Pura Vida Review By Erica Kalkofen

Sherwin-Williams announced their 2016 colors a couple of months back and I got a chance to review them in depth recently. Here is the first of four collections: Pura Vida. What I like about this color palette is the freshness and calming aspect of the color groups. With the neutrals backed by a hint of gray and the beautiful, bold color of the Urbane Bronze, this palette feels optimistic and freeing. If you are looking to lighten up a room and have neutral furniture or dark, espresso colored furniture, this would be a great palette to draw from.

Want to have some fun with layering the color? Use the Urbane Bronze for the window sills and trim and use the Useful Gray for the wall color immediately around the windows. The end effect will be to focus on the outside with the gray acting as an anchor to the room. Use the Alabaster for the rest of the walls. If you ceilings are exceptionally high (over 9 feet), consider using a slightly darker color to bring the ceiling down and warm up the room. From this palette, I would recommend the Ramie or the Useful Gray for a ceiling application, depending on the flooring color.