Color Crush: Mauve Interiors
Let’s be clear—this is not your mother’s mauve. Designers are breathing new life into this ’80s favorite, and it’s poised to become the color darling of 2025. Explore the best mauve interiors with a list of trusted paint colors to get the look.
Once synonymous with some rather cringe-worthy design trends of the 1980s, mauve interiors are making a comeback on decidedly sophisticated terms. The era of color-drenching has elevated mauve as an ideal hue to create depth while still feeling relatively neutral. With Benjamin Moore naming Cinnamon Slate as their 2025 Color of the Year, designers like Shannon Eddings, Anne McDonald, and Kate Guinness are using mauve to create spaces that feel anything but dated. Defined by grounded undertones and velvety warmth, today’s mauve is proving to be more versatile than ever. Whether on walls or upholstery, it blends effortlessly into modern and traditional spaces alike.
Design by Kate Guinness Design, Photography by James McDonald
Not Your Mother’s Mauve
Call it a ‘mauvenaissance,’ because this warm pinkish-purple is showing up everywhere. As designers turn away from bright whites and stark minimalism, desaturated tones are taking the place of neutrals. Such is the case with mauve, a color that marries hints of purple, taupe, and pink to create a subtle, grounding warmth. In a South Kensington townhouse, designer Kate Guinness leaned into this trend by enveloping the dining room in Rouge II by Paint & Paper Library and then carried mauve onto the kitchen walls for unexpected contrast.
But Kate Guinness isn’t the only designer incorporating mauve into her work. Shannon Eddings, an Austin-based designer known for her playful use of color, caught attention with her #projecttrailridgeturnaround featuring custom bunk beds color-drenched in Benjamin Moore’s Mauve Desert. It’s an excellent example of a gray-purple mauve that makes a quiet statement.
Design by Anne McDonald Design, Photography by Tim Lenz
Design by Shannon Eddings Interiors, Photography by Molly Culver
Design by Reath Design
Design by Heidi Caillier Design, Photography by Haris Kenjar
The Best Paint Colors for Mauve Interiors
Cinnamon Slate by Benjamin Moore
Named Benjamin Moore’s 2025 Color of the Year, this warm heathered plum with earthy undertones is perfect for creating a cozy yet refined atmosphere.
Sulking Room Pink by Farrow & Ball
This soft, muted mauve has a sophisticated depth, ideal for adding color to a room with a hint of romance.
An understated periwinkle-mauve that leans toward gray, perfect for softening bedrooms or entryways.
Evening Skyline by Benjamin Moore
A soft, shadowy mauve with cool, gray undertones that carries a sense of grounded elegance.
Mystical Shade by Sherwin Williams
A medium gray-mauve that shifts beautifully with natural light, offering a moody and atmospheric quality.
Mauve Desert by Benjamin Moore
A balanced blend of lavender and taupe, this shade lends a sophisticated, earthy quality to modern interiors.
Rouge II by Paint & Paper Library
A rich, rosy mauve with hints of warmth, perfect for adding depth and dimension to smaller spaces.
Design by Jake Arnold, Photography by Michael P. H. Clifford
(L) Design by Caisley Interiors, Photography by Sarah Griggs
Design: Freestone & Smith | Photography: Malissa Mabey
Design by Kim West, Photography by Molly Culver
As designers continue to evolve the perception of mauve interiors, we can expect to see this versatile hue in kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms, proving it’s poised to become the undisputed color of 2025.
BY: ANASTASIA CASEY