Last Updated on February 6, 2022 by Kimberly Crawford
When it comes to decorating or painting the home’s interior and exterior, your choice of color is a true make or break. Some would play safe and just go for the common neutrals. Some would go for bolder, more vibrant tones. But some would take a chance on the more unique color tones such as pewter.
In this post, we shall look at the color pewter, what it is, and most specifically, what colors go with pewter. If you are interested with this color and intend to use it anytime soon, sift through this post for all things about the color pewter.
What color is Pewter?
Like gray, pewter is the perfect balance of warmth and coolness. In the dictionary, pewter as a color is defined as a gray alloy mixed with the color of tin, antimony and copper. As a metal, it is often mistaken for silver with a prominent blue undertone.
The main difference it has with silver is that pewter is not that shiny but compared to it, pewter pieces age more beautifully. Nowadays, pewter is used to refer to gray-blue shades of fabric, wallpaper as well as paint.
What color is pewter fabric?
When it comes to fabrics, pewter can range from shades of gray to silver with greenish hue and subtle blue undertones. It comes with a lot of variation but overall, the dominant color for pewter fabric would be silvery gray.
What color is pewter brown?
The pewter brown is also called the creamy brown and it is one of the softest hued pewter variants. It is compared to the color of vanilla and somewhat copper. If you are working around the combination of brown, beige, or cream, pewter brown is a fine choice to mix them with.
What is an antique pewter color?
As have been mentioned, pewter has a range of its own, including both warm and cool tones. Antique pewter looks like weathered silver with tinges of black and light gray. This is the pewter that you could use for farmhouse and rustic designs. It also goes well with antique hardware.
Pewter color meaning
Aside from the rich history and range of hues of pewter, it also has a more profound and complex color meaning. Derived from the metal which is majorly composed of tin plus its complex tone of blue and gray, pewter is conceived as a symbol for neutrality, depth and seriousness since it appears as a balanced color when contrasted with either warm or cool shades.
On the other hand, being an unconventional yet practical color, it is also associated with a sense of responsibility as well as maturity.
In the psychology of color, pewter is mostly associated with the symbolism of gray. As such, pewter is also said to manifest commitment, intellect, sophistication, introversion as well as a degree of bitterness.
25 Colors That Go With Pewter in Home Décor
If you are looking for the best colors that would go with home decors of color pewter, the following should be your top options. Hence, without much ado, let us look at some of the most notable colors that would go well with pewter in home decors.
1. Creamy white
This one is one of the most versatile colors to pair with unconventional colors like pewter. This is so because they have the same brownish overtone and coppery undertone.
Their combination is perfect because of the balance of their warm overtones and cooler colored undertones.
2. Burgundy
If you are looking for a flexible red variant, burgundy is the most perfect choice. Since pewter has its creamy hints, this color has the ability to emphasize it. Further, since burgundy and pewter are both warm colors, they have a strong depth that would improve any space.
3. Turquoise
This one is one of those super cool colors that would go well with pewter especially for home decors. Because of its calm and coolness, it would be a good complement for the more subtle pewter.
Alternatives for this color would be the bolder colors of aquamarine and the deeper hued teal.
4. Gold
You would not believe the beauty of combining gold with the shiny, coppery pewter for home decors. Some fear that gold and pewter might become overwhelming but the gold, shrapnel, and alloy undertones of some pewter variants make it an opulent and eye-catching combination.
5. Coral
This one is a color that is challenging to match. But when it comes to home decors, having it with pewter is a very fine choice.
The boldness and larger than life color of coral would be a good mixture for the subtler hued creamy pewter. This is also another alternative color to cooler colors like turquoise which would give a phenomenal look.
6. Charcoal or muted gray
If you are working around gray pewter, extremes of gray like the dark charcoal gray and the lighter extreme which is muted gray would be good accents for gray pewter home decors.
The coolness of any hue of gray combined together makes an excellent choice for home decors especially those neutral-colored ones.
7. Mauve
This color is as interesting as pewter. It is a striking tone of purple. It is mostly mixed with paint palettes and interior paints. Because of its vintage looking undertones, it is perfect to pair with pewter, especially gray pewter. If you want something eye-catching and truly standout, mauve and pewter are a match made in heaven.
8. Navy blue
This is considered as the most neutral blue hue and because of that, it can be versatile to be paired with any color including pewter.
Specifically, navy blue provides a beautiful contrast to creamy pewter home decors or for anything of that color, for that matter. It enhances the look of anything plain or muted that is why it is a part of this list.
