Benjamin Moore Arctic Shadows 1559: Paint Color Review

Arctic Shadows: one of the BEST green paint colors

When it comes to actual COLORS – not neutrals, blue and green hues have always been fan faves. And with trends leaning into the more organic, natural and CALMING end of things, it’s no surprise to see colors like Arctic Shadows catch our eyes. So, let’s check this bad boy out…

What type of paint color is Arctic Shadows? Is it warm or cool?

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Arctic Shadows is an AWESOMELY versatile shade of green in that it’s not overly warm OR cool; it’s more what I call ‘stormy’.

What does this mean?

Well, a COOL green leans into blue and a warm green leans into yellow. And while Arctic Shadows has a fraction of warmth in it, you’d hardly know it, especially in a room with northern light. This makes it flexible for a variety of exposures, for example…

NORTH-FACING LIGHT – expect Arctic Shadows to look a bit cooler as it loses most of its passive warmth while still holding on to its main hue
SOUTH-FACING LIGHT – Arctic Shadows will lean a bit more into its warmth without going overly OLIVE-toned

Photo via Tim Hanson Productions

As for west and east-facing light, it depends on the time of day. Expect Arctic Shadows to look less warm and a drabber (weird word) in the eastern afternoon/morning western sunshine. However, it will still hold its hue (green) and come to glorious life in the eastern morning and western afternoon hours.

North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?

What’s the LRV of Arctic Shadows?

Arctic Shadows is a MEDIUM depth paint color with an LRV of 32. Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

With this LRV, Arctic Shadows can handle an overly bright room without washing out much, making it a great overall choice or FEATURE wall color. If you have a darker room, you’ll need to amp up that lighting and I would lean into slightly warmer bulbs vs slightly cooler ones.

Photo via Tim Hanson Productions

How to Make a Dark Room Look Brighter – and it ain’t with paint!

What are the undertones of Arctic Shadows?

Arctic Shadows’ main HUE or main COLOR is green, but it has a warm gray backdrop calming it down. This gray DEFINITELY calms Arctic Shadows down compared to some of the other popular green paint colors while still leaving a lovely green hue on your walls.

What’s the best way to sample any paint color?

Undoubtedly, you’ll be heading out in the near future to grab paint samples – stop right there! I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a FEW reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…

samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1 DAY, depending on location

they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling

if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room

Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE

What’s the best white trim or cabinet color with Arctic Shadows?

Arctic Shadows is actually pretty flexible – here are a few of my fave white trim colors with it…

Benjamin Moore Cloud White
Benjamin Moore White Dove
Sherwin Williams Pure White

The ULTIMATE GUIDE to White Paint Colors

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Is Arctic Shadows a good exterior color?

If you’re wanting a green exterior, but don’t want to be OVERWHELMED by color, Arctic Shadows can be a beautiful choice. However, make sure it jibes with your roof and doesn’t CLASH with it. Arctic Shadows can also be a pretty complement/contrast to many brick details but doesn’t always work with stonework (with the exception of some K2 stones which have green in them).

5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color

Does Your Exposure REALLY MATTER When Choosing EXTERIOR Paint Colors?

Is Arctic Shadows good for cabinets?

While I wouldn’t say that Arctic Shadows is the most POPULAR green paint color for kitchen cabinets (depending on your style), it can definitely work. Most of my clients are favouring other green paint colors, particularly ones that have some blue in them or are darker and more saturated.

The Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Island & Bathroom Vanities

Check out THIS green for a bit more fun and color…

Benjamin Moore Caldwell Green – learn about it in THIS BLOG POST

What paint colors are similar to Arctic Shadows for comparison?

Comparison is KEY when choosing paint colors, even if you think you’ve settled on the one you love. And because I’m working my way through creating color reviews, I don’t have reviews on ALL colors yet (but I do have most of the popular neutrals!).

Benjamin Moore Antique Pewter is a stunner, coming in with a slightly lower LRV (you’ll find it HERE)
Benjamin Moore Storm Cloud Gray is also a popular choice
Sherwin Williams Cornwall Slate

And if you’re thinking of color matching between brands (ie: getting Benjamin Moore to make a Sherwin Williams paint color), you might want to read THIS first.

Photo via Tim Hanson Productions

What type of paint colors go with Arctic Shadows

Because Arctic Shadows has a nice solid neutral base, it has quite a bit of flexibility towards other colors, including…

some soft and subtle greige and taupe paint colors
MANY of the popular off-white paint colors, as long as they aren’t COLDER than Arctic Shadows or overly colorful
stormy blues with a comparable amount of gray in them, such as Benjamin Moore Mount Saint Anne and others

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Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!