Pewter Color – Exploring Beautiful Pewter Color Combinations

This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn a small commission from purchases made through them, at no additional cost to you.

In the world of art and design, there is a multitude of colors, hues, and tones to explore! A seemingly simple color such as pewter has many different shades and hues to complement it. The options are endless and somewhat overwhelming if you have to choose a color pallet for interior or graphic design projects. Many pewter color combinations are gorgeous, modern, and very pleasing to the eye. Therefore, pewter color is a popular choice for many designers!

Describing Pewter Color

To the untrained eye, pewter is labeled a simple dark gray color, but to an artist, the color pewter is transformative. But, what color is pewter, exactly? It is best described as a dark gray color, and it was first known because of the metal of the same name. This multi-layered shade has blue undertones and a matte finish – a distinct characteristic of pewter.

At a glance, the pewter color could be confused for silver or charcoal. This is due to its blue undertone. Notably, pewter in a warmer environment can show signs of brownish undertones. This means that it encompasses both warmer-light and warmer-dark tones. Pewter is also complementary to all the primary colors.

Pewter: A Brief History of the Pewter Color

We have found evidence of the use of pewter as a metal for many years, dating as far back as ancient Rome. It is fascinating to learn how this metal was crafted into utensils, plates, and other useful items by the Romans. Centuries later, we are still finding uses for this versatile metal, ranging from the manufacturing of dark pewter color and light pewter color pigments and fabrics to light fixtures, decorative objects, model airplanes, and jewelry.

Pewter metal was found to consist of three key elements, tin alloy, lead, and copper.

It was eventually realized in the 1970s that lead was toxic after many deaths resulted from lead poisoning, which was linked to numerous pewter metals. Thankfully, this encouraged a change in how this metal was formulated. Soon, its key elements were replaced, as they switched lead to antimony. As time has gone by, pewter has become more popular as a color choice, rather than metal.

What Does the Pewter Color Mean?

This gentle gray shade is universally acknowledged as a serious or dull but neutral color, often paired with a brighter color to create a contrasting balance. This color is often associated with sad emotions or gloominess. With this being said, many pewter shades have a sense of warmth, and, when compared to a gentle gray tone, can complement warm color tones beautifully. Interestingly, dark pewter colors are often chosen to be worn by introverted personalities.

The Various Shades of Pewter

There is no simple answer to “what color is pewter?” This is because it has various hues within it, which makes it such a unique color. Pewter may be mistakenly called a “mid-gray tone”. This is, however, a generalization. Since the discovery of the pewter shades, many paint brands leaped onto the concept of developing the shade into wall paint, the likes of Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams paint brands being some of them.

Revere Pewter

The revere pewter color is sort of the opposite of a dark pewter color. This shade was motivated by the paint designer Benjamin Moore, and it holds a warmer accent than the typical pewter. Revere pewter has a gray-orange tone, often described as greige.

It has grown in popularity and is often used as a background shade, particularly in a well-lit area of the home.

Pewter

This is a pewter color in its most simple form. It is easily recognized by its hex code. The RGB and CMYK codes are used as a guide for print and design.  Pewter is seen in the center of the greyscale – it’s not too light or too dark, it’s just right!

Pewter Green

According to the Sherwin-Williams color chart (SW 6208), the dark pewter color has a dark-greenish undertone, which at first thought would seem unusual. Earlier, we mentioned the blue-gray undertone as a popular pewter hue, but when we look at a darker shade of pewter, it makes sense that it would encompass a green tone. This makes pewter green give a sense of well-being and feelings of nature.

This dark pewter color complements cool whites or shades of green.

Dark Pewter

The dark pewter color has a multi-layer of blue undertones, labeled by the Benjamin Moore brand as a dark gray cyan. This color is ageless, bringing a sense of calmness with its cool tones to any stylish home.

Light Pewter

The Benjamin Moore paint brand has inspired some lighter shades of pewter. Being one of the top paint brands available, it is not surprising that they would develop unique shades of gray. Mixing light and warm tones with dark pewter colors have resulted in a gorgeous shade that has become a popular choice for interior designers.

This unpretentious shade of pewter can complement almost any room, it is often used on cabinets, cupboards, or better yet, used for light peter walls.

A Look at Pewter Color Combinations

Burgundy, beige, cream, gold, and shades of green and blue are some of the recommended colors to sit alongside pewter, often depending on which pewter color combination you choose. Most colors complement the pewter shade because of its neutral properties.

Neutral Pewter Color

Pewter is considered to be a neutral color, making it easy to decide what colors go with pewter when decorating your home. All pewter color combinations complement other neutral colors, but the best is to use light with dark. For example, pairing a dark pewter color with crisp white. Because pewter is a gray color, it does well alongside other grays, too!

Black is another obvious choice coupled with pewter tones containing undertones of blue or green.

Pewter With Green

Painting walls with a pewter color can create a simple backdrop and is a great opportunity to add a cooler color, such as green. Perhaps instead of choosing a modest white shade, look at a warmer pewter shade instead, then adding touches of green will complement this gentle tone and help create contrast in the room.

