Learn all about Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze in this paint color review.
SW Urbane Bronze is an iconic warm, dark bronze color. Named the Sherwin-Williams 2021 Color of the Year, it’s truly unique – there’s not a true equivalent to this color from Benjamin Moore.
We most often use Urbane Bronze for exteriors, as a front door, trim, roofline, garage door and even siding color. It’s not quite a brown and not quite a black. It is exactly as its name describes: a deep bronze color.
Keep reading to learn more about this versatile paint color from Sherwin-Williams and explore how you could use it in your own home.
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What is the LRV of SW Urbane Bronze?
Urbane Bronze has an LRV of 8, which makes it a very dark paint color. When used outdoors and in interior spaces with lots of light, however, Urbane Bronze still has enough color and warmth that it won’t look black.
Is Urbane Bronze warm or cool?
SW Urbane Bronze is a warm paint color. Even though it’s dark, it can help make a space feel inviting and cozy thanks to its warm undertones.
What are the Urbane Bronze undertones?
Urbane Bronze has green undertones that give the color its warmth. As a result, it pairs well with other warm colors and finishes, such as creamy white paint and warm, natural wood.
What is the easiest way to sample SW Urbane Bronze?
You should always sample and test your paint colors, but it’s especially important with a paint like Urbane Bronze that can look too dark if a room doesn’t have enough life.
The easiest way to sample Urbane Bronze (and any paint color for that matter) is via SAMPLIZE. Their peel-and-stick paint samples are easy to use and true to color.
There is no mess, and the cost is less expensive than purchasing a sample and a white poster board. Since you don’t need to dispose of the paint, it’s also environmentally friendly!
With Samplize you can easily see how different shades look on your unique wall.
Using SW Urbane Bronze for Exteriors
Using Urbane Bronze as exterior paint is one of my favorite applications for this rich color. We most often use it as a dark exterior trim color, but it can also work as a siding color and as an accent with red brick homes.
Keep reading to explore some of our favorite client projects using this gorgeous hue.
Urbane Bronze Siding with White Trim
For the client’s home pictured below, Urbane Bronze siding, gable shingles & garage door are complemented by SW Wool Skein fascia, soffits, railings, front porch ceiling, and window trim. We used SW Marooned for the front door. Although this is a very dark color, you can see how it looks substantially lighter outside, in the Colorado sunshine.
Wool Skein, the trim color, is on the dark side of a white paint color. If you look at it inside, it looks beige. We picked it for this palette, because a lighter white would have looked too stark with Urbane Bronze when used outside. Wool Skein still looks like a creamy white and pairs well with Urbane Bronze.
We used Wool Skein for the porch ceilings, too, to keep the front entrance bright and to reflect the white into the interior of the home. A darker ceiling would make the front porch and inside entryway dark too.
You can order Samplize samples for this palette by clicking on the links below:
Urbane Bronze with Shoji White Siding & Brown Brick
Urbane Bronze pairs beautifully with warm stone and creamy whites, as pictured on the client’s Missouri home below.
We used Urbane Bronze for the window frames, garage doors, roofline trim, gutters, and downspouts with Shoji White for the stucco and columns. Shoji White is one of our favorite white paint colors to pair with brick.
We also used Shoji White for the window trim even though the window frames are Urbane Bronze to ensure the windows didn’t look too heavy against the white stucco.
You can order Samplize samples for this palette by clicking on the links below:
Urbane Bronze with Red Brick & SW Natural Choice Siding
The client’s home pictured below features a gorgeous combination of SW Urbane Bronze exterior trim and red brick.
We picked Urbane Bronze because it matched the window frames/mullions exactly. Then Urbane Bronze was carried through to the garage doors and garage trim, front door, and other accents. Note that the photo above shows the Natural Choice on the chimney. We later painted the chimney (shown below) Urbane Bronze so that it would look more cohesive from the front view.
The back of the home features siding painted with Sherwin-Williams Natural Choice, a creamy neutral with green undertones that pairs nicely with the Urbane Bronze garage doors.
You can order Samplize samples for this palette by clicking on the links below:
Which Exterior Colors Look Best with Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze?
Does Urbane Bronze go with white?
Yes, Urbane Bronze looks beautiful paired with the right white paint. Because it’s so dark and warm, I prefer to pair it with darker warm beige or cream colors. In this post, we paired Urbane Bronze with Shoji White, Natural Choice, and even Shoji White. I’ve also used it with Accessible Beige as an exterior siding color, and it was stunning.
Using a white paint that is too cool and too bright could end up looking stark and discordant with Urbane Bronze. The lightest white I would use for exteriors is Alabaster, and only if it is being used as a whole-house siding color. It would be too stark as a trim color with an Urbane Bronze siding.
Does Urbane Bronze go with black?
Absolutely! The key is to pick a black that is dark enough to contrast with Urbane Bronze. Tricorn is perfect because it is so dark!
For exteriors, consider a house with Urbane Bronze siding, roofline, and trim, with Tricorn Black as a garage door, front door, and window mullion color. The photo below shows the garage doors in exactly that combination. This Colorado house in the woods already had dark bronze windows, and we used Tricorn as an accent.
For interiors, Urbane Bronze is stunning with black paint. I love the idea of color-drenching a small office or home library with Urbane Bronze walls and adding a Triorn Black ceiling.
Using SW Urbane Bronze for Interiors
Although we recommend Urbane Bronze occasionally as an accent color inside a home, we don’t have any client photos to share of this color. As they become available we will add them to this post!
