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Don’t Use Sherwin Williams Succulent (Unless You Want Everyone to Copy You!) Review & Dupes

    Sherwin Williams Succulent is one of my favorite gray greens of the moment. It’s dark, but not too dark. It’s green but not too green. It’s cool, but not frosty! Most importantly: If you don’t want to answer a million questions about your paint color, don’t choose Succulent!

    Sherwin Williams Succulent swatched beside a large succulent

    Here we will take a look at Succulent in real homes, in a color palette, and in other brands.

    Let’s go!

    This post may contain affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use.

    What Color is Sherwin Williams Succulent (SW 9650)

    Succulent is a dark sage green paint color that leans to the cooler side of sage. It works particularly well on cabinets, accent walls, and exteriors.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent swatched over a bed of colorful succulents

    What Are the Undertones of Succulent

    Succulent is a dark sage green color. It can have cool blue undertones, or deep almost mossy green tones.

    Unlike many gray green colors, I don’t find that Succulent does anything too unexpected. It will look significantly more green than the color chip, but once you see it in real life, you should have a good idea of how it will look in your home.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent paint swipe on a color card

    You will see real life photos in just a minute, but I find the color to be pretty consistent.

    Is Succulent Warm or Cool

    Succulent is a cool paint color due to it’s cool gray-blue undertones. I think that you can use it like a neutral, because it’s a nice natural green color.

    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!"

    LRV of Sherwin Williams Succulent

    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.

    Succulent has an LRV of 14.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent plotted at 14 on an LRV scale from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white)

    At 14, Succulent is a darker mid-toned paint color. In my opinion, truly deep dark paint colors have an LRV of about 10 or below, but Succulent is getting there. As far as sage green paint colors go, it’s definitely a darker one.

    Succulent Color Strip

    Succulent is one of those special colors that Sherwin Williams decided to magic out of nowhere, so it doesn’t have a proper color strip. Using the closest color numbers, we can come up with this:

    • Sea Spray (SW 9651)
    • Hazel Gaze (SW 9652)
    • Forever Green (SW 9653)
    • Taiga (SW 9654)
    Sherwin Williams Color Strip includes Sea Spray, Hazel Gaze, Forever Green, and Taiga. Alternatively Succulent can fit on color strip Willowleaf, Forsted Fern, Soft Sage, and Create

    OR:

    • Create (SW 9646)
    • Soft Sage (SW 9647)
    • Frosted Fern (SW 9648)
    • Willowleaf (SW 9649)

    I find the Willowleaf color strip to be a bit warmer than Succulent, but then the colors from Sea Spray to Taiga are all over the place, so what can you do?

    Lighter Version of Succulent

    Although it might not look like it, the color Taiga is actually 7 LRV points lighter than Succulent, so it could be a good lighter alternative for you.

    Sherwin Williams Retreat is lighter than Taiga, and would also be a good alternative to Succulent.

    Darker Version of Succulent

    In many ways, Succulent looks a lot like Pewter Green (I will compare the two properly in just a minute), so you could go one shade darker than Pewter Green if you are looking for a darker version of Succulent. This would be the color Ripe Olive.

    I find Ripe Olive to be a touch warmer than Succulent, so you might find that Sherwin Williams Jasper works better for you.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent Color Palette

    Here is a color palette that I put together, inspired by Succulent:

    Sherwin Williams Succulent in a color palette with coordinating colors Soot, Reflection, Pure White, and Taupe of the Morning.

    Coordinating Colors for Succulent

    Sherwin Williams Taupe of the Morning

    Taupe of the Morning is a light neutral that looks creamy and mushroomy next to Succulent. It would be a great choice as a whole home color that provides more warmth than a gray.

    Paint Dot of Succulent beside a paint dot of Taupe of the Morning

    You can see more from this color here: Taupe of the Morning: Sherwin Williams Coziest Taupe (Review & Dupes)

    Sherwin Williams Pure White

    Pure White is a true white with a touch of warmth that is balanced out with a touch of gray. It’s the perfect go-with-anything white, so of course, it goes with Succulent!

    Paint Dot of Succulent beside a paint dot of Pure White

    See more here: The Best Sherwin Williams Pure White Review (See Real Homes & Dupes!)

    Benjamin Moore Soot

    Soot is a nod to the “official” complementary color for Succulent (the color directly across the color wheel) because it has a bit more widespread appeal.

    Paint Dot of Succulent beside a paint dot of Soot

    Soot is a deep charcoal navy that really looks great with any and all greens, but especially Succulent.

    If you want to stick with Sherwin Williams, their color Cyberspace is very similar.

    Sherwin Williams Reflection

    Reflection is a soft gray blue that is very complementary to Succulent. Just be careful with this one that you don’t go too creamy with your white, or it can come out looking a bit purple!

