Sherwin Williams Peppercorn: Color Spotlight

I have been wanting to do a Color Spotlight on Sherwin Williams Peppercorn for a long time and I just haven’t had the time until now. Peppercorn has long been one of my favorite colors to use and it’s also one of the most popular paint colors out there.

Today, I want to show you why this rich dark moody color is one of the best!

SW Peppercorn is one of those all-star colors that can bring instant drama to a space.  This color has really been popular and trending lately in a huge way and I was surprised to look back and see that I never highlighted it in the past. When I walked into this model home bedroom below that was designed by Allison Campbell Designs, I knew instantly that dreamy accent wall color was Peppercorn.

SW Peppercorn is one of those rare dark colors that is loaded with depth and character. In other words, the color is not just a boring flat dark color-it really tells a story and makes such a beautiful statement on accent walls, interior doors and cabinetry.

Peppercorn is a very dark transitional warm gray. Because it’s transition with about a 50-50 balance of warm and cool undertones, it will compliment other colors in a space beautifully. This is another reason why Peppercorn has been one of Sherwin Williams most popular paint colors.

I do have to warn you though, Peppercorn is a chameleon color-meaning that in certain lighting situations, the color can lean significantly warmer or cooler. So it’s VERY important that you sample this color on a large poster board in the space with the lighting to make sure you love it.

For example, in spaces with very little or no natural light, Peppercorn will lean more warm/dark chocolate like this bathroom.

In spaces with A LOT of natural light coming in from all sides, the color will lean cooler and more gray, like it does in my client’s living room on the fireplace below. I wanted a cooler dark gray on the fireplace and I knew with the lighting that Peppercorn would be the shade of gray I envisioned.

The whole SW Peppercorn color strip (#236) is really good! I love all of the shades and have used many of them.

Just look at these gorgeous colors!

This dark moody shade of dark brown/gray is so popular right now because it’s perfect on an accent wall or interior doors and there are so many beautiful dark moody colors very similar to Peppercorn.

Sherwin Williams Grays Harbor is a great one! In spaces with a lot of natural light, Grays Harbor looks more like a charcoal with a blue undertone.

 

Benjamin Moore Dragons Breath has long been a favorite of mine for doors and cabinetry. This color leans a little warmer.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron is a true charcoal with minimal warmth.

 

If you want a warmer-chocolate dark brown/gray, Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal is an all-star color that is absolutely stunning!

In spaces with a lot of natural light, Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal will cool off some as you can see below. If you have a lot of natural light but do not want your color to go gray, I wouldn’t recommend Peppercorn and would steer you to Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal. It’s is the perfect color in that lighting situation as you can see below.

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore is another popular dark brown/gray color.

 

Sherwin Williams Black Magic is even darker but such a stunning color for cabinetry and doors.

I pulled together all of these similar dark moody gray/browns in a palette so you could see the undertone differences.

I hope you’re inspired by Sherwin Williams Peppercorn today! To see more you can see my past Color Spotlights here.

Thanks for stopping by today friends!

Cheers!