LRV & Paint Colors: The Answers to Common Homeowner Questions
LRV is a super important tool when choosing your best paint color. Combining this with your personal tastes (how light or dark you want your color to look) and the lighting conditions in your room can help you pick the perfect shade.
But it’s hard when there are so many variables – exposure, light bulbs, chroma (degree of color). That’s why this blog post covers as many LRV topics as possible. This way, you can use it as a guide and companion to my other LRV-related articles.
If you read my last article on LRV (linked later) and how to use it to choose a paint color, you probably know the meat n’ potatoes and even a little gravy…
- LRV numbers range from 0 to 100, with 0 being absolute black and 100 being pure white (neither of which is available in the residential paint market). Our ‘usable’ scale ranges from 2 to 94.
- The higher the LRV number, the lighter a color is and the more light it will reflect – light colors have higher LRVs.
- The lower the LRV, the darker a color appears and the more light it absorbs; dark colors typically have lower LRVs.
However, in my never-ending quest to be a non-scientific color nerd, I have learned a few more things about this complex concept called LRV and want to share them with you.
My other blog post has all the basics you need—this one is about hearing myself talk, which I love to do.
By the way, if you haven’t read the previously linked post, I highly recommend you do (it’s also linked at the end). It sets the bones in place and gives the information you need to understand the upcoming content. This blog post is about my wine-infused ramblings, ravings, and insights into what I’ve discovered about LRV.
DOES LIGHTENING OR DARKENING A PAINT COLOR CHANGE ITS LRV?
HECK YES! When you lighten or darken a paint color, you’re changing how it looks – you’ve altered its DNA, and it will appear lighter or darker, and subsequently have a different LRV.
As usual, this is NOT scientific, but based on me fiddle fartin’ around in my studio with samples, here’s what I’ve found…
Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter painted interior doors, darkened 25%.
LIGHTEN OR DARKEN A PAINT COLOR BY 25%
Lightening a paint color by 25% typically increases its LRV by 3-4 points. This can vary depending on how much BLACK is in the paint color’s recipe. Black reacts more strongly to being lightened than a color that doesn’t contain black.
- If your paint color has an LRV of 60, reducing it by 25% could bring it down to around 46.
- Darkening a paint color by 25% typically lowers its LRV by about 3-4 points. Again, this can vary depending on the amount of black in the recipe.
Some paint store employees will tell you that 25% won’t make a noticeable difference, but listen up, Buttercup – it does.
- 25% is not a drastic change – it’s a subtle tweak. For some people, a subtle tweak isn’t worth it. On the other hand, if you’re anal (one of my more redeeming qualities) and looking to hit things just right, it could hit the spot.
- I have three colors in my home that I’ve tweaked by 25%, and it made all the difference for me. I’ve also found that my mood increases by about 25% when Tim gives me a subtle tweak on ma butt.
LIGHTEN OR DARKEN A PAINT COLOR BY 50%
Lightening or darkening a paint color by 50% seems to result in an approx. 6-8 point shift. The amount of black in its recipe (amongst other things) can affect how much of a change you see.
THIS IS NOT SCIENTIFIC. But let’s be honest, you aren’t here for scientific info. You’re here for common-sense, user-friendly advice and inappropriate comments about hardwood and wine (often combined).
3 Easy Steps to Getting Your PERFECT Paint Colour
Here’s Benjamin Moore Shaker Beige regular strength…
And here’s Shaker Beige 50% lighter in the same home…
So, if your paint color starts at approx. 53 (like Shaker Beige), you can expect 50% to take it somewhere around 60-ish (math is not my strong point).
Doors: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, 25% darker | Trim: Benjamin Moore White Dove
99.5% of the photos in my blog are of REAL HOMES from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, and friends. While not always magazine-perfect, they’re packed with ideas and proven color choices to help you create a home you’ll love.
But this is where it gets a bit trickier…
WHEN YOU LIGHTEN OR DARKEN A COLOR, DO ITS UNDERTONES CHANGE?
Let’s focus on ‘lightening’ for the sake of explanation. When you lighten a color by 25%, you’re changing its recipe. It’s like making a batch of cookies and taking 25% of the sugar out – they won’t taste the same. Or at least this is what people who cook tell me.
