Interior Painting Trends for Mountain Homes

Mountain homes are all about contrasts. The exteriors and the surrounding environments boast a more sharp and rugged look while the interior creates a warm and inviting space. Especially after our recent cold front, or just a day out on the slopes, creating a comforting interior that invites light and welcomes warmth is strongly desired. To help you welcome warmth and character into your home, we are going to be sharing our insights on color trends that will help you plan your next interior painting project. 

Natural and Earthy Tones: Accents 

Natural and earthy tones are a popular choice for mountain homes, as they help to create an inviting atmosphere while also paying homage to the natural environment. To begin creating your mountain inspired color palette, I like to recommend starting with your accent colors. Once your accent colors are chosen, I find that your primary colors will be a little easier to select. Here are some of my favorite interior accents: 

Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze: SW 7048 

Urbane bronze is a beautiful representation of the natural stone surrounding our area. It’s a great binder for bringing the outside elements into your home. Its maroon and gold undertones really pull the warmth out of your less intense whites and it sits naturally with medium beiges. Some areas that we’ve applied this color to apart from accent walls are: cabinets, vanities, trim, doors (both interior and exterior) and home entertainment cases. 

If you are looking for a more bold approach to accents, other recommendations would be Sherwin Williams Iron Ore: SW 7049 (left) and Sherwin Williams Caviar SW 6990 (Right).

Iron Ore tends to display a little more on the gray side than the brown that is seen in Urbane Bronze and Caviar is the darkest pulling almost more of a midnight black, but with a slight maroon undertone. 

Sherwin Williams Shade-Grown: SW 6188 

Moving away from the natural stone, Shade-Grown really picks up on the dark greens provided by the alpine environment. It pairs really well with gray stones so it could be a perfect accent wall for your natural fireplace. It also adds extra emphasis to cabinetry or a work study.

Let’s think in the opposite direction: bold and bright. These accents shine without overwhelming your space. They also pair well with warmer whites and medium beiges. 

Sherwin Williams Toasty: SW 6095 

Toasty blends taupe with a natural clay. It resembles the rich burnt autumn colors that canvas the mountains every fall. The tones are more subtle so you are not approaching too much vibrancy. Furthermore, if you have natural stone elements in your home, this color tends to blend really well. Apart from accent walls, this one is popular in bathrooms, kitchen backsplashes, and adding life or vibrancy to a home office, or laundry room.  

Sherwin Williams Tangled Twine: SW 9538 

Offering a little more mellow to the equation. Tangled Twine keeps the same natural earth elements, without going too dark. This pairs very well with warmer whites and more cream colors. If you are moving away from a cold interior, this one is worth the consideration. 

Warm Whites and Soft Tans: Primaries 

Warm whites and soft tans do not mean that we have to revert to cream and beige colors. Instead, you can keep a modern look without limiting your color palette to stark whites and cool grays. Here are some recent whites and tans that I’ve been painting with. 

Sherwin Williams White Snow: SW9541 

As the name suggests, this color represents our current outside conditions. It is bright and vibrant, but with a very slight gold undertone to keep it from being too blinding. If you are trying to invite more natural light into a space with few windows or little sunlight, then this is a perfect paint color for you. It also creates a crisp, clean and bright appearance when applied to cabinets, doors and trim.

Sherwin Williams Eider White: SW7014 

This provides a very cozy neutral. This color works best in spaces where you are needing to attract and retain warmth, without adding too much focus. Think living rooms, or your master bedroom as Eider White allows your surroundings to shine. 

Sherwin Williams Soft Suede: SW9577 

Great for tying in the whole room. Soft Suede pairs very well with stone, natural and darker stain, and your furniture. It keeps things warm and light without pulling grays or browns. Perfect for living rooms and bedrooms. 

Summary 

Sometimes a starting off point is all you need to begin your interior painting project. I hope that this article provided you with some inspiration in creating a color palette that compliments the natural beauty of Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley. If you do have any questions, please call or text me at 970-819-9441 or you can always stay tuned for more updates and paint color recommendations. Follow us on Pinterest