Pewter With Yellow

When it comes to choosing wall paint color combinations, it’s always best to consider creating an accent wall with a complementing color. Ideally, you want to attempt to create a calm space and not overpower the area with one tone.

A great example would be to pair a dark pewter color with a yellow shade.

Pewter With Navy Blue

Did you know that navy blue is a popular color for wedding celebrations where it is often paired with gold and white? This bold shade is best paired with cooler pewter tones and should be chosen instead of a warmer-toned pewter color.

Exploring Other Pewter Color Combinations

Sophistication, elegance, and class are words used to describe pewter as a color. This versatile tone can complement all types of décor as well as make a room seem warmer, lighter, darker, or even cooler! You could balance the room by adding color accents with cushions, curtains, furniture, or floor mats. Digital design programs often use pewter as wallpaper or a background color because it is compatible with many color combinations.

So, what colors go with pewter? Here are four pewter color combinations that pair beautifully together. First, is lighter pewter matched with pink and then dark pewter color, a surprisingly beautiful combination!

Next is a combination of bright yellow and pewter. When paired with shades of blue, these colors are especially beautiful together. A pewter accent wall alongside a yellow chair with blue cushions can completely liven up a room!

Our third example is for the purple lovers out there. Our chat below shows a shade of pewter, ivory, lilac, and rosewater. Together, these colors offer a soft and subtle pallet, suitable for most rooms and especially the bedroom.

Our final color combination suggestion is in the chart to follow. We have paired pewter, sage green, olive green, and a light olive color. A more neutral pallet, suitable for those who prefer a space that is not too loud or distracting.

Using Acrylic Paint to Create Shades of Pewter Color

Most experienced artists and painters will tell you that mixing your colors is a better way to achieve unique colors that are not found in tubes of pre-mixed paint. Pewter may seem daunting to mix yourself, and it will likely need some experimenting to create the perfect blend. Have a look at our guide on how-to-mix pewter colors using acrylic paint.

Combining White and Black Acrylic Paint

Black and white mixed together make gray, as we all learned in school! But, to create a pewter shade, this mix will require a bit of experimenting! Be sure to document your blending so that you can recreate the desired blend once you have landed the ideal combinations. Take a small blob of white paint and then a separate blob of black paint.

In your mixing palette, you can begin carefully combining small amounts of each color, gently adding a little more of each, until you reach your desired pewter color.

Adding Other Paint Colors

 To emulate a dark pewter color, you will need to add other colors to your mix. Take a small blob of ultramarine onto your mixing pallet and then a blob of raw umber. Using a little from each blob of paint, gently add a touch at a time and combine it with your gray mix. You can add a touch of silver, but, you do not want to add a shiny gloss to affect your blend. Adjust the mixture if needed by adding more of the ultramarine blue or umber to the mix until desired color mix is achieved.

Pewter is considered one of the most versatile shades as it works so well with other colors. Pewter could never be considered a bland-gray color, as it embodies cool and warm tones, making it an artist or designer’s perfect color choice!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Is Pewter Best Described As?

Somewhere between silver and gray is where pewter would best fit! There are many different pewter shades. Some contain a cooler hue, such as green or blue, while others have warm undertones of beige. Therefore, there are both dark pewter colors as well as light pewter colors

Which Color Combinations Look Good With Pewter Color?

Being such a versatile and adaptable color, pewter is one of the most complimentary colors available. The ultimate color choices to serve along with pewter would be white, brown, cream, gray, beige, and black. Because of the undertones found in pewter, both green and blue work well with this gray tone. Finally, the bright colors that complement pewter include shades of pink, magenta, yellow, peach, turquoise, gold, and silver.

What Is the Meaning of Pewter Color?

Anything but dull is the best way to describe the meaning of pewter. While gray tones are often associated with sadness, this color represents class and maturity, processing a timeless effect. Subject to the undertones in the pewter color of choice, it can bring unique qualities of calmness to a space.

Can I Use Shades of Pewter Outdoors?

As we have discovered, pewter is incredibly versatile, and this includes outdoor use as well! Because pewter complements greens and yellows, it would naturally complement any garden. Therefore, pewter is often used on outdoor walls to bring out the fresh green tones of landscaping.

Duncan van der Merwe( Color Theory Expert, Video Editor )

Duncan graduated with a diploma in Film and TV production from CityVarsity in 2018, after which he continued pursuing film while taking on a keen interest in writing along the way. Since having graduated, he began working as a freelance videographer, filming a variety of music videos, fashion and short films, adverts, weddings and more. Throughout this, he’s won a number of awards from various film festivals that are both locally and internationally recognized. However, Duncan still enjoys writing articles in between his filming ventures, appreciating the peace and clarity that comes with it.

His articles focus primarily around helping up-and-coming artists explore the basics of certain colors, how these colors can be paired with other shades, as well as what colors are created when you mix one with another. All while relating these shades to historically significant paintings that have incorporated them into their color palette. As a lover of the arts himself, he takes great interest in the Renaissance era of paintings, an era that has directly inspired many of his favorite films.

Learn more about Duncan van der Merwe and about us.