You’ll get a ‘new’ paint color with a higher LRV, and you might see a shift in undertones.
You might not know that the walls and trims in this next home are Benjamin Moore White Dove 25% lighter, but I do, and that’s what matters—it was just the tweak I wanted to see. This is different from the twerk that Tim wants to see.
Benjamin Moore White Dove: IMAGES, Info, & More
The great thing is that you’re usually still working with the original color’s bones. Is there an odd color that this doesn’t work with? YES, especially some shades of white and off-white, but some other colors can be tricky, too. Depending on the tints or colors used to create a particular shade, if there’s only a ‘dash of this,’ that dash can disappear when you lighten the entire recipe.
You’re more likely to really notice a shift when you lighten (or darken) a color by 50%+. One undertone might recede; another might get stronger.
That gray that had a wink of green in it – the green might almost entirely disappear. That greige that leaned more beige might lean a bit more gray. Again, you are still working with the same color, but you might notice a slightly different side of it.
Benjamin Moore Anchor Gray: IMAGES, Info, & More
So, what does ALL of this mean to you?
It means that you can’t make assumptions. Just because I drink a lot of wine doesn’t mean I won’t sit back with a G&T. Just because Tim works from home now, rather than at the bank, doesn’t mean he puts on pants. And just because you lighten or darken a color by 25% or 50% doesn’t mean you’ll get the SAME COLOR; you’ll just get a lighter or darker version. Will it be similar? ABSO-TOOTLY. Will it be the same? No, ma’am.
MOVING ALONG!
USING LRV TO MAKE A ROOM LOOK BIGGER
If you have a small room that you want to look larger, you can use LRV, for sure. However, LRV relies heavily on lighting (interior and exterior) to work its magic.
If you don’t have enough natural or artificial light, no paint color will save you.
Just because it hurts doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
In this next image, Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray looks light and bright where natural light hits. However, it looks flat and dirty where the natural light fades…
However, as a general guideline, focus on paint colors with an LRV of 70 or higher. The higher the LRV, the more light your paint color will reflect.
- If your room is reasonably bright, you might love some of the popular off-white paint colors that hang out in the 70ish to 80 range. Or you might stick to the best, fool-proof white paint colors in the 80s and 90s for optimal results.
- If your room is quite dark, you might stick to mid- to high-80s and into the 90s.
EVEN DARK PAINT COLORS REFLECT LIGHT
When I first started learning about LRV, I read that lower LRV numbers absorb light while higher LRV numbers reflect light. This is true, but kind of misleading.
I’ve discovered that we often get caught up in the idea that dark colors absorb more light than light colors, forgetting that they still reflect it. Even a low LRV color, such as 5, reflects light.
It might not reflect a TON, but it still reflects some.
How do I know that?
Well, I’ve seen it in action thousands of times; unless you’re dealing with a hardcore black (which doesn’t exist in our paint world), every color will reflect some light, as long as it’s given light to reflect.
Let’s check out Benjamin Moore Hale Navy (below). With its skookum low LRV of 8.36, you wouldn’t expect much light to be reflected, but what do you know, there it is…
When a color has a low LRV – let’s say it’s a dark color between 2 and 10, it still reflects some light. Its number generally relates to the percentage of light it reflects. So, if a color has an LRV of 10, you can expect it to reflect 10% of the light given, meaning it absorbs 90%. Of course, this can shift based on how much light it’s given and where the light hits, and…and…and, well, there are a lot of variables.
THIS IS NOT SCIENTIFIC and is based on 25+ years of hands-on experience (and Online Color Consulting of 11,000+ homes) – you can take it or leave it (but you’d be smart to take it – which is also what Tim says to me on Friday nights – wink wink).
My Color Review of Sherwin Williams Cyberspace
Look at the above photo of the wine bar painted Sherwin Williams Cyberspace (LRV of 6). You’d think it would just be friggin’ dark with an LRV of 6, and it is very dark on the far left and in the middle, where it gets little to no light. But look at its glory on the right! The hue rises and brightens, allowing you to see the ‘color’ of Cyberspace, rather than the slightly blackish tone shown on the left.
