If you are planning to specify SW Ancient Marble for your next design project, this article will be extremely helpful for you.
I have some exciting color details to share that you would absolutely want to know about.
Excited already? Well, I am too!
When we design a space, and it’s time to decide upon a cooler-hued color palette, the first colors that pop to mind are blues and greens.
And it’s true, hues in these colors do provide us with some pretty cool cool colors!
But what happens is an inevitable dilemma of choosing the perfect cool-colored hue.
Should it be green or blue? And within these, light-toned or dark-toned?
If you’re here, you might be narrowing your choice down to a green.
Whew, we got that far.
And, if you love plants and love elements associated with biophilia and more natural-toned colors, green is possibly the best option for you.
Greens of all tints and shades are soothing, smooth, and happen to unintentionally tranquilize your mind.
And when you talk about serenity, the Sherwin-Williams Ancient Marble color is one of the leaders in the game.
The subtleness of the color is highly preached by designers and homeowners around the world, and it’s easy to see why when you look at all the possibilities this color offers.
You’ll find this one in: Residential, Cultural, Spas, Hotels, Healthcare, and many more applications.
There are various advantages that this color plays to – but before that, let’s jump into some basic color details and specifications.
Sherwin-Williams Ancient Marble SW 6162 – Details and Specifications
Painted on a wall with natural light. You can see the effects of light here.
Ancient Marble comes from Sherwin-Williams’ 2016 Pura Vida color collection. It has been widely popular ever since.
Falling on the lighter end of the color wheel, the Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of this green is 60. This makes this green especially great for smaller spaces.
If you’re not quite sure how this color will work in your home, you should definitely try it on for size by ordering a peel-and-stick sample from Samplize.
Ancient Marble is ideal for smaller apartments and tiny lofts – an amazing space-enhancing trick!
This color holds a hint of green without any blue undertones. Because of this, this paint color can also be counted as a subtle neutral.
Diving further into the details, the RGB and HEX Values are as follows.
R (Red) = 209, G (Green) = 204, B (Blue) = 185
HEX Values = #d1ccb9
Effects of Light on Ancient Marble
Laurel from SoPo Cottage shares her journey with this paint color. The sample on the right is Ancient Marble
Choosing a perfect color for your prized space can be a daunting task.
I highly recommend considering the size of your rooms, the compass directions for sunlight considerations, the size of the windows, and the function of that space.
You wouldn’t want to be stuck in a darker-hued room with smaller windows with limited to no sunlight.
Despite that not being an attractive-sounding space, we all have at least one spot in the house like this.
Ancient Marble would be fine here but with an LRV of 60, it’s right at about the limit. You wouldn’t want to go any darker.
Alternatively, a huge room with massive windows and plenty of sunlight gives you various dark-shaded color options to make the space feel cozier and smaller.
This paint color would work well in areas like this as well.
Chas over at A Woman’s Haven, used Ancient Marble in her living room. It’s clearly the best part of the room!
Once you apply Ancient Marble on a wall, you’ll see the magic for yourself – the crispness adds what I’d call a bit of a “glam” factor.
But only in the sense of it making it feel like a high-end place, like spa resort or natural history museum. We’re not talking loud “glam” here.
It is important to know that a color may appear different in the day and at night. And the same is the case for Ancient Marble.
Daylight offers brightness and makes your walls painted in this color come alive.
At night time, darker light sources make your Ancient Marble walls smoother and darker.
So, remember to use appropriate artificial lighting – wall scones and pendant lighting to further enhance the color and celebrate the beauty it brings.
One way to help find out how this color looks in your home is to buy some temporary wall samples and put them up wherever you want to paint. You can get these easily from Samplize.
Beautiful Ancient Marble on the walls of a Renovated Home – As shared from Heather at Objective: Home.
Ancient Marble Vs. Similar Colors
I understand it might get really confusing when choosing Ancient Marble from its similar-looking counterparts.
However, don’t let the guard down!
With the right amount of information and details, you will be able to easily classify the colors and their specifications for your home.
