Dried Thyme SW 6186 is the lighter, livable earthy sage, with an LRV of 21 and a dusty, muted cast you can use on all four walls.
Pewter Green SW 6208 is the deeper, saturated earthy green, with an LRV of 12 and an olive-gray cast built for drama and cabinets.
Both are earthy Sherwin-Williams greens, so the tiebreaker is depth and how much drama you want, not undertone. Test both on a photo of your space before you commit.
Dried Thyme and Pewter Green are two earthy Sherwin-Williams greens that shoppers pair when they want a grounded, herbal green but cannot decide how dark to go. They share a dusty, earthy family, but the depth gap between them is real: Dried Thyme sits at LRV 21, Pewter Green at LRV 12, a 9-point swing. Dried Thyme is the livable everyday sage you can paint a whole room; Pewter Green is the deeper, saturated green that went viral on cabinets. This is our side-by-side method for comparing paint colors applied to two earthy SW greens one depth step apart.
The numbers side by side
| Attribute | Dried Thyme SW 6186 | Pewter Green SW 6208 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Medium-dark earthy sage, dusty | Deep gray-green, earthy |
| LRV | 21 | 12 |
| Approximate hex | #7B8070 | #5E6259 |
| Undertone | Dusty, muted, earthy sage | Gray base with a warmer olive, earthy cast |
| Loves | Everyday livable sage, whole rooms | Cabinets, drama, saturated statement |
| Watch out for | Reading darker than the chip at wall scale | Reading too dark in low light |
| Overall vibe | Dusty, muted, livable | Deep, earthy, saturated |
Try it on your house
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LRV figures are the published values from Sherwin-Williams. Hex values are approximate digital renderings only, and screens vary; the authoritative reference is always a physical paint chip from the retailer.
Upload one photo, get a photorealistic render, then swap to Pewter Green in one click. Free, no signup.
Room by room, exposure by exposure
| Situation | Usual winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| North-facing room | Dried Thyme | The LRV 21 keeps the room from closing in; Pewter Green at LRV 12 gets too heavy in cool, flat light. |
| Bright south room | Pewter Green | Strong sun gives Pewter Green the light it needs to read rich; Dried Thyme can read flat in too much sun. |
| Kitchen cabinets | Pewter Green | This is the cabinet green that went viral: saturated and crisp against white stone. |
| Bedroom | Pewter Green | The LRV 12 reads cocooning and enveloping for a moody bedroom. |
| Small or dim room | Dried Thyme | The LRV 21 keeps a small or dim room from feeling like a cave; Pewter Green is too heavy here. |
| Whole main floor, open plan | Dried Thyme | The LRV 21 flows across connected spaces; Pewter Green is better as a statement room. |
The pattern is consistent: Pewter Green, with its LRV of 12, wins wherever you want deep, saturated drama and the room has enough light to carry it. Dried Thyme, with its LRV of 21, wins wherever you want an everyday livable sage you can use across a whole room or floor. The 9-point LRV gap between them is visible on the wall, and it is the fastest way to decide which earthy green your room actually wants.
When to choose Dried Thyme
- You want an earthy sage you can paint on all four walls of a whole room, not just an accent.
- Your room is small, dim, or north-facing, and Pewter Green at LRV 12 would be too heavy.
- You like a dusty, muted, herbal mid-tone that reads livable rather than saturated and dramatic.
- You are painting an open-plan main floor that needs one color to flow across several exposures. For the full breakdown, see our Dried Thyme undertones and best rooms guide.
When to choose Pewter Green
- You want deep, saturated drama and your room gets enough natural light to carry an LRV 12.
- You are painting kitchen cabinets, an island, or built-ins and you want the earthy green that went viral.
- You like an olive-gray, earthy cast over Dried Thyme's dustier, muted lean.
- You are doing a statement bedroom, den, or powder room where cocooning depth is the goal. For more on this deep green, see our Pewter Green undertones and best rooms guide, and for a same-depth matchup, our Pewter Green vs Rosemary duel.
Same wall, both earthy greens, your actual light. Free render in about 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Dried Thyme and Pewter Green?
The main difference is depth. Dried Thyme SW 6186 has an LRV of 21 and a dusty, muted cast, so it reads as a livable everyday sage. Pewter Green SW 6208 has an LRV of 12 and an olive-gray cast, so it reads deep, saturated, and dramatic. Both are earthy Sherwin-Williams greens, so the choice comes down to how much drama you want and how much light the room gets, not undertone.
Which is lighter, Dried Thyme or Pewter Green?
Dried Thyme is lighter. Its LRV is 21, compared with 12 for Pewter Green. That 9-point gap is real and visible on the wall: Dried Thyme reads as a livable mid sage you can use on all four walls, while Pewter Green reads deep and is best where the room has enough light to carry it. If your room is dim or small, Dried Thyme is usually the safer pick.
Do Dried Thyme and Pewter Green have the same undertones?
They are in the same earthy green family, but they lean differently. Dried Thyme is dustier and more muted, an everyday herbal sage. Pewter Green has a warmer, more olive, earthy cast that reads more saturated. Calling them identical is the common mistake; the depth and the dusty-vs-olive lean are what separate them.
Can I see both colors on my own wall before I buy paint?
Yes. Upload one photo of your room to FacadeColorizer, get a photorealistic render in Dried Thyme, then swap to Pewter Green in one click. You will see the 9-point LRV gap on your actual wall, in your actual light, which is the only honest way to settle this duel. The first HD render and three color variations are free.
1 HD render plus 3 free color variations. Start with Dried Thyme, swap to Pewter Green in one click.
Trademark notice. Sherwin-Williams, Dried Thyme and Pewter Green are trademarks of The Sherwin-Williams Company. FacadeColorizer is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Sherwin-Williams. Brand and color names are used descriptively (nominative fair use). Hex and RGB values are approximate digital renderings; the only authoritative reference is a physical paint sample.
Trademarks mentioned (Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Caparol, Brillux, Sto, Alpina, Valspar, PPG, Glidden, Dulux, Crown Trade, Sandtex, Farrow & Ball, Johnstone's, Leyland) are property of their respective owners. FacadeColorizer is independent and not affiliated with any of them. Nominative fair use under Lanham Act §1125.