9. Peach
Like coral, peach is another color that is hard to match with. But amongst all the colors that would naturally match well with it would be gray, and as such, so would pewter gray.
The natural off-setting of peach and pewter gray is very beautiful. This is especially true if you use them for home decors as well as for interior painting the kitchen and the bedroom.
10. Greige
As the term implies, this one is the fusion of gray and beige. Being the perfect balance of cool and warm, pewter would also be a good match for this color especially for home decors.
If you want a more subtle, gentler effect for your home decors, greige and pewter is the combination to go for.
11. Blue green pewter
You must have observed by now that pewter is a color range of its own. If you want a subtler cool tone for your home interior, you should choose blue green pewter with other pewter hues.
On the other end, it is also considered as the most vibrant of all the pewter colors so if you need to accentuate your neutral monochromes, it would also be a good choice.
12. Silver
We have previously mentioned how pewter is defined as a derivative of many metals including silver. When working around blue green pewter or green pewter, silver would be one of the best colors to pair them with to give the room a tinge of metallic feel without overwhelming the space with very cool colors altogether.
13. Bright white
If you have a green or blue green pewter, the effect of bright white would be phenomenal. We already know how versatile white is but the wrong choice of hue would make the overall look dingy.
Choosing bright white specifically for a more metallic tone like pewter would be an ultimate classic.
14. Black
Yes, you read that right. Nothing beats the deep contrast of black against the silvery pewter. This makes them a good match when it comes to interior painting or accent pieces like home decors. If you want to give emphasis to your pewter color, black is a fine choice to consider.
15. Yellow
You would be surprised to know that any yellow shade would work well with pewter. The grayish and silvery undertones of pewter make it a good contrast for yellow.
This is more so since yellow is warm and pewter is generally considered a cool color with warmer undertones.
16. Olive green
If you want to make your pewter warmer in effect, you can mix it with olive green. Aside from making the feel warmer, this combination also gives the room a more organic and earthy look. So, if you want a cozy feel for your living room, this combo is a fine choice.
17. Dark brown
Speaking of ways to make the room warmer, dark brown is another good combination for pewter which you should try. Instead of the usual tans or whites, the rich tone of dark brown elevates the metallic look of pewter, making the home decors more rustic in vibe.
18. Aged oak
This follows the same idea as that of dark brown but with a warmer, more organic effect because of the grayish brown color of aged oak. You can use this color against pewter not only for home decors but also for furniture and flooring.
19. Maroon
This is another shade of red which would definitely go well with pewter. If the intention is to make the room warmer and more masculine, maroon and pewter would be a very good idea to combine for your home decors.
To make the room more cohesive and to add to its visual interest, you can also put on some maroon and pewter curtains, chairs, or even area rugs and the cushion of furniture.
20. Violet
If you are aiming for deeper tones to go with your pewter room, also go for violet. It is very bold and cool so it will surely give more tonal balance to your pewter decors. You can use it for curtains and rugs to accentuate the pewter decors.
21. Copper
Pewter is also said to be endowed with tinges of copper. As such, if you are thinking about a good combination for pewter home decors, consider copper as one of the finest choices. This is also a good combination to go for if you want a metallic twist in your interior.
22. Platinum
Still on the row of metallic looks, platinum is another color to go for. It has a prominent white and pale gray color, deepening into a shade of celeste blue. As such, platinum would be a perfect choice for more vibrant toned pewter colors. Combining it with fellow metallic colors gives you a visual grip like no other.
23. Stone grey
This is another specific gray tone that would go well with pewter. This one is more silver and dark brown. If you want something metallic, yet earthy and organic, stone grey and pewter is a combination that you would want to consider at an instant.
24. Chrome
This one is a flush of gold with tinges of brushed nickel. The shininess of chrome and its unconventional look gives an opulent take on home decors. If you want the glimmering sophistication of metallic colors, pewter and chrome are a good match.
25. Forest green
Since it is quite brighter compared to the brown and grey shades of pewter, adding in a flush of forest green would make an earthy theme for your home decors. If you are going for a boho, oriental, and organic flair for your interiors, forest green and pewter is a fine choice.
FAQs
Aside from the list of colors that we have covered here, there is also added information that would come in handy when you finally decide to accentuate your home with pewter. In this section, we look at some FAQs about decorating with pewter which you should know about.
What color is close to pewter?
The closest color associated with pewter is gray. Although gray is not all that is there with this color, it is the most dominant hue which could be deemed from this unconventional color. As has been mentioned, it also has tinges of silver, copper, blue and brown.
