Learn all about Sherwin-Williams Rosemary in this color review and project spotlight from The Color Concierge, and see this gorgeous color in action in a real client’s Victorian SW Rosemary exterior color palette.
Sherwin-Williams Rosemary (Sample) is a gorgeous, moody green paint color (Article) that I absolutely love to use for exterior projects. And the home we’re featuring in today’s post is one of my favorites ever – a true showstopper!
This historic Denver home was completely transformed with a sleek, simple, and modern SW Rosemary color palette that fit perfectly with the neighborhood but still stands out.
This project was part of a complete interior and exterior renovation by Goodhouse Real Estate in Denver. We partnered with Aaron Graybill at Goodhouse to create this gorgeous historic exterior color palette. I love the work they do!
Want to try using Rosemary for your next outdoor painting project? Please keep reading to learn more about this paint color and see the exact color palette we used on our client’s home.
*This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. If you click on some links and make a purchase, I will get a small commission at no cost to you. This helps pay for the costs of the blog, so I can continue to offer great content to our readers.
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What Color is Sherwin-Williams Rosemary?
Sherwin-Williams Rosemary is a medium green paint color. Indoors, it looks dark and moody (but not so dark that it risks looking black or overwhelming in rooms with dim light). Outdoors, Rosemary paint is a gorgeous sage green perfect for Victorian exterior color palettes (Article) and other historic homes.
SW Rosemary Exterior Video Part I
Video by @Grace13media
SW Rosemary
What is the SW Rosemary LRV?
Rosemary has an LRV of 14. LRV is short for Light Reflectance Value, which is a measurement of how light (LRV=100) or dark (LRV=0) a color is. SW Rosemary is a dark, muted hue that is still very green, especially outdoors.
What are SW Rosemary undertones?
Green paint colors have either yellow undertones (warm) or blue undertones (cool). Rosemary paint has subtle yellow undertones, keeping this color warm and beautiful.
Is Rosemary paint warm or cool?
Rosemary is definitely a warm paint color. It looks gorgeous with other warm hues, including natural wood tones.
Can you use Rosemary exterior paint?
Yes! A Sherwin-Williams Rosemary exterior color palette is one of my favorite looks for a Victorian or other historic home (as you’ll see in the project spotlight below). But this color is also very modern and could look just as beautiful on a colonial, craftsman or other modern home.
It is a very flexible hue that shifts in the shade vs the sun – but it looks beautiful in both scenarios!
Sample Sherwin-Williams Rosemary Paint
We always recommend that you test paint colors (Article) in your home because lighting can completely change a color, both on interiors and exteriors.
In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.
Now we have a better way to test paint, with Samplize Peel-and-Stick samples!
- Samples pre-painted with 2 coats of real paint from the manufacturer.
- Large 9” x 14” samples to see the color better in the lighting.
- Delivered overnight
- Colors are accurate
- Less expensive than painting a large poster board with sample pots
- No mess, and no toxic paint to dispose of
I use these in my color consulting practice for exact results. Discover Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples and Sherwin-Williams Rosemary (Sample) via the link below.
Project Spotlight: Sherwin-Williams Rosemary Exterior Color Palette
The house we’re featuring in today’s post is one of my favorite exterior projects ever as a paint color consultant. This house was built in 1906 in one of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods. I’ve worked on a lot of similar homes over the years. There was a housing boom in this area between 1904 and 1906, and much of the architecture is similar.
In this neighborhood, the home next door features almost identical design elements, just with unpainted brick and a very different color scheme. These homes are a great example of how much a paint job can completely change a house.
This home was painted initially almost entirely white. While a white exterior color palette (Article) can sometimes help bring architectural details to life, it wasn’t really working for this home and was very much in need of an update.
We knew our green and black color scheme was a high-end twist that still looked great in the neighborhood. Note how different the color looks in the shade and the sun. It’s crazy!
SW Rosemary Exterior Video Part 2
Building a Victorian Exterior Color Palette
Usually, when you paint a Victorian house exterior with lots of different design elements, most people want to lean into the “painted lady” (Article) vibe. We’ve done some homes in this style (Article) and it can look really beautiful. But in this case, we decided that less was more – and we stuck with a minimalist color palette of warm green, black trim and warm wood accents.
Another perk of this palette? It’s very cost-effective! The more colors you paint a Victorian, the more expensive it gets.
We designed a few other color palettes for this home that included more colors and more intricate details – as pictured below – but in the end, the green and black option was not only a stunning color scheme, but also a great way to save some money on the paint job!
Photoshop mock-ups of other potential color palettes for this home
Sherwin-Williams Rosemary Siding & Shingles
SW Rosemary (Sample) exterior paint was the star of the show for this home. It’s a gorgeous, warm green paint color that is dark enough to feel moody and unique, but also light enough to not look discordant next to the lighter homes next door.
We used Rosemary on the home’s siding, brick and all of the different styles of shingles on the exterior. This simplified the look of the home, which only made it that much more beautiful.
Sherwin-Williams Black Magic Exterior Trim
We paired the Rosemary body color with Sherwin-Williams Black Magic (Sample) trim. Black Magic is a very dark black, with an LRV of 3. It is similar to SW Tricorn Black, but warmer.
We used black trim along the roofline, around the windows, and on the downspouts, railings, moulding, corbels and columns. The strong black accents look absolutely gorgeous paired with the SW Rosemary siding.
We also used SW Black Magic for the garage door on their back garage, which was also painted with SW Rosemary vertical siding. It really ties the whole property together, sitting across the yard from the home’s beautiful back porch.
Sherwin-Williams Fawn Brindle Porch Ceiling
We used Sherwin-Williams Fawn Brindle (Sample), a warm beige paint color, for the front porch ceiling to keep the front porch and front entrance feeling bright. A white paint color would have been too stark.
Sherwin-Williams Fairfax Brown Porch Steps
The porch steps and front door were stained with a natural brown color that looks similar to Sherwin-Williams Fairfax Brown. I love the way this warm hue looks with the green and black color scheme! It also helps tie in the warm brick chimney and the brick on the surrounding homes.
Sample This SW Rosemary Exterior Color Palette
- Sherwin-Williams Rosemary: Inner square, stair risers, foundation siding, shingles, brick body (including quoins)
- Sherwin-Williams Black Magic: Fascia, soffits, gutters, downspouts, flashing, trim, inner window trim, vents, outer square, crown moulding, beveled moulding, corbels, porch surrounding beam, columns, column caps and bases, column rings, garage door and trim.
- Sherwin-Williams Fawn Brindle: Porch ceiling
- Sherwin-Williams Fairfax Brown: Porch floor, stair treads, front door
Key Learning Points
Sherwin-Williams Rosemary is a moody green paint color perfect for exterior color palettes.
- Because SW Rosemary is a bold color, I recommend keeping a Rosemary exterior palette simple.
- Pair Rosemary’s warm green hue with other warm paint colors, such as SW Black Magic and warm wood accents.
- Sherwin-Williams Rosemary can look very different in sunny vs shady spots, so be sure to test carefully and review how the color looks in all lighting on your property.
Remember: NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens. Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching here.
No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice. Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. Learn how to test your paint colors here.
Online Color Consulting
Still need help picking the best paint colors? Discover our Online Color Consulting Packages, including our Victorian Exterior Paint Color Consulting package.
Related Posts:
- Best Green Paint Colors
- Best Sherwin-Williams Exterior Color Palettes
- Picking a Victorian Exterior Color Palette
- Best Victorian Exterior Color Palettes
About the Author
Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person. I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, please consider purchasing a color consultation. Thank you for your understanding.
