Sherwin Williams Dried Thyme (SW 6186): A Review

Many people really like Dried Thyme (SW 6186) for their homes. It’s a muted sage green with earthy undertones that make rooms feel grounded and cultivated.

This color isn’t too bold or understated – it’s just right for many spaces. When you paint your walls Dried Thyme, the room can look refined and organic but still feel contemporary and inviting.

This versatile color works well in living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and home offices. It complements many other colors and styles of furniture.

If your home is a rustic farmhouse or a modern transitional, Dried Thyme can fit right in. In this review, we’ll look at why so many homeowners and designers choose this distinctive color and how it might work in your home, too.

Understanding Dried Thyme (SW 6186)

Color Terminology:

Undertones:

• It has subtle gray/olive undertones
• Considered a “sage” with earthy qualities
• Deeper than a true sage, with more gray influence
• Features hints of taupe that ground the green tones

Key Characteristics:

• It’s not too bright or saturated—instead, it’s subdued and refined
• Works well in both north-facing and south-facing rooms
• It provides an earthy, calming feeling while still being distinctive
• Creates depth and interest without overwhelming a space

Best Applications:

• Excellent for dining rooms, home offices, kitchens, and accent walls
• Works as a feature color for cabinetry or furniture
• It pairs beautifully with cream trim and natural wood tones
• Creates a refined, nature-inspired backdrop for various decorating styles

Complementary Colors:

• Pairs well with creamy whites, taupe, chocolate browns
• Harmonizes with natural elements like wood, stone, and leather
• It can be accented with both muted and warm color schemes
• Complements brass, bronze, and copper metallics

Why Choose this Color?

Dried Thyme brings the organic calm of nature into contemporary spaces, creating a versatile foundation that balances modern style with timeless appeal.

Its nuanced depth provides a refined presence while offering exceptional versatility. Its versatility allows it to complement rustic elements and refined design details.

The balanced undertones of Dried Thyme cultivate an atmosphere of earthy elegance that promotes grounding and serenity in any environment. This enduring neutral carries delicate variations that respond beautifully to changing light, ensuring your space feels both current and perpetually refined.

Key Features

Dried Thyme offers remarkable versatility across varying lighting conditions. It maintains its refined character in bright spaces while creating a cozy, intimate atmosphere in rooms with limited natural light.

Its timeless, organic quality provides a stylish backdrop that harmonizes with both neutral-toned furnishings and warm wood elements without overwhelming the space.

Adaptability

Dried Thyme demonstrates exceptional adaptability with existing design elements like bronze fixtures and textured fabrics, creating flawless transitions between spaces.

It provides sufficient depth to feel substantial while maintaining a clean, enduring quality that won’t quickly date your interior design choices. This versatile sage works equally well as an accent color or as a complementary shade for creating cohesive, designer-inspired environments.

Durability

Dried Thyme, particularly in premium finishes, delivers outstanding durability with excellent coverage in both new construction and renovation projects.

Its balanced tone and subtle undertones help camouflage minor wall imperfections and everyday marks better than lighter colors while maintaining its refined appearance.

When properly applied, this paint resists wear and maintains color consistency even with regular cleaning.

Texture Patterns

Dried Thyme creates a rich, refined texture that adds subtle dimension to walls and constructive features. Its balanced undertones produce gentle shadow variations that enhance textured surfaces and add visual depth to even plain walls.

When applied in different finishes, it can stylishly highlight structural details while maintaining a consistent, refined appearance throughout connected spaces.

Why It Works

Dried Thyme works because it perfectly balances distinctiveness and versatility, providing enough character to define a space without limiting design flexibility.

Its complex undertones complement both cool metals, warm woods, and neutral accents, while its moderate light reflectance value ensures rooms feel grounded yet refined.

This adaptable green transitions beautifully between different lighting conditions, maintaining its distinguished character from dawn to dusk.

Room-by-Room Color Recommendations with Dried Thyme

Living Spaces and Open Floor Plans

• Dried Thyme excels as an accent wall in open floor plans, creating a focal point that allows constructive features and furnishings to take center stage.
• The rich LRV of Dried Thyme provides refined depth that adapts to changing daylight, maintaining an inviting atmosphere from morning to evening.
• Use Dried Thyme to highlight constructive features like fireplace walls or built-ins while allowing adjacent spaces to maintain a lighter, complementary palette.

Dining Rooms and Entertainment Areas

• Dried Thyme establishes a refined, genteel atmosphere in dining rooms that promotes connection and memorable gatherings.
• The earthy undertones in Dried Thyme create a stylish canvas on which fine furnishings and table settings can shine while maintaining a distinctive presence.
• Consider Dried Thyme for all walls in formal dining rooms, paired with cream trim, to enhance constructive details and create a refined entertaining space.
• In-home bars or media rooms, Dried Thyme provides a timeless backdrop that creates an intimate, cozy atmosphere perfect for entertainment.

Kitchens

• Dried Thyme in a satin or semi-gloss finish on cabinetry creates a contemporary yet timeless kitchen that balances sophistication and warmth.
• Dried Thyme’s versatile neutrality complements light-toned countertops and dark stone surfaces, making it adaptable to various kitchen designs.
• Pair Dried Thyme cabinetry with lighter wall colors for islands or open shelving to create visual interest without compromising cohesion.