Is pewter and silver the same color?
No, but they are often mistaken for one another. The basic comparison between silver and pewter is that the former is shiny and with more luster. On the other hand, pewter would be a degree duller, deeper toned, and bolder compared to silver. It is said that pewter is closer to lead than silver, overall.
Is pewter a warm or cool color?
The interesting thing about pewter is that there is a whole range for warm pewter colors and another range for cooler, more vibrant pewter colors. Pewter colors mixed with blues, greens, and darker gray are those belonging to the cooler range while those that are based in brown and muted gray are considered warm pewter.
Are there alternative colors to pewter?
If you feel like pewter is a challenging color choice, there are always alternative colors which you go for aside from pewter and it would be the following:
- Gray: This is the most practical choice since it is the closest tone to gray. You have to understand that while most pewters can be considered gray, not all gray tones can be considered as pewters. Nonetheless, if you want visual flexibility, gray is a fine alternative to pewter.
- Charcoal: This gray black tone is also a good alternative to pewter. If you are going for a darker, matte look, charcoal is a fail proof color choice.
Aside from these two here, runner-ups for the best alternative colors to pewter would be nickel, copper, oak, and silver.
What are the colors that do not go well with pewter?
Generally, and as we have presented in the list, pewter might be unconventional but it is flexible as a color. However, it still has its aesthetic reservations. Some of the major colors that do not go well with pewter would be the following:
- Lime green: In itself, lime green is already considered dull. Pairing pewter with it would not intensify its color effect. As a matter of fact, combining it with pewter shall only make lime green duller than it already looks like.
- Orange: Aside from using orange as a minimal accent color to rugs, chair and sofa, orange cannot just work with pewter. The complex metal shade of pewter is too bright for the metallic undertones of pewter. There is no way that these two could create a visual impact together.
- Bright red: There is a reason why maroon and burgundy are the only red tinges that made it to this list. Bright red does not work with pewter or any metallic shade for that matter. It is too bold, too bright and too strong for pewter. The antique look of pewter would not match the boldness of bright red.
How do you decorate around pewter?
It is quite challenging to work around pewter if you do not know the right pieces and arrangements that should go with it. In this case, here are some tips which you should consider if you feel like anchoring your interior with pewter.
- Complement pewter with sparkly decorative accents.
- Using antique or vintage designed decors and accent pieces enhances pewter.
- Work around wood and monochromes.
- Mix and match it with different shades of gray.
- Make the interior colorful.
- Match it with a statement wallpaper.
- Shiny, glossy tiles would work with pewter.
- Pewter is a perfect fit for industrial design schemes.
- Choose the better neutrals.
- Temper its softness with the right cabinet arrangement.
How do I know if the pewter has more lead mix?
The different hues of pewter generally depend on the volume of metallic colors mixed into it. For instance, if it is deeper, darker and marks heavily on surfaces, you would know that there is a great amount of lead mixed. If it comes as a lighter tone, tin is used as a metallic base. The best pewter color is the one which is silvery.
Would pewter as a metal have value?
Interestingly, yes. Modern pewter metals are composed of tin, alloy, lead, copper, and bismuth. If you are thinking of selling pewter for scrap, it would generally cost $3-5, which is basically 50% the current price for pewter in the market. Pewter is more cost-efficient as metal compared to gold and platinum, even silver. As a metal, nonetheless, it is more preferred because it is easier to work with and offers greater craftsmanship value.
Does pewter metal corrode?
Another reason why metalsmiths love pewter compared to other metals is that it does not easily rust or corrode. As such, it is used for antique looking pieces such as pitchers, modern basin sinks, and other home decors. It is also practical given its price and malleable enough for more ornate designs. Overall, pewter is a good choice for different accent pieces for your home interior.
Is pewter historical?
Yes. Pewter has been around for several millennia. It was originally used to produce various household items since Roman times. The production of pewter did not stop there, however. It continued to be popular in Great Britain, specifically in the countryside, not only for household items but also for other purposes.
Conclusion
To conclude, pewter is a very interesting color not only because it has a range of varying hues under its belt but also because it is the fusion of warm and cool tones. It appears differently depending on where it is used. For instance, pewter on fabric is warmer toned but is more versatile when applied in interiors. It is also a different story when combined with other colors of home decors, which we have covered here.
With all things considered, pewter is a fine choice if you want a more standout, more visually interesting interior. And to be fair, you would see that it is not very hard to match with.
