Alpaca SW 7022 Review by Laura Rugh

Alpaca SW 7022 Monochromatic Color Scheme

The Rugh Design Color Wheel

To recap, we have been working on adding ALL of the Sherwin-Williams paint colors to the Rugh Design Color Wheel. We plan to have all 1700 colors up by the end of 2018 and each week we will release 25 new colors with my hand picked color schemes. In addition to the new 25 colors a week I will highlight 1 color from Sherwin-Williams that I personally love or stands out.

Recently, we have highlighted Antique White (warm off-white with yellow-beige undertone), Pussywillow (gray with slight blue undertone), Kilim Beige (coffee with cream color), Navajo White (soft creamy yellow) and Wool Skein (beige with slight green undertone).

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

Featured Color: Alpaca

This week, I am heading back to the greige section of the Color Wheel to highlight a color that I have actually received a lot of questions on: Alpaca. I categorize Alpaca as a greige because it is a gray, but still has some warmer brown tones to it. It is similar to Agreeable Gray, but has a teeny, tiny hint of violet that makes it a bit cooler.

Several weeks ago when I featured Perfect Greige, I detailed out a quick at-a-glance comparison between a few of my most used and popular Sherwin-Williams grays/greiges. Here is the visual again, with the addition of Alpaca:

Balanced Beige: warm taupe
Amazing Gray: warm gray
Mindful Gray: cool greige with slight blue undertone
Anew Gray: warm greige
Perfect Greige: warm greige with slight mauve undertone
Alpaca: cool greige with slight violet undertone
Essential Gray: cool gray with slight lavender undertone

Clear as mud? Ha! I know, colors and undertones can be tricky. I have actually highlighted most of these colors in a featured post, so for more clarification and inspiration pictures, you may reference the previous posts below:

Okay, now that you have a basis for Alpaca, check out my Pinterest gallery for some inspiration. See below and let me know which one you like the most. If you have your own pictures, send them to me and I will post them! Also, check the Alpaca color scheme page for my hand pick color schemes!

Where to use Alpaca

Now, for the fun part! Where to use Alpaca. I am a huge fan of Alpaca as a main wall color in spaces that have lighting that will keep Alpaca feeling a bit warmer and thus will bring out more of the greige tones (versus the violet tones). Although, we will see in a minute that there is a time and place that works to play up the violet tones in Alpaca. Below, is an example of Alpaca in a living room that uses warmer tones in the fireplace stone and the furniture selections to create a cozy feel.

Alpaca in a living room with warmer selections by Syring Homes

I do tend to be drawn more to the warmer tones in Alpaca, but I also appreciate how the room pictured below played up the violet tones in Alpaca by using fabrics and accessories to create a cooler scheme. By using a darker gray sectional and adding pops of violet in the pillow fabric, Alpaca really shines here in this NY penthouse!

Alpaca in a living room bringing out the violet tones by Beret Design Group

Not only does Alpaca look great on interior walls, it can also work well as a trim color. I tend to be drawn to fresh and clean white for trim and cabinets, but I also like the look of a more medium-toned color on trim with the wall color a bit lighter.

Alpaca is not super saturated and dark, so it’s a perfect color to have on trim for more of a subtle contrast against the wall color. Be mindful of the violet undertone that can come out in Alpaca and be sure that you are designing your space around that factor. I found this inspiration picture below and love the way they used Alpaca as the trim color for this tiny office nook!

Alpaca as the trim color with lighter walls from Paragon Group

As we have explored, Alpaca obviously looks gorgeous on interior walls and trim. Well, it looks just as fabulous on exteriors! Like I always mention, paint colors get significantly lighter on exteriors so make sure to test them out first. Alpaca on exteriors comes out looking like a beautiful and soft greige off-white. I love it pictured here as the trim color paired with Backdrop (5 shades darker than Alpaca on the same paint swatch) as the siding color.

Alpaca as the trim color on an exterior with Backdrop on the siding by RG Williams Construction

If you are considering Alpaca, 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. The 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 Alpaca!

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 Alpaca 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

Alpaca had the spotlight, but I also wanted to highlight a color from the Color Wheel update, Sundried Tomato SW 7585. The color is described pretty accurately with its name: sundried tomato. This deep red color is perfect as a front door color, especially on this exterior with the beige hardie plank, white trim and blue-gray shutters for an accent. Sundried Tomato could also be an accent wall on an interior if you are looking for a deep red to add some drama and contrast!