One such sample that I get asked about most of the time is the difference between Sherwin-Williams Ancient Marble and Simple Stone (SW 9521).
SW Ancient Marble Vs. SW Simple Stone
Wow, these are pretty close right?
Frankly, I too get confused between these two! Their similarity primarily lies in the undertones – but you know what makes them different?
The brightness levels!
Simple Stone has an LRV of 57, which is lesser than Ancient Marble, which is 60. Even though it doesn’t differ much in numbers, but with ample lighting, it really will look different!
I highly recommend you order the color swatches and compare the two colors. You will see the magic for yourself!
To see how these look in your home, get some large wall samples and try them on your walls with different lighting sources.
SW Ancient Marble Vs. Sedate Gray
Moving on to the next, Sedate Gray (SW 6169) is another competitor in the line.
As the name suggests, Sedate Gray is more inclined towards the neutrals with gray highlights.
So, it is a cool neutral!
Even though it highly reflects the green tone, the color somehow seems to look neutral when embellished on walls.
Sharing a similar Light Reflectance Value of 60, you might not have to worry about the particular brightness values. Instead, focus on the functions and uses.
Yes, I understand they look the same and that’s why I suggest visiting the nearest Sherwin-Williams store to have a real-time look.
However, there is a singular similarity that both hues share – utter sophistication and elegance.
To truly experience and compare these colors in real-time, be sure to buy some stick-on samples and test them in your home.
What are the Coordinating Colors for SW Ancient Marble?
Sherwin-Williams Ancient Marble may seem like an easy color to work with, but it may not always be true.
This is actually a warm sage green paint color (very different from SW Sea Salt and SW Rainwashed due to the deep underlying yellow-brown undertones.
This color feels quite warm and may even look subdued in certain spaces and lighting conditions.
So, to best complement this warm sage green paint color are the shades of cool gray, whites, dark sage greens, shades of brown, taupe, tan, and beige.
In terms of metallic accents, I highly recommend that you avoid satin brass and antique brass (that might blend with the color) and choose something that protrudes and creates a contrast.
Yes, oil-rubbed bronze and matte black would totally vibe with your space.
Here are the following two color palette suggestions – monochromatic and coordinating (cool and warm)!
Monochromatic Color Palette
The complementary colors for the monochromatic palette are as follows –
- SW 6163 Grassland
- SW 6164 Svelte Sage
- SW 6165 Connected Gray
This palette can be quite earthy and warm! So, beware how you plan to choose this color for the walls, ceiling, and decorative accents.
It can be quite monotonous – so, until you have the style and personality for it, don’t go for it!
You can blend the matte black finish for the accents to break the monotony!
Contrasting Warm Color Palette
The complementary colors for the contrasting palette are as follows (warm) –
- SW 7005 Pure White
- SW 7051 Analytical Gray
- SW 7645 Thunder Gray
If you like the feel of warm contrasts, choose the blend of warm grays, off-whites, creamy whites, and warm sage greens to go!
You must choose the shades of wooden textures on the furniture frame and accents to play the ultimate contrast.
Yes! This is the most natural and earthy palette you could play with!
Contrasting Cool Color Palette
The complementary colors for the contrasting palette are as follows (cool) –
- SW 7005 Pure White
- SW 9178 In the Navy
- SW 7667 Zircon
Too much warmth is not vibing, right? Well, don’t worry! Add some cool blues and grays to blend in.
Especially on the furniture fabrics and decorative accents, choose the shades of gray and blue to prove to be a great analogous color palette.
You must choose the rattan and wicker natural material textures for the lighting fixtures and various artifacts to style with.
Now if you plan to use this timeless shade, it is important to understand the colors that best complement it.
All cool neutrals with a warm accent are what we are looking for here.
Whites and Off-whites are the best to go! I highly recommend using Dover White (SW 6385) for trims, Nonchalant White (SW 6161) as a base and Sun-Bleached Ochre (SW 9011) as the accents.
If you want a bold and bespoke look, add darker tones like Eclipse (SW 6166) as an accent to create a monochromatic feel.
Say a big no to other cooler hues like midnight blues and charcoals!