    Paint Dot of Succulent beside a paint dot of Reflection

    Complementary Color for Succulent

    Speaking of purple, technically the complementary color for Succulent is a deep gray-purple. A good color match would be Sherwin Williams Perle Noir:

    Paint Dot of Succulent beside a paint dot of Perle Noir

    I used Soot in my color palette, because there isn’t a huge market for purple, but if you want to have a trendy “Dark Academia” moment, go for it!

    What Trim Colors Go With Sherwin Williams Succulent?

    If you have existing oak or other wood trim and you are looking for a new wall color, sage greens like Succulent are my favorite option! I find this family of green looks amazing with any tone of wood.

    SW Succulent walls with Oak trim
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    White Paint that Goes with Succulent

    If wood isn’t in the cards, here are some popular white options for trim:

    Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

    I’m back on the Chantilly Lace bandwagon!

    It’s not that I fell off exactly, I just thought you might get tired of hearing about my favorite white everrrrrr! However when we are talking about a green paint color, Chantilly Lace naturally comes up. It’s a green-based white, but has no discernible undertone. The slightest drop of pigment that it does have, manifests as a whiff of warmth, just to keep things from getting too stark.

    That was a long way to say, I like Chantilly Lace, and especially with greens like Succulent.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent with a variety of trim choices including Chantilly Lace, Pure White, Snowbound and Alabaster

    Sherwin Williams Snowbound

    Snowbound is another true white with just a touch of warmth. I like Snowbound a lot for trim because it isn’t stark, but it’s more crisp than other popular choices like Pure White or Alabaster.

    Snowbound is close to being a red-based white, so it is slightly more complementary to greens like Succulent.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White

    Pure White is a true white, but a much softer one, thanks to equal hints of gray and beige. It’s a good neutral white that won’t pop against Succulent quite as much as Chantilly Lace or Snowbound.

    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.

    Sherwin Williams Alabaster

    Alabaster is a creamy white but not quite an off-white. This one will provide a lower contrast look to your trim, and will help Succulent look a little lighter. The warmth of Alabaster is more likely to emphasize the cool tones of Succulent.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent Home Interior

    Now that we’ve gone through the nitty gritty, let’s take a good look at Succulent in real life!

    Sherwin Williams Succulent Living Room 

    Kelli from @Walnutandpinedesign loves alll the deep gray greens, and her aesthetic totally speaks to me. Here is Succulent in a sitting area with white on the upper part of the wall.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on the lower 3/4 of a sitting room wall with oak trim around the window and white on the top 1/4 of the walls
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    I love the mid-century modern vibe of this space:

    Close up of Sherwin Williams Succulent on a wall behind a plant and a floral watercolor
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    Sherwin Williams Succulent Bedroom

    Moving into the bedroom, have more great inspo photos of Succulent from Kelli.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on the walls in a bedroom behind a boho wall hanging with rust colored crushed velvet bedding
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    I resisted the urge to toss some terracotta into my color palette earlier, because I always do that with sage greens, but you can see here how it would work.

    Wide shot of Sherwin Williams Succulent on the walls in a bedroom behind a boho wall hanging with rust colored crushed velvet bedding and a wooden shelving unit
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    I love the boho color palette in this space.

    In this next photo you can see Succulent looking a bit cooler and more gray:

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on the walls behind a bed with white polka dotted sheets and a little side table with a copper lamp and a potted succulent.
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    One more for good measure:

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on bedroom walls behind a natural wood shelving unit
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    From each room that we have seen so far, I really think that Succulent stays pretty consistent in it’s appearance.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent Laundry Room

    Well aren’t we lucky ducks that we get to see Succulent in a laundry room? That’s probably the hardest space to track down.

    The team at The Finishing Room (@thefinishingroommke) used Succulent on these cabinets:

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on Laundry room cabinets with pewter hardware.
    Photo Credit: @thefinishingroommke

    You can see that the color also looks good with the cherry doors.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on Kitchen Cabinets

    Moving on to the home of Ashley and Matt (@homesweetiepiehome), we get to see not only Succulent on cabinets, but the coordinating color Taupe of the Morning as well!

    Sherwin Wiliams Succulent on cabinets inside a walk-in pantry with Sherwin Williams Taupe of the Morning on cabinets in the room
    Photo Credit: @homesweetiepiehome

    This is actually the space that inspired me to use these two together.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on kitchen cabinets and walls in a pantry
    Photo Credit: @homesweetiepiehome

    Succulent is boldly used floor to ceiling and even on the trim in this pantry.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on kitchen cabinets and walls in a pantry
    Photo Credit: @homesweetiepiehome

    Sherwin Williams Succulent Exterior

    Moving outdoors, let’s take a look at Succulent on exterior siding.

