Color Wheel Update: Urbane Bronze

The Color Wheel

UPDATE: Sherwin-Williams announced Urbane Bronze SW 7048 as the 2021 Color of the Year. Try it out in your home with a peel and stick paint sample!

Just for a quick recap, we have been working on adding ALL of the Sherwin-Williams paint colors to the Rugh Design Color Wheel. So as the process continues, I will highlight one color per week that I love but may or may not be on the update for that week.

So far we have highlighted Drizzle, a beautiful green-blue color, and Keystone Gray which is a medium-toned, warm neutral “greige” color.

Going forward you can find all of our Color Wheel Update posts here.

Featured Color: Urbane Bronze SW 7048

This week, I wanted to highlight a color that isn’t on this Color Wheel update, but one that I love and that I’ve had on the Color Wheel for some time now: Urbane Bronze.

Urbane Bronze is a darker gray, that has a slight bronze/brown undertone to it (hence the name). It is in the same color family (same paint swatch) as Worldly Gray and Amazing Gray, two other very popular gray/greiges that I like to use as all-over colors for interiors.

If Urbane Bronze sounds intriguing and you want see what other colors and schemes could coordinate with it then check out the color schemes I believe will coordinate nicely with it.

I scoured the net and put together a Pinterest gallery of Urbane Bronze. See it below and let me know which you like the most. If you have your own pictures send them to me and I will post them!

Where to use Urbane Bronze

I have been seeing Urbane Bronze everywhere lately. It’s like when your attention is drawn to something, all of sudden you see it all over the place. In fact, I actually decided to paint my front door Urbane Bronze! I love how it’s dark enough to create some major contrast, but at the same time it has a softness to it, which is why I think it’s so popular.

Since Urbane Bronze is a more saturated color, I tend to recommend using it as an accent, rather than an overall wall color. Exceptions are areas like powder bathrooms or spaces in which the “cozy” feel is a main goal. In lieu of the typical white, Urbane Bronze looks stunning and sophisticated as a trim color for crown molding and baseboards and/or chair rails. I also love Urbane Bronze as an island cabinet color to add some contrast and interest in a kitchen.

The accent wall in the home office picture below is a perfect use of Urbane Bronze! Notice that the remaining walls are a light gray to balance out the saturation of Urbane Bronze. It also helps the accent wall stand out as the focal point. The use of white furniture, upholstery and drapery also helps to counterbalance the intensity of Urbane Bronze.

Interiors aren’t the only place that Urbane Bronze can shine! Like I mentioned, my front door is painted Urbane Bronze. Exteriors can benefit from the use of Urbane Bronze as an accent for front doors and trim. I also really like it as a main body color for a home with the contrast of a bright white trim and the rustic wood accents, similar to the inspiration picture below.

If you are considering Urbane Bronze, the best way to find out if it is right for your space, is to grab a Peel & Stick Paint Sample and test it out. Our paint samples are handed painted with 2 coats of the real Sherwin-Williams color and are perfect for sampling color before you take the dive into gallons of paint. Our Peel and Stick Paint Samples make it easy to have confidence in your paint color choice and will save you time, effort and money while testing colors in your space. Get started now with Urbane Bronze!

If you are still having trouble deciding, contact me for a color consult to nail down the best color for your interior or exterior. I have a passion for color and love being able to help clients find the right color to make their home beautiful!

Leave me a comment if you have Urbane Bronze in your home or would like to try it. I would love to hear from you! Also, stay tuned for the next featured color from the Color Wheel…

The Best of the Rest

One color that did stand out this week for me as I was updating colors for the Color Wheel, was Salty Dog SW 9177. Salty Dog (love the name, ha!) is a navy blue color that is also more saturated (darker) like Urbane Bronze. Navy blues and smoky blues have been super trendy lately and I’m not complaining! Colors like Salty Dog pair perfectly with subtle whites and grays to add some pizazz to an interior.

Salty Dog works well for an accent color, like one wall in a bedroom or office or on all walls in a space that you can break up with some white trim, like powder bathrooms or laundry rooms. My neighbor has this color on her bathroom cabinets. I love the idea of using Salty Dog as a cabinet color, especially as lower cabs in the kitchen pictured.

Check out all the colors we updated on the Color Wheel this week below. Click on the swatch to see my color scheme picks!

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