As a certified color strategist, I get excited when the leading paint brands announce their color of the year, so I can dream about exciting ways to use it in a new design.
When I first saw Sherwin William’s color of the year for 2021, “Urbane Bronze”, I was unsure how I felt about it. Browns are nice to work with, rather serene and a color of nature so nice to “bring the outside in”.
According to the color data Urbane Bronze is actually a yellow hue (really, it’s true) that looks brown because of it’s low chroma and lightness.
Sherwin Williams describes Urbane Bronze as as a color to
“Tap into nature with a hue whose warmth and comfort breathe down-to-earth tranquility”.
“As we’re looking to create the ultimate retreat for reflection and renewal, we’re turning to a hue whose natural simplicity and nature-inspired energy cultivate a sense of calm from the ground up.”
“The trend for biophilia continues to shape our spaces, proving that nature is never far away. Urbane Bronze might be a color rooted in nature, but it also has a unique ability to ground a room through organic appeal.”
OK, so it is supposed to help us feel rooted to nature. I thought about where I may have seen this color in nature. Maybe along mudflats at the beach, possibly in rocks and some types of earth. It does remind me a bit of the color of sea otter fur.
Master Bedroom Design
Last week I created an Edesign for a master bedroom using Benjamin Moore’s 2021 color of the year, Aegean Teal for an Edesign Tribe contest. See my article Ways to use Benjamin Moore’s 2021 Color of the Year, Aegean Teal. I thought it would be fun to use this same room and change the color scheme to highlight Urbane Bronze to see which you like better and how the 2 colors make you feel. Aegean Teal is also a color from nature.
In my new design, I used Urbane Bronze as the wall color with primarily dark and light greens, browns and white to create a color palette from nature.
Urbane Bronze is actually a Yellow hue, so this works because it is creating an analogous color scheme with yellow, yellow-green and green that are next to each other on the color wheel. See my blog article on how to use analogous color schemes, Create a Harmonious Color Scheme- Go Analogous.
The mixture of soft fabrics with different metals, wood and pottery add natural elements and a variety of textures.
Get the Look
Here are some of the pieces I used or alternative ideas for my design. Some contain affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission for sharing this with you at no additional cost to you if you purchase anything.
Which Color of the Year is Your Favorite?
I enjoyed working with both colors and think they both work very nicely to create a relaxing and serene master bedroom. I think Aegean Teal is my favorite, how about you?
Are You Inspired?
The designs above are examples of full service Edesign, where you get a floor plan, a concept board, a 3D render and a complete shopping list with set up instructions. Or, be brave and try some new color with an expert color consultation.
What’s Your Global Design Style?
The project above is an example of global style design. Are you curious what your global style is? Take the quiz and find out.
Call 907-362-0065 today
info@northernlightsstaging.com
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer
Prices subject to change without notice.
Pin These
Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.
It is so fun to see these colors in a side by side comparison! I really like both. My favorites are always the blue-greens so Aegean Teal still wins for me, but there is a richness and drama to the Urbane Bronze that I really find appealing as well.
Thanks Janet, yes the Urbane Bronze does add a nice feeling of drama!
I enjoyed your post Mary Ann, I have enjoyed choosing richer colors for interiors this year as some homeowners are looking for that cozy (safe) feeling in their homes. Urbane Bronze was a great choice for Color of the Year from Sherwin Williams! Great post
Thanks Amy, the richer colors do have a feeling of comfort. This nice rich brown does have a feeling of coziness:)
I’m really loving Urbane bronze. Thanks for sharing the way these rooms look in different color schemes. It is inspiring.
Thanks Lisa, it has been fun playing with the different colors and comparing them. It is amazing how just changing color can make such a difference!
What a striking color! I love the examples that you showed incorporating it!!
It is! I liked it more than I expected. I usually do not pick browns although I love colors from nature. Thanks for reading:)
I love that you used the same room to show us two, completely different colour schemes.
To be honest, I don’t love the colour Urbane Bronze on it’s own. When you showed the otter, I thought, “yes – that’s exactly it.” BUT – when you showed us the same colour in the room, I instantly fell in love. Just goes to show that you can’t judge a colour by simply looking at the colour without any reference.
I think I’m more drawn to the Urbane Bronze room!
Interesting! I am not a big fan of brown paint colors but I did like this one more than I expected. You really just never know until you “see” it, even when you are good at visualizing:)