    Brianne (@briannebuilds) used SW Succulent on the exterior of her 1927 home:

    Sherwin Williams Succulent siding on a two storey home with white trim on a sunny day with a large stretch of grass in the backyard
    Photo Credit: @briannebuilds

    Here it looks a little lighter in the closeup:

    Sherwin Williams Succulent siding with a white front door decorated for fall with a golden pupper celebrating it's birthday with a tiny hat
    Photo Credit: @briannebuilds

    Brianne did all the hard work to strip and expose the original brick here too!

    Here’s a cozy winter shot, where obviously Succulent looks darker against the fresh snow.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on a two storey home with black framed windows and white trim
    Photo Credit: @briannebuilds

    Gray greens are probably my favorite exterior paint colors. They’re perfect for looking natural and not too “out there” while also being a color and making a statement.

    Succulent on a Front Door

    I couldn’t find a good photo of Succulent on a front door, so here is the similar color Pewter Green:

    Succuent lookalike Pewter Green front door on a sage green house
    Photo Credit: @charminggreenhouse

    Succulent would also be a beautiful choice for shutters.

    Succulent Compared to Other Gray Green Paint Colors

    If there is one thing I know, it’s green paint! Specifically gray green and sage paint colors. Here are a few similar colors that you might be comparing to Succulent in your search for “the one.”

    Sherwin Williams Succulent vs Pewter Green

    Pewter Green looks really similar to Succulent until the two are side by side. Pewter Green is significantly warmer than Succulent. It’s also a bit darker and a bit more gray.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on half of a wall compared to Pewter Green on the other half

    Read all about it here: Don’t Choose Sherwin Williams Pewter Green Before Reading! (Plus Dupes)

    Sherwin Williams Succulent vs Retreat

    Retreat is one shade lighter than Pewter Green on the same color strip, so it makes sense that it’s similar to Succulent too, but lighter.

    Sherwin Williams Retreat vs Succulent, each on half of a wall in a living room behind a white sofa

    Of course I have a post for this one too: Take a Vacation With Sherwin Williams Retreat (Complete Review & Dupes!)

    Sherwin Williams Succulent vs Rosemary

    Rosemary is much warmer than Succulent. It’s also a touch less gray. The two look more similar on paper, because Rosemary has the same LRV as Succulent.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on half of a wall compared to Rosemary on the other half

    What was that? You wanted more Rosemary? I’ve got it!: Sherwin Williams Rosemary (The Unofficial Color of the Year?)

    Dupes for Sherwin Williams Succulent

    Of course you may not want to, or have the ability to, get yourself to a Sherwin Williams store, so I’ve got dupes!

    Sherwin Williams Succulent dupes include Caldwell Green, Coastal Dusk, and Pinecone Hill, over a background of terrazzo tile with a graphic of succulents on the bottom of the picture

    Benjamin Moore Succulent Equivalent

    The closest color match for Succulent that I could find from Benjamin Moore, is their shade Caldwell Green.

    Benjamin Moore Caldwell Green (HC-124)

    Caldwell Green is just a touch lighter, cooler, and less gray than Succulent.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on half of a wall compared to Benjamin Moore version Caldwell Green on the other half

    I actually think that because it’s cooler and also less gray, those things balance out to a great tone match for Succulent.

    Valspar (Lowe’s) Equivalent to Succulent

    From Lowe’s the best alternative to Succulent is the shade Coastal Dusk. (Which is quite a pretty name, if that matters.)

    Valspar Coastal Dusk (5002-2B)

    Unlike some other Valspar colors, I’ve seen enough photos of Coastal Dusk to say that it absolutely looks like Succulent on the wall. (Or on cabinets.) It reads a tiny bit more gray, which you can see here:

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on half of a wall compared to Valspar version Coastal Dusk on the other half

    Coastal Dusk is also a little bit lighter.

    Succulent Behr Equivalent (Home Depot)

    The Best Behr alternative to Succulent, is the color Pinecone Hill.

    Behr Pinecone Hill (N410-6)

    It’s a bit presumptuous of me to call this one a dupe, because you can clearly see that it’s a good bit warmer than Succulent:

    Sherwin Williams Succulent on half of a wall compared to Behr Pinecone Hill on the other half

    However I was not able to find a cooler sage with lots of gray, so it will have to do.

    Sherwin Williams Succulent dupes include Caldwell Green, Coastal Dusk, and Pinecone Hill over a background of succulent, with a white graphic of a succulent behind the swatches

    Succulent Pros & Cons

    Thank you so much for reading to the end! If you didn’t know, that really helps my blog!

    Let’s run down the Pros and Cons of Succulent real quick:

    Pros

    • It’s absolutely beautiful!
    • Very neutral and goes with almost any other color
    • Did I say beautiful?
    • An exciting color for cabinets and exteriors without being too wild or specific

    Cons

    • Succulent is quite gray. It isn’t boldly green.
    • It’s cooler than many sage colors
    • A bit too dark to use everywhere, or in spaces with limited natural light

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