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.

Mauve paint color on kitchen walls by Kate Guinness

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. 

Mauve living room wall color by Anne McDonald

Design by Anne McDonald Design, Photography by Tim Lenz

Mauve painted walls in a modern bedroom by Shannon Eddings

Design by Shannon Eddings Interiors, Photography by Molly Culver

Mauve painted walls in a modern bedroom by Reath Design

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.

Wink by Clare 

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.

Mauve wall color in a living room by Jake Arnold

Design by Jake Arnold, Photography by Michael P. H. Clifford

(L) Design by Caisley Interiors, Photography by Sarah Griggs

Mauve contrast trim and kitchenette by Freestone & Smith

Design: Freestone & Smith | Photography: Malissa Mabey

Mauve contrast trim designed by Kim West

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.

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