Home Offices and Study Areas

• Dried Thyme establishes a focused, refined atmosphere in home offices. Its balanced undertones create a sense of concentration while complementing various wood finishes.
• This adaptable shade works beautifully with both traditional leather furnishings and contemporary metal elements, creating a harmonious workspace that feels both professional and inviting.
• In library spaces, Dried Thyme maximizes the refined atmosphere while providing more character and depth than traditional neutrals, creating an expanded sense of thoughtfulness.

Dried Thyme SW 6186 Color Pairings

Dried Thyme is a refined organic neutral with balanced undertones that create a versatile foundation for various design styles.

Its moderate Light Reflectance Value provides a rich presence that adds character to spaces while maintaining adaptability across different lighting conditions. Here are color pairings and combinations for this stylish shade.

Complementary Trim Colors

• Greek Villa (SW 7551) – A warm off-white that creates organic contrast with Dried Thyme
• Alabaster (SW 7008) – A soft white with a subtle warmth that enhances Dried Thyme’s refinement
• Pure White (SW 7005) – A clean white with balanced undertones for a contemporary pairing
• Creamy (SW 7012) – A warm off-white that softens the transition between Dried Thyme and trim

Coordinating Wall Colors

• Accessible Beige (SW 7036) – A versatile neutral that creates gentle transitions in adjacent spaces
• Dorian Gray (SW 7017) – A balanced gray that adds sophistication when used with Dried Thyme
• Sea Salt (SW 6204) – A light blue-green that creates harmonious transitions in open floor plans
• Repose Gray (SW 7015) – A versatile gray that complements Dried Thyme’s balanced undertones

Accent Colors

• Urbane Bronze (SW 7048) – A deep brown-gray that creates stylish depth in furnishings and accessories
• Rookwood Red (SW 2802) – A warm terracotta that adds earthy warmth to Dried Thyme spaces
• Naval (SW 6244) – A deep navy blue that creates a refined, nature-inspired palette
• Tricorn Black (SW 6258) – A rich black that grounds spaces and creates a refined contrast

Coordinating with Furniture and Decor

Wood Tones

Dried Thyme creates versatile partnerships with a wide range of wood tones. It pairs beautifully with medium oak and walnut, allowing the wood’s natural warmth to stand out against its organic backdrop.

For a more dramatic look, ebony or espresso woods create a refined contrast that highlights both elements.

Lighter maple or pine provides a modern farmhouse-inspired attractive that feels both contemporary and timeless when paired with Dried Thyme’s refined neutrality.

Metals

Antique brass, bronze, and copper hardware complement Dried Thyme’s earthy qualities while adding a warm, cohesive look. Matte black fixtures create a dramatic definition that feels modern and constructive.

For added sophistication, champagne bronze or satin gold accents introduce subtle richness that balances Dried Thyme’s depth without overwhelming the space, creating a stylish, layered design.

Decor

Textural elements like wool, jute, and linen in cream or taupe tones create subtle depth against Dried Thyme walls. Botanical patterns in ivory, rust, or navy add visual interest while maintaining harmony with the organic foundation.

Terracotta planters, leather accessories, and amber glass lighting fixtures enhance the refined atmosphere. At the same time, abstract art with earthy tones or black-and-white photography adds personality without competing with the refined backdrop.

Similar Paint Colors: Perfect Alternative to Dried Thyme

Dried Thyme vs. Evergreen Fog

Dried Thyme (SW 6186)

• Rich sage green with distinctive gray-olive undertones
• Lower LRV that provides depth and sophistication
• Creates a grounded, nature-inspired atmosphere with enduring appeal

Evergreen Fog (SW 9130)

• Muted sage with gray-green undertones
• Mid-range LRV of 30 offers brightness while maintaining the character
• Establishes a contemporary, organic presence with trending popularity

Key Differences:

• Dried Thyme maintains more earthy olive tones, while Evergreen Fog leans noticeably into gray-green territory
• Evergreen Fog appears lighter and more versatile, especially in north-facing rooms
• Dried Thyme has more complex undertones that read more organic across different lighting conditions
• Evergreen Fog can sometimes pull slightly blue in certain lighting, while Dried Thyme remains more consistent
• Dried Thyme provides a more traditional foundation, while Evergreen Fog offers contemporary versatility

Final Thoughts

After seeing all the good things about Dried Thyme, it’s easy to see why it’s such a compelling choice. This earthy sage color can make any room feel both refined and welcoming.

It works well in various lighting conditions and matches many different colors and styles. If you’re looking for a color with a character that still feels grounded, Dried Thyme could be an excellent choice that stands out from typical neutrals.

It’s not too safe like standard beige, but it’s not too bold. This color can help create a distinctive background for your furniture and decorations to shine.

If you’re painting an accent wall or kitchen cabinetry, Dried Thyme offers a refined, organic feeling that many people appreciate. It truly deserves its place as one of the most distinctive yet versatile paint colors available today.