Why?
BECAUSE IT’S REFLECTING GLOOOOORIOUS LIGHT!
Even Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black and its ragingly dark LRV of 3 reflects a bit of light…
Sure, you can play a lot of this off to the semi-gloss sheen on the railing (btw, satin would be better). However, even in my old home office with Tricorn Black in a matte finish, it bounced a little love at me in the center of the left wall…
Why does this matter to you?
Because you love me and need to humor the crazy lil’ Ginger.
Really, though, let’s say you hire me for an Online Paint Color Consultation, and you want a nice dark gray with subtle undertones for a feature wall. So, I chose some dark beauties for you to explore and explain their overall look and undertones. You look at them and think…
Hmmm, those are super dark grays, but I don’t see those undertones she’s talking about ‘ OR maybe you say…
‘Kylie told me this was a great color for me, but it seems too dark – is Kylie in the cups again?‘
That’s because, on that wee small paint chip, the LRV has put up its feet and grabbed a beer.
There isn’t enough surface area on those small samples for LRV to work its magic. On a large scale, there’s more surface area to gather light and reflect it back—even if only a small amount. This can make the color look slightly lighter than expected and enhance its underlying colors, bringing them to the forefront.
This is also why you need to do large Samplize Peel & Stick samples: to give colors a chance to work their magic! These samples are 9″ x 14″ and can help you see more of what your color has in store for you.
Here’s a Peel & Stick sample of White Dove…
WHY DOES MY PAINT COLOR LOOK LIGHTER ON MY CABINETS VS. MY WALLS?
- Have you painted your kitchen cabinets, and they look lighter than you expected (especially non-whites)?
- Did you paint your trims, walls, and cabinets the same shade of white or off-white, but the cabinets and trims look lighter and brighter than the walls?
Your paint’s sheen (finish) will change how much light it reflects.
The walls, trims, and doors are all the same color.
While its LRV remains the same, the paint’s sheen will reflect more or less light, making your color appear lighter or darker than expected.
- FLAT (ceilings): Reflects no light.
- MATTE (walls): Reflects little to no light (brand/line dependent)
- EGGSHELL (walls): Reflects a degree of light (brand dependent). The sheen is similar to an eggshell or higher.
- SATIN (cabinets and trim): Purposefully and noticeably reflects light.
- SEMI-GLOSS/HIGH-GLOSS (not as popular, but sometimes used on cabinets and trims): Reflects a lot of light, giving a glossier look.
Give a paint color sheen and light, and it’ll give it back to you tenfold!
However, if you’ve chosen a color and worry it’s a wink too dark…
a) Consider how much light your walls get (good or bad) and whether this might shift things on a larger scale.
b) Consider lightening it by 25% or 50%, or…
b) Choose a slightly higher sheen so it reflects more light (as long as you give it light)
Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray regular strength walls, 25% lighter on the left, 50% lighter on the right.
LIGHT COLORS THAT WASH OUT IN NATURAL LIGHT
Light paint colors will have a higher LRV (55+). The higher the number, the lighter the color and the more light it will reflect. In my experience, once we hit about 65-70+, the LRV really starts to make a difference in how a room looks—lighter, brighter, and bigger—as long as you have adequate lighting.
However, if you give a paint color with a high LRV a lot of light, it will wash out – you risk losing it all.
Why does this matter to you?
Because the color you chose that looks perfect on a few walls that get moderate light, all but disappears on the super well-lit walls in the same room.
Heck, even the badass and beautiful Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray, one of my favorite light-medium depth greige paint colors, and its LRV of 47 washes out somewhat with intense light…
Notice how different Amazing Gray looks from left to right to downstairs!
Is this a problem?
Well, if you want a color to hold its own in any light, it’s definitely a problem.
Combine LRV with a color that has a lower chroma, and you could have a hot mess of unpredictable undertones on your hands.
No color will hold itself the same/perfect on every wall at all times of the day.
However, remember that the sun moves (or does the earth move? I can’t remember). Anyway, the look and intensity of your natural light (especially east, west, or south) will shift throughout the day, meaning…
- A wall that’s SUPER BRIGHT in the morning could look perfect in the afternoon.