That said, there are several ways you can use SW Urbane Bronze as an interior paint color.
Can I use Urbane Bronze interior trim?
Urbane Bronze is way too dark to use as interior trim in most rooms, but it can look super cool used as a wall and trim color when paired with a black ceiling. This would work especially well in a small space, such as an office or home library. If you pick black, make sure you pick a black that creates enough contrast with Urbane Bronze, like Tricorn Black, the blackest of blacks.
Can I try Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze cabinets?
I love the idea of using Urbane Bronze as a kitchen island color, or a lower cabinet paint color in a tuxedo cabinet color scheme. It would look especially lovely when balanced by white or cream upper kitchen cabinets and can look great with creamy quartz or old-school granite countertops.
I prefer not to use Urbane Bronze for both upper and lower cabinets because it can look too dark. If you do decide to use it for all your cabinets, make sure that you select light countertops and light backsplash tile to keep it from looking too heavy.
Is an Urbane Bronze accent wall a good idea?
An Urbane Bronze accent wall can work really well! Because it’s so dark, we typically only recommend it for accents for interior paint. It looks great as an interior front door color and as an accent wall color (but only if the room is well-lit).
Is Urbane Bronze a good room color?
While we typically use Urbane Bronze as an accent color, it can be great to color-drench an entire accent room, such as an office or dining room.
If you try this, make sure to only use a flat or matte paint sheen on all surfaces. This color is so dark that if you give it a shine it can be distracting on the wall. Make sure to pick a room with lots of natural or artificial light, too, to keep the color from looking oppressive.
Is Urbane Bronze a good whole house color for interiors?
I wouldn’t use it as a whole-house interior color, because it’s just too dark and may look oppressive unless you have walls and walls of windows. If you use Urbane Bronze walls in an accent room, I would prefer to balance it with off-white or creamy white trim, though as mentioned above it can be a good candidate for color drench if there is enough light.
When should I avoid Urbane Bronze inside?
Avoid using Urbane Bronze for interior rooms with low light. If you test the color in a room and it looks black, then it is too dark for the room.
What are the Best Interior Trim and Ceiling Colors For Urbane Bronze?
In general, warm and creamy whites are the best options for trim colors that go with Urbane Bronze. The best interior trim colors are Sherwin-Williams Alabaster, Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore White Dove and other creamier colors.
Crisp off-white trim colors like Sherwin-Williams Pure White, Benjamin Moore Simply White, Benjamin Moore Cloud White, and Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa would also work ok.
Avoid using clean or cool whites for interior trim with Urbane Bronze, such as Sherwin-Williams Extra White, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, Sherwin-Williams White Snow and Sherwin-Williams Decorator’s White.
Comparisons With Urbane Bronze Alternatives
Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze vs Sherwin-Williams Black Fox
Urbane Bronze and Black Fox are basically the same color with virtually identical undertones. But Black Fox is slightly darker (with an LRV of 7) and browner.
Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze vs Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain
Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain is the closest Benjamin Moore Urbane Bronze alternative. It’s a bit lighter, with an LRV of 11. And while it has warm, green undertones like Urbane Bronze, it’s more muted.
Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze vs Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore
Urbane Bronze is more brown and Iron Ore is more black, but they both have warm undertones. It’s almost impossible to see the green undertone in Iron Ore. I saw it once when I was at high altitude, where the strong sun washes out all the undertones, but otherwise it’s pretty much invisible. Iron Ore is also darker than Urbane Bronze.
Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze vs Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black
Tricorn Black is the blackest of blacks, with an LRV of 3. This is the black that I use when I want to pair a black paint with Urbane because it’s dark enough so that you can see a contrast.
Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze vs Sherwin-Williams Porpoise
SW Porpoise is on the same strip as Urbane Bronze, and is a lighter version of the color, with an LRV of 13. We pull it out every once in a while if Urbane seems too dark. Porpoise also appears slightly warmer than Urbane Bronze, with similar green undertones. Porpoise looks much more brown.
Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze vs Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn
Peppercorn is very different from Urbane Bronze, athough I sometimes see people comparing them. They are actually opposites on the spectrum of undertones. While Urbane is warm with green undertones, Peppercorn is comparatively cooler with violet undertones (like the color of elephants).
Which Benjamin Moore Colors are like SW Urbane Bronze?
There is no exactly equivalent color to Urbane Bronze in the Benjamin Moore inventory of colors. The closest is BM Iron Mountain, which is more of a muted very dark green instead of a bronze.
Key Learning Points
Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze is a warm, dark paint color perfect for exterior siding, exterior trim and interior accents.
- Urbane Bronze has warm green undertones that help it feel warm and cozy, especially in interior spaces with lots of natural or artificial light.
- Inside the home, Urbane Bronze works well as an accent wall paint color or even as a color-drenched accent room.
- As an exterior paint color, Urbane Bronze can work for siding or trim. It pairs especially well with brick, dark blacks like Tricorn Black, and creamy whites or beige colors.
Remember: NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens. Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching here.
No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice. Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. Learn how to test your paint colors here.
Use the link below to get a peel-and-stick sample of Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze from Samplize.
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Related Posts
- Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore Color Review
- Best Dark Paint Colors with Red Brick
- Best White Paint Colors That Go with Red Brick
- Red Brick Paint Color Schemes
- 6 Sherwin-Williams Exterior Paint Color Schemes
About the Author
Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person. I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, please consider purchasing a color consultation. Thank you for your understanding.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, please consider purchasing a color consultation. Thank you for your understanding.
