Is Sherwin Williams Clary Sage SW6178 the Perfect Sage Green Paint Color?
Are you searching for a pretty sage green paint color? Today we’re exploring Sherwin Williams Clary Sage including how it looks in real rooms, which colors coordinate with it, and what other sage green paints are similar to it.
And since I love working with colors and have for decades, I’ve also curated several color palettes based around this surprisingly neutral paint color.

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Sage greens are more popular every year and several national paint brands chose sage green colors as their paint color of the year for 2022. It’s a rising trend that won’t be going away any time soon.
FYI: The 2024 Sherwin Williams color trends have just been released and you can see them all here: 2024 Sherwin Williams Colors
All About Sherwin Williams Clary Sage SW6178
What color is Clary Sage?
Clary Sage is a medium tone gray green with a subtle hint of soft yellow. It truly does look like the color of fresh sage that you’ve just clipped from your garden, as you can see in the photo below. I literally just clipped the sage from my herb garden.
And like all colors, it looks different in various lighting conditions so it’s always best to sample it in your own home. I use and recommend Samplize Peel and Stick Paint Samples and you can get one here: Clary Sage Peel and Stick Paint Sample
Is Sherwin Williams Clary Sage warm or cool?
Clary Sage is unique because it’s somewhat cool and somewhat warm, depending on the lighting and time of day. In south-facing rooms it will appear warmer and in north-facing rooms it will appear cooler.
What’s the LRV of Clary Sage?
The LRV, or light reflective value of Clary Sage is 41 on a scale that ranges from 0 to 100, with 0 being the darkest and 100 being the lightest. This means that it’s a medium tone color, slightly on the darker side.
But I wouldn’t call it a dark color at all. It’s on the top half of the color strip.
How does sage green make a room feel?
The color green is a restful , quiet, and soothing color and evokes the feeling of being in nature. It reminds us of being in our favorite park or garden.
Green walls have a calming effect and can sometimes relieve stress and anxiety.
What whites and off whites go with Clary Sage for trim?
Since it’s a soft, muted color it doesn’t look as good with stark or gray whites as it does with soft warmer whites. Here are the best whites and off whites to use with Clary Sage:
What are the lighter and darker shades of Clary Sage?
There are several great options that coordinate with Clary Sage if you want to use a monochromatic color scheme in your house. Here are the lighter and darker shades of it:
- Softened Green is one shade lighter.
- Green Onyx is one shade darker.
- Artichoke is two shades darker.
What colors go with Clary Sage?
The question really should be what doesn’t go with it? It’s actually quite neutral and you could pair it with darker, lighter, warmer, or cooler colors but I’ll try to narrow it down for you.
Since it’s a color found in nature let’s first look to nature to see other natural colors that coordinate with it. The following list of hues perfectly complement Clary Sage. They’re also soft muted colors that are easy to live with for a long time.
- Warm wood tones
- Soft gray blues
- Natural linen
- Sea grass
- Dried lavender
- Burnt caramel
Here’s an example of the soft natural color palette that I used in a flower arrangement for our dining room last year. You can see more of it here: Fall Table with Soft Muted Colors
Now let’s take a look at some rooms in real homes that have Clary Sage and see what colors have been used with it. And be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for 2 different color palettes for this versatile color.
Clary Sage Kitchen Cabinets
In researching for this post I found several kitchens with Clary Sage cabinets. They all have a color palette similar to the one below with copper, terracotta, black, warm wood, and soft whites. Isn’t it so warm and welcoming?
Boho Kitchen with Clary Sage Cabinets
This lively kitchen with Clary Sage cabinets from Madison Wetter is full of personality and whimsy. The terracotta floors really pop against the green. And the orange accents really give the room a burst of energy. The Moravian star pendant is so fun.
Front door painted with Sherwin Williams Clary Sage
If you want a front door that makes a welcoming and subtle statement then consider painting it Clary Sage. The bricks on this home are painted with Alabaster.
See more beautiful colors for front doors here: 37 Front Door Colors + Tips for Choosing the Right One
Rooms painted with Clary Sage
There’s not any room that Clary Sage wouldn’t look good in. I’ve seen it in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms, nurseries, and more!
Here are some rooms painted with it to give you an idea how it will look on the walls.
NOTE: Colors will look different on your computer monitor or phone screen so testing the color in your home is crucial.
Nursery with Clary Sage wainscoting
Here’s a sweet nursery with Clary Sage wainscoting. It adds just the right amount of color to create a soothing and peaceful space which is always a good idea for a nursery. KASL Design Co
Girl nursery with Clary Sage
Cami Swisher painted her nursery with Clary Sage and Agreeable Gray and it’s so adorable. The colors are soothing and cozy and are perfect for any bedroom, really.
If you want to see more bedroom paint colors in real rooms, visit this post: Best Bedroom Paint Colors
Clary Sage bead board in a bathroom
I love how this bathroom from Little Lincoln Bungalow has the bold wallpaper paired with Clary Sage bead board. What a fun space.
What colors are similar to Clary Sage?
There are so many great sage green paint colors and here’s how Clary Sage compares to them.
Clary Sage vs Evergreen Fog
Let’s compare it to the 2022 color of the year from Sherwin Williams, Evergreen Fog. Clary Sage lighter and a tad more yellow. Both are great sage green paint colors though.
See more of Evergreen Fog and the 2022 SW Paint Colors here: Sherwin Williams 2022 Paint Colors
Get a peel and stick sample of it here: Evergreen Fog Peel and Stick Paint Sample
Benjamin Moore October Mist vs Clary Sage
Did somebody say that sage green paint is in for 2022? Benjamin Moore also has a sage green as their color of the year for 2022, October Mist. It’s slightly lighter and a bit more muted than Clary Sage but is very similar.
