Fountain
Often used for its versatile qualities, Fountain remains a staple for Sherwin-Williams designers. It is widely considered one of the best colors in its class to add character and warmth to any space. We've gathered 10 real-home scenarios to help you visualize this color alongside our expert data.
Hex
#56B5CA
LRV
39.45
Fountain's Color Strip
Fountain is the fourth shade on this 7-color strip, sitting between Surfin' and Capri. The strip spans from Quench Blue at the lightest end to Adriatic Sea at the deepest. Color strip 167 groups these shades together so you can see how each reads next to its neighbors.
Fountain in Real Rooms
Fountain has a medium-high LRV of 39.45 — present enough to register on the wall without making a room feel heavy. It's neutral in temperature and , making it adaptable across different lighting conditions and room orientations. Grouped in the Blue family, the photos below show it applied in a bathroom, home office, bedroom, dining room, front door, house, kitchen, living room, mudroom and patio.
1 Bathroom Photo
For bathrooms with limited natural light, Fountain provides a necessary "glow." It uses its subtle undertones to mimic the warmth of sunlight, preventing the space from feeling subterranean or overly dark, even in windowless layouts.
Fountain — japandi bathroom
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1 Home Office Photo
In a multi-use room where an office corner is required, Fountain can be used to "zone" the desk area. By painting just that section, you create a visual boundary that separates your professional life from your personal space.
Sherwin-Williams Fountain in a industrial home office
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1 Bedroom Photo
There's a rhythmic quality to Fountain in a bedroom. It's a color that supports the circadian rhythm, mirroring the natural shadows of the evening and providing a neutral, non-stimulating canvas for the brain to decompress after a long day of digital exposure.
A boho bedroom painted in Fountain
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1 Dining Room Photo
Fountain in the dining room sets a tone of warmth and occasion. Whether used on all four walls or as a single statement wall behind a sideboard, it creates the kind of atmosphere that makes every dinner feel like a special event.
Fountain paint in a elegant dining room
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1 Front Door Photo
A front door in Fountain changes the entire read of a facade without requiring a renovation. The color is strong enough to register from the street but refined enough not to feel like a statement for its own sake. It's the "handshake" of the home.
traditional front door featuring Fountain by Sherwin-Williams
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1 House Photo
Fountain on an exterior reads differently at different scales: approachable up close, commanding from the street. It works especially well on houses with good trim detail, where the contrast between wall and trim can do real visual work.
Fountain color — maximalist house inspiration
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1 Kitchen Photo
In a modern kitchen, Fountain provides the necessary "organic" touch to offset stainless steel appliances and glass backsplashes. It prevents the kitchen from feeling like a laboratory, injecting a much-needed sense of domestic warmth and culinary inspiration.
Fountain — classy kitchen
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1 Living Room Photo
When applied to living room walls, Fountain creates a sense of "visual quiet." It eliminates the erratic shadows found in busier spaces, instead providing a steady, rhythmic tone that ties together disparate furniture styles. It's the common thread that makes a room full of heirlooms and modern pieces feel like a cohesive collection.
A minimalist living room painted in Fountain
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1 Mudroom Photo
Fountain is the perfect partner for durable flooring like slate, brick, or terracotta. It picks up the earthy tones in these materials, creating a mudroom that feels cohesive, rugged, and ready for whatever the weather brings in.
Fountain paint in a small mudroom
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1 Patio Photo
For outdoor kitchens or bars, Fountain provides a professional, "indoor" level of sophistication. It bridges the gap between the comfort of the house and the ruggedness of the outdoors, making the patio feel like a true extension of the living space.
rustic modern patio featuring Fountain by Sherwin-Williams
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Coordinating Colors
At LRV 77 vs 39, Bravo Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Canvas Tan reflects far more light (LRV 64 vs 39), opening up a space where Fountain encloses it.
Fountain reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 10), opening up a space where Umber Rust encloses it.
Trim Color
At LRV 77 vs 39, Bravo Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Similar Colors
Candid Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 48 vs 39), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (39 vs 32) makes Fountain the marginally brighter of the two.
Rapture Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 47 vs 39), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (39 vs 30) makes Fountain the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 52 vs 39, Slick Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Complementary Colors
Fountain reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 27), opening up a space where Rosaline Pearl encloses it.
Fountain reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 5), opening up a space where Cracked Pepper encloses it.
Fountain reads slightly lighter (LRV 39 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Fountain reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 4), opening up a space where Black Bean encloses it.
Fountain reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 18), opening up a space where Dutch Cocoa encloses it.
Fountain reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 27), opening up a space where Cocoa Berry encloses it.
Fountain reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 8), opening up a space where Chateau Brown encloses it.
Lighter Colors
At LRV 60 vs 39, Liquid Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 39, Slick Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Darker Colors
A 9-point LRV gap (39 vs 30) makes Fountain the marginally brighter of the two.