CP

Gunmetal & Amber Color Scheme

A moody gunmetal gray warmed by burnt amber and softened with cream, for a look that feels grounded and quietly confident. Every shade is matched to real paint you can buy.

By David Chen · Formulation Lead & Resident Chemist

Start with Dark Gunmetal, a deep cool gray that sets a calm, grounded mood the moment you walk in. It has the weight of charcoal without going fully black, so it feels rich and modern instead of harsh. On the largest surfaces it wraps a space in quiet drama, the kind of backdrop that makes everything in front of it look intentional.

Then comes the warmth. Burnt Amber glows against all that gray like firelight, adding a hit of earthy color that keeps the scheme from feeling cold. Warm Cream is the breath of air between them, softening the contrast and bouncing a little light around so nothing feels closed in. Together these three are easy to live with, and they flow beautifully across a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, or a whole home where you want a moody but welcoming feel.

View palette in
Dark Gunmetal
walls
Benjamin Moore Midnight Blue · 1638
#494E52
LRV 8
Burnt Amber
trim
Valspar Hacienda del Sol · P048
#B77430
LRV 23
Warm Cream
accent
Behr Dover Cliffs · ECC-28-2
#F0E9D8
LRV 82

Buy These Colors

Each color matched to the closest real paint in every brand, by ΔE2000. Tap a swatch for its full guide or + to save it — take any SKU to the store, they mix on demand.

Dark Gunmetal
#494E52 · LRV 7 · walls
Sherwin-Williams · SW 9154 · ΔE 4.19
Behr · PPU15-20 · ΔE 2.11
Benjamin Moore · 1638 · ΔE 0
Valspar · 4006-2C · ΔE 1.7
PPG / Glidden · PPG1037-7 · ΔE 1.14
Glidden · PPG1037-7 · ΔE 0.68
Dutch Boy · 427-7DB · ΔE 5.29
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams · HGSW 1501 · ΔE 4.46
Dunn-Edwards · DE6329 · ΔE 1.91
Magnolia Home · JG-161 · ΔE 4.49
Farrow & Ball · NO. 93 · ΔE 4.91
Diamond Vogel · 0494 · ΔE 2.68
Hirshfield's · H0149 · ΔE 3.09
Rodda · R024 · ΔE 3.76
C2 Paint · C2-901 · ΔE 4.17
Clare · PNT100-DP-55 · ΔE 3.55
Portola Paints · LOST HIGHWAY · ΔE 4.64
Annie Sloan · AUBUSSON BLUE · ΔE 7.58
Backdrop · BD-NE · ΔE 12.25
Rust-Oleum · 391445 · ΔE 13.38
Kompozit · 0487 · ΔE 6.78
Burnt Amber
#B5712F · LRV 22 · trim
Sherwin-Williams · SW 6370 · ΔE 2.01
Behr · S-H-310 · ΔE 4.46
Benjamin Moore · CSP-1100 · ΔE 4.05
Valspar · P048 · ΔE 1.14
PPG / Glidden · PPG16-20 · ΔE 2.49
Glidden · PPG1201-7 · ΔE 3.74
Dutch Boy · 213-7DB · ΔE 3.02
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams · HGSW 2121 · ΔE 4.4
Dunn-Edwards · DE5230 · ΔE 3.4
Magnolia Home · JG-35 · ΔE 9.74
Farrow & Ball · NO. 316 · ΔE 7.92
Diamond Vogel · 1019 · ΔE 5.65
Hirshfield's · 0998 · ΔE 3.34
Rodda · CA224 · ΔE 13.67
C2 Paint · C2-617 · ΔE 4.28
Clare · PNT100-DP-74 · ΔE 11.99
Portola Paints · MIEL · ΔE 7.88
Annie Sloan · SCANDINAVIAN PINK · ΔE 16.09
Backdrop · BD-OS · ΔE 20.81
Rust-Oleum · 398640 · ΔE 7.71
Kompozit · 0998 · ΔE 3.34
Warm Cream
#F0E9D8 · LRV 82 · accent
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7563 · ΔE 0.55
Behr · ECC-28-2 · ΔE 0
Benjamin Moore · CSP-245 · ΔE 1.06
Valspar · 8003-25A · ΔE 0.98
PPG / Glidden · PPG1103-1 · ΔE 0.55
Glidden · PPG1098-1 · ΔE 0.52
Dutch Boy · 116-1DB · ΔE 0.51
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams · HGSW 1187 · ΔE 0.44
Dunn-Edwards · DE6190 · ΔE 1.11
Magnolia Home · JG-33 · ΔE 1.42
Farrow & Ball · NO. 2002 · ΔE 0.49
Diamond Vogel · 0009 · ΔE 0.21
Hirshfield's · 0362 · ΔE 0.93
Rodda · R127 · ΔE 0
C2 Paint · C2-596 · ΔE 0.77
Clare · PNT100-LT-62 · ΔE 1.89
Portola Paints · CASA FORMA · ΔE 1.02
Annie Sloan · OLD OCHRE · ΔE 9.72
Backdrop · BD-DS · ΔE 2.52
Rust-Oleum · 329598 · ΔE 3.46
Kompozit · 0362 · ΔE 0.93

Questions

what colors go with dark gunmetal gray?

Warm earthy tones are its best friend. Burnt amber gives it a glow, and a soft cream keeps it from feeling cold, which is exactly the trio here.

is this color combo too dark?

It reads moody, not gloomy. The amber and cream lift the deep gray, so the space still feels warm and lived-in rather than heavy.

what undertones should I watch with this scheme?

The gunmetal leans cool with a hint of green-gray, so pair it with warm woods and brass to balance it. The amber and cream both carry that warmth.

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