You can see more of this color plus the other Benjamin Moore 2022 colors here: 2022 Benjamin Moore Colors
Get a peel and stick sample of it here: October Mist Peel and Stick Paint Sample
SW Majolica Green vs Clary Sage vs Evergreen Fog
Another popular green from Sherwin Williams is Majolica Green. It’s a little more yellow than Clary Sage but is basically the same depth of color.
Get a peel and stick sample of it here: Majolica Green Peel and Stick Paint Sample
Benjamin Moore Tree Moss vs Clary Sage
Benjamin Moore Tree Moss is another very popular sage green paint color. Compared to Clary Sage, it’s slightly lighter and has a very small amount of more yellow undertones.
Get a peel and stick sample of it here: Tree Moss Peel and Stick Paint Sample
Benjamin Moore Weekend Getaway vs Clary Sage
Weekend Getaway is such a great color name, isn’t it? Compared to Clary Sage it’s a tiny bit darker and grayer.
Get a peel and stick sample of it here: Weekend Getaway Peel and Stick Paint Sample
Benjamin Moore Soft Fern vs Clary Sage
Soft Fern is noticeably lighter with a slightly more yellow hue than Clary Sage. It’s one of Benjamin Moore’s most popular colors.
Get a peel and stick sample of it here: Soft Fern Peel and Stick Paint Sample
Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage vs Clary Sage
Saybrook Sage is the slightly less yellow than Clary Sage. But they’re basically the same depth of color.
Get a peel and stick sample of it here: Saybrook Sage Peel and Stick Paint Sample
Benjamin Moore Sagebrush vs Clary Sage
Clary Sage is darker and more yellow than Benjamin Moore Sagebrush.
Get a peel and stick sample of it here: Sagebrush Peel and Stick Paint Sample
SW Clary Sage Color Palette
Creating color schemes is something I love and have been doing for clients more than 20 years. Since SW Clary Sage is so neutral, I’ve created two color schemes.
Clary Sage Sherwin Williams bold color scheme
Here’s a breakdown of this bold color scheme for Clary Sage:
- two whites that would work well as trim colors: Shoji White and Greek Villa
- One lighter and two darker shades of Clary Sage
- A complementary color that would be nice for accents or in an adjoining room: Silver Mist
- Two bold accent colors that are perfect for decor, cabinet hardware, and accents: Tricorn Black and Spiced Cider
- Dark woods and copper also look beautiful with Clary Sage
SW Clary Sage Muted Color Scheme
For a softer color scheme centered around Clary Sage it’s best to use colors that are close the same depth of color (LRV). Here’s an explanation of this muted palette:
- A soft white for trim or cabinetry – Greek Villa
- An off white that would be a great wall color paired with Clary Sage as the trim color – Grecian Ivory
- Three lighter, softer companion colors: Silvermist, Quietude and Softened Green
- Three complementary accent colors that are ideal for adjoining rooms or accents: Halcyon Green, Roycroft Vellum, Likeable Sand
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Recap of Clary Sage
Clary Sage is a lovely sage green paint color that’s appropriate for any room in your home or on the exterior as well. It’s the right color for you if:
- Medium tone colors aren’t too dark or too light for you
- You want a soft green that’s somewhat warm and somewhat cool
- A calming, muted color is on your wish list
Get a sample
Are you in love with this beautiful color now? It looks different in person so you should definitely try a sample first. Peel and stick samples are made with two coats of real paint and are the easiest way to test a color. They’re repositionable and no paint brush is required. Grab one here: Clary Sage Peel and Stick Paint Sample
Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think of this color.
Paint colors in our home
Looking for the paint colors I’ve used in my own home? Take a quick tour and see them all here:
Want to see more gorgeous paint colors in real rooms? Visit these posts:
I used a very similar color scheme in a rental kitchen remodel/update ten years ago. The clary sage upper cabinets and tricorn black lower cabinets look fantastic with butcher block counteracts and a rustic beige ceramic tile backslash. I used warm white on the walls and hung “toirtoiseshell” matchstick blinds on the windows. The large 12″ natural terracotta floor tiles with matching grout completed the look. The update cost very little yet had a massive impact on anybody who saw the result. It’s such a great look that I’ve been using the scheme for all of my kitchen remodels/updates since. Tenants gladly pay a good 25% higher rent for the apartments as a result!
I found an equally winning formula for bathrooms, too…..white subway tile with black/white tile floors, tricorn black vanity base, black toilet seat with gold-frames mirror and brass-finish lighting with palest pink walls are stunning and are an inexpensive upgrade that make a big visual impact.
Your combinations sound beautiful. I’d love to see pictures if you have them. You can send them to me at [email protected]
Could you tell me the names and colors of the Pottery Barn drape samples in your image? I have similar sage green walls and am looking for new drapes. Thanks!
Hi Carrie. These are upholstery samples and I think they’d be too heavy and stiff for draperies. But here’s what I’m showing: the lighter one is Basketweave Slub and the darker one is Performance Heathered Tweed. The Flax Linen might be a better choice. You can order free fabric swatches to double check the colors.
I am using Clary Sage on our bar cabinets. I love the ‘Dynasty Collection’ blinds in your color pallate image. If easy/possible, can you send me the name of the style in your image?
Clary Sage is often missed option I think. I like Clary Sage with a nice blue. You offered some great options in the post. Well Done!