valspar offers, so I chose three that all offered something different.

(I know, I’m extra. I can’t stop myself when it’s not quite right!)

Valspar Bay Sands (5008-1B)

Bay Sands is the closest overall color match to Dolphin Fin that Valspar offers. It is slightly more beige but the LRV is about right.

Behr Dolphin Fin on half of a wall with Valspar Bay Sands on the other half

So why couldn’t we leave it at that?

Bay Sands, while a nice color, is not really serving the same look as Dolphin Fin. It’s looking a little more Revere Pewter in nature.

Here are two lighter options that are less yellow:

Valspar Silver Thistle Down (8006-4B)

Silver Thistle Down is a bit lighter and more of a plain gray compared to Dolphin Fin.

Behr Dolphin Fin on half of a wall with Valspar alternatives Silver Thistle Down and Moonshot on the other half.

Valspar Moon Shot (8005-2B)

Moon Shot has a subtle whiff of violet that creates a really nice taupe, but as a result you can clearly see that it’s warmer than Dolphin Fin.

Dolphin Fin Sherwin Williams Equivalent

You already know from earlier that the Sherwin Williams dupe for Dolphin Fin is the ever popular Repose Gray!

Dolphin Fin vs Sherwin Williams Repose Gray (SW 7015)

Repose Gray is the tiniest bit warmer than Dolphin Fin. I find that the major difference between these two, is that Repose Gray won’t ever look overly cool or blue in my opinion.

Dolphin Fin on half of a wall with Sherwin Williams dupe Repose Gray on the other half

I don’t have a whole post for Repose Gray yet, but you can read more about it in this one: Sherwin Williams Light French Gray VS Repose Gray (Solved!)

Dolphin Fin Pros & Cons

In conclusion, if you don’t want blue-gray or beige, don’t pick Dolphin Fin. Try to be okay with the full spectrum of color, particularly if it’s in your whole house.

Here are a few pros and cons for this blessed Behr shade:

Pros

Great LRV level that is perfect for your whole home
A true chameleon that is heavily influenced by other colors, white choice, etc.
Works well with almost any other color

Cons

Unpredictable and should definitely be tested in large swatches

I don’t really have a lot of other cons for this one. Any other downsides just stem from it being unpredictable.

Not the one for you? Let me help!:

Behr Silver Bullet color strip runs from White Metal to Carbon with Silver Bullet, Flannel Gray, Cool Ashes, Iron Mountain, and Asphalt Gray in between.

Accessible beige on hallway walls looking into a bathroom with a paint dot of the color over top of the photo

Behr Silver Drop color strip features Irish Mist, Silver Drop, Dolphin Fin, Granite Boulder, squirrel, dusty mountain, and black bean