- That wall that washes out at noon could be the best color ever in the morning and afternoon.
Sherwin Williams Greek Villa walls (lightened!) & Extra White trim
What I’m saying is that you have to be patient and know that things will shift.
There might not be a color you love 100% of the time, which means it’s about finding the next best thing.
So, back to that whole LRV, percentage jazz…
My educated guess (without scientific proof) is that if a color has an LRV of 65, you can expect it to reflect approximately 65% of the light back into the room. This guess makes sense based on my experiences.
For my personal use, I use LRV to determine the ‘general depth I can expect a paint color to look in a room with an adequate amount of light—not dark, not obscenely bright.‘
In this next image, notice how bright the warm white walls look at the beginning—this is because this color has a higher LRV, and it’s given a good amount of light to reflect.
Walls: Similar to Benjamin Moore White Dove (Kelly Moore’s Swiss Coffee, but KM no longer exists).
Now look at the walls down the hallway – that LRV doesn’t seem so strong. It hasn’t changed, but it isn’t working its magic because the LRV isn’t given as much light to reflect.
But (a Kardashian-sized one), all of the above changes at nighttime.
HOW DOES LRV CHANGE AT NIGHT?
Just when you think you have it all figured out, the sun goes down on you, and Elton John is singing in your living room (get it?). Seriously, though, regardless of your exposure, the quality of light in the daytime will change in the evening when you only have interior lighting.
So here’s what usually happens…
1. Unless you have an absolutely epic lighting plan, you’ll undoubtedly have shadowed walls and corners at night. In these spaces, paint colors will darken up a bit, depending on how shaded the area is.
The Best Light Blue & Blue-Green Paint Colors
2. Your paint color can appear lighter on reasonably well-lit walls, but only where the light hits the wall. Light travels at its strongest for approximately 3′ (so I’ve been told, with no proof, and I’m no scientist, but it makes sense) and then starts to dim, and your color will shade accordingly.
What does this mean to you?
- If you work all day and spend most of your time in a room at night, you’ll want to choose a color that still looks good during the day but that you love at night (hopefully, you love it all the time, but this isn’t always the case).
- You may need to adjust your interior lighting if you want a paint color to look as you hope. I know; let’s go back to one of my favorite sayings because I DO love to repeat myself…
If you don’t have enough natural or artificial light, no paint color will save you – artificial light being the main factor at night time (obviously).
Create a Cabinet & Wall Color Palette Using LRV
HOW DO YOU GET A PAINT COLOR TO LOOK THE SAME ON EVERY WALL IN THE DAY?
Are you frustrated that your paint color looks different on every wall? One wall is lighter, the other darker. One wall is warmer, while the other is grayed out. Well, you’d better take a deep breath and a big chug of wine, because there’s nothing you can do about it.
Why?
The 20 Best Green-Gray Paint Colors
Depending on the direction and temperature of the light hitting the wall, your paint color will shift how it looks from wall to wall. Short of providing each wall with the EXACT same type/amount of controlled light, there’s no stopping it.
- No, you should never paint one wall a slightly darker or lighter version of another wall to help offset this.
- I also wouldn’t change colors slightly to offset temperature or undertone shifts.
Long story long…it is what it is. But sometimes, when you know you can’t change something, it’s easier to let it go.
Are you exhausted yet? If not, hop back and read my original LRV blog post to tighten up your knowledge a bit more.
READ MORE
Create a Cabinet & Wall Color Palette Using LRV
5 Reasons You Keep Choosing the Wrong Paint Colour
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Colour is the Best?
Gray Paint Colours: The 3 Undertones You Need to Know
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ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2017, UPDATED IN 2025
SW bunglehouse blue changes dramatically with natural VS. Interior lighting. Blues tend to be hard to know how the LRV interacts with North and South facing rooms.
Hello!
Great information, thank you for all your efforts posting your knowledge!
I have a question about the almond bathroom tub color scheme, I loved the color Pewter you’ve suggested and will be painting tomorrow. Now curious if I should paint the ceiling and trim white or an off-white or something else? I’m now confused…thanks for any help!
I replaced the toilet earlier this year to a white and it matches the white sink (can’t afford the new surround).
Hi Suzanne! Pewter is a beautiful colour. I might look at a soft white, something like SW Alabaster or BM White Dove as kind of a happy medium between your almond fixtures and your white toilet. if you go too creamy/beige for the trim/ceiling, the toilet will pop. If you go white, then the almond pops!
~Kylie
Finally! A lesson on LRV that actually makes sense! Thank you!
Well thank you Trish, it’s always challenging to relate what’s swimming in my brain into something that actually makes sense 😉 I’m glad it resonated with you!
~Kylie
Friend Kylie!
You ARE a crazy ginger and we love you! I don’t know what I like more about your articles; the info or the laughs! We totally dig the Brewster Gray you helped us with for the kitchen. I will say that as much as I liked the color, I was worried about the LRV. Well… this is what I have come to realize: the more depth of color there is, the more color there is to appreciate.
We are looking forward to more Kylie love with our next project. We owe you some after shots of the kitchen, too. They’re coming soon!
Until then, Friend!
Cheers!
Chris & Tim Garlisch
Well what a fabulous comment to get – hooray! And you know i LOOOOOOVE after photos – it’s like the best part of my job 🙂
Chat soon,
Ky
Hi,
I have read and watched everything you have done! Love your videos. My husband’s company is not doing well and we may have to move. (It’s ok, think positive!) I overdid it with Ben Acadia aka ivory white, it’s on walls, cabinets and trim in our open floorpan SW facing ranch. Do you think SW silver strand, Ben Silver Fox or Harbor gray are too much for resale? I live in a new development and the builder paints every interior SW Kilm beige so I avoid even revere pewter as an over reaction which could be lovely. Thanks
Hi Brooke…hey, I think we’ve chatted before 😉 Okay, so I left you a comment on a different post that I want you to check out re: some workable neutrals for ‘mass appeal’. Check it out and let me know. If you can’t find it, here’s the section I was linking to as it has a bunch of staging tips as well as paint colours! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/category/tips-ideas/home-staging-ideas/ (as you can tell, this is my evening to catch up on comments 😉
~Kylie
We have steel wool in our little bath and it’s so great! I asked you a longer question but basically if your house were on the market would you leave the steel wool as is? I think it’s lovely! Certainly buyers don’t want an all white house or an all dark house but a mix. I tried to figure your links out for paint color help. If I have a small ranch and need 1 color for the whole area what link would I go to for your help?
Also, when we built we agreed to rounded corners. Don’t ever do that if you are reading this! It is impossible to cleanly change paint colors on rounded walls.
Thanks!
Hey again Brooke! You know, as long as Steel Wool SUITS your bathroom (if it was the right choice for the tile/countertop/etc…) then I would ABSOLUTELY leave it – totally! People DO tend to respond more emotionally to slightly stronger colours, more so than safe neutrals, so a bit here and there won’t hurt! As for a great ‘general’ colour, a lot will depend on your exposures, flooring and all that jazz, but I would definitely look at BM Edgecomb Gray, BM Ballet White, SW Accessible Beige and SW Agreeable Gray. I also have this post here…actually, I’m going to link to the whole SECTION as you might find some other good tidbits! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/category/tips-ideas/home-staging-ideas/
chat soon 🙂 Kylie
Thanks! I read all of your links, great info. We have moved 17 times in 25 years so I am a master at hiding stuff during showings but the paint gets me every time. BTW a large garbage bag hold a lot of stuff if you put it in your trunk. I once had a comment back that the buyer said “not even a pencil is out of place”. Ha! I was driving all of the clutter around while they were in the house! I have 7 large painted boards on the wall and once I narrow down what I can and cannot live with if we don’t sell I will contact you since we have some time before we find out if the company will make it through or not. It may take me until February at my rate. I have painted some walls 5 times in 8 years so I have a bad track record and have heard the “your house is getting smaller from paint” joke way too many times, not funny people. xo
There is a lot of discussion about how north facing and south facing affect LRV. But what if your kitchen or living room, for example, are east/west facing? How does LRV affect colors then?
Hi Ronda! I do have blog posts for both east and west facing rooms and yes, that is common! It’s about figuring out what time of day you spend the MOST time in the room and focus your efforts a bit more on that. Luckily, it is a bit easier than a north/south and there should be some options that humour both exposures nicely.
~Kylie
East Facing Room: https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-paint-colours-for-east-facing-rooms/
West Facing Room: https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-paint-colours-for-west-facing-rooms/
Thank you so much for this information. I never really understood LRV before. This is very helpful for me as I’m in the process of choosing a colour to paint my re-worked laundry space. My entire house (and I do mean entire) is “builder’s beige”; the ceilings, walls, trim, doors. Everything. So now I have the opportunity to choose some colour (I didn’t choose the beige by the way). We are in New Zealand, so have to reverse the north/south points, but I have a north facing room with natural light streaming in from an external glass door. With a young family, I’m in that room practically morning, noon and night doing laundry so will certainly take on board your points about looking to see how the chosen colour looks at different times of day. I’m going for the modern farmhouse look, and have white cabinetry and very deep navy tiles on the floor, which I think might throw off the way the colour looks on the walls. Knowing a bit more about LRV will hopefully help me choose a really lovely colour, because let’s face it no one actually likes spending oodles of time in the laundry room!
Hi Charlene, I’m so glad you found the tips helpful! And yes, I do think it’s funny that our sun directions are reversed, I always have to remember that!
Thanks for this and your other LRV blog post. Your posts are the most accessible for the average homeowner that I’ve read. My question is: Does an LRV value difference of 2-4 make a difference? We are doing BM Collingwood on our main floor but I was thinking of either going to Balboa Mist (I was told at BM that it’s the same as Collingwood only lighter) or actually lightening Collingwood in our front entrance area as there is very little natural light. BUT if it’s really not going to make a difference then I’ll likely stay with Collingwood just bc I know what the undertones are, etc. The two LRV values are 62 (Collingwood) and 67 (Balboa Mist). I’m just not sure how they translates on the wall…
Hi Lori, and thank you!
So, 4 points would make a difference – a subtle difference, but when you’re tweaking things it can be just the right touch! And contrary to popular belief, I was told (as I phoned to check a few months ago) that Balboa Mist isn’t the lighter version of Collingwood. I would imagine that with your entryway being darker, that Balboa Mist would look similar in depth to Collingwood, simply because the room itself will shade it a bit via the lack of light! If it were ME..I might just stick with Collingwood and look outside of it to brighten the room (ie: a fixture with an extra bulbs in it/a mirror/etc…)
I hope that helps!
~Kylie
I absolutely and undoubtably find your info the best. Your explanations just make so much sense and are so informative . I may be a wee bit biased having a ginger-headed daughter !
I too have been struggling with Collingwood vs Balboa Mist for my open concept main floor with North, West, and East exposures and 10 foot ceilings and oodles of natural light. We have CWood in two upstairs bedrooms and BMist in ensuite and basement bathrooms. Would BMist darkened by 25 percent be quite similar to CWood. Not darkened as you know BMist LRV is 67 which is too washed out as per your fab info. 25 % darker would lower the LRV as you’ve indicated in your fab article.
Hi Deb! Well if it were me and I were choosing between Collingwood and Balboa Mist, I’d land on Collingwood as it doesn’t have quite the feminine undertone. And yes, 25% would add a bit more body to Balboa Mist, but I find it can cast just a wink too pink for me 🙂
I’m currently working on my lighting plan. I’ve got a modern two story open living room with a wall of North facing windows. I was hoping to keep with the modern feel and paint the walls and trim SW Pure White. For the lighting would you recommend warm or cool LED? Or perhaps a mix of the two? Cool in the recessed cans and warm in chandeliers/ceiling fans? Thanks!
Hi Jill, if it were me I would lean toward all warm bulbs just to counteract that cool light a bit 🙂
Hi Kylie I just came across your blog. Very informational. I’m getting ready to paint my open concept eat in kitchen and living area and foyer with SW Accessible Beige. What are your thoughts on how it pairs with oak cabinets and dark wood look floors? I have Artigiano subway tile backsplash the color is Tremiti Sand, kind of a taupe tan with a praline mortar.
Thanks and Happy New Year
Hi Sandy, it sounds to me like Accessible Beige could work well for you as it is lovely with oak cabinets and dark wood flooring! There are other things to consider of course, like countertops, exposure, etc… but off of the top of my head, I’m not seeing an issue 😉
~Kylie
Happy Holidays!
We bought a house over the Holidays. Needs massive updating.
Do you do consults on photos?
I have an open plan, but the gray rock wall fireplace is on the inside wall, with the dining area (2nd floor) directly on top of it. I have been calling it the man cave, but it will be our primary living room. It’s dark as a real cave at the moment but faces floor to 2nd floor windows with oak wood floors, stairs and everywhere else
We also have 3 semi underground bedrooms, that all have one window, facing west, but with basement like windows that show the underside of the big back deck and rocks! I call the area the “dungeon”.
Help!
Thanks, Lisa
Hi Lisa, thanks for your note! And yes, I do consult from photos. I take those, along with the answers to your questionnaire and come up with some great options! I can then take all of your details/finishes into consideration, along with your personal tastes! If that interests you, the link is here https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
Chat soon!
~Kylie
Hello! Where did you get your sign in the kitchen that says ” This is our happy place”? I love it!
Ooo, from a lovely gal named Jenn at Lavish Olive Studio on Etsy – please let her know that you saw it on my site so she knows it worked!
~Kylie
Love your articles–so informative and helpful, and I get a giggle or two! You said you darkened SW Creamy by 25% for your second floor (no photo shown). (1) What trim color did you use with the tweaked Creamy, and are there any undertones after darkening? I have two bedrooms with northwest facing 6 ft. wide windows and am considering Creamy for those rooms to lighten and brighten them up from my current Softer Tan, which in my opinion is too dark in those rooms, and especially in the windowless jack and jill bathroom connecting them. (2) Would Creamy in it’s darkened version shed an undertone in NW exposure, and if so, what would it be? (3) Would there be enough contrast in it’s darkened version using Alabaster trim?
Hi Donna! Yes, I did! I used BM Cloud White with Creamy, just a soft, warm white – they sit really nicely together. As for the undertones, it’s hard to say as that area is south facing, compared to the north facing area that I have Creamy in (where it isn’t darkened). So, it’s really in the evening that I see the shift and I would say it’s just a wee wink warmer looking. I actually love Creamy MORE in the north facing space, i love the perfect, warm – but not TOO warm note that it hits…
Can SW Alabaster be used for trim for the tweaked version of Creamy on walls? i.e. Would there be enough contrast between the two?
OK. NOW I see. Thanks to this particular post scads of pieces from your other posts have fallen into place. Before, I couldn’t really see how to apply your excellent information to white paint. I’ve acquired an RV which will require some renovation (still in progress), and as RV’s are notoriously compact, I decided on a mostly-white scheme to visually expand the tiny space and, hopefully, visually cool it as well. (Hopefully without glare.) We live in south Texas, and hot as it was, it’s hotter now. Plus our exposure is southern and we have a HUGE west-facing window.
Thanks to you I’ve been able to trim my 30-item long list of whites to 5, and have progressed to the point of buying sample paint cans to test on my actual walls with my RV in its actual, hot position. Here choosing the right paint is an important shelter consideration as well as an aesthetic one.
I’ve decided to test eggshell Alabaster and White Duck (Sherwin Williams) for my walls. For an RV, the trim is surprisingly ornate and handsome. On it, I’ll test semigloss versions of Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) and Chantilly (Ben Moore). To keep it simple, I’ll use the same trim color throughout. I’ll match the upper kitchen cabinets to the trim color. For the lower cabinet, I’ll test a soft, duck-eggy blue semigloss. (There’s already plenty of black on the range and refrigerator to “ground” the light colors.)
I’ve already finished white cotton canvas slipcovers for all my upholstered furniture, and plan to make simple , white cotton rod-pocket curtains for all the windows except the HUGE west-facing one. I’m afraid that will require a more carpenterial solution. And replacement by a big mirror.
The floors are very pale gray-white vinyl wood-look planks that read greige around midday.
For summer I’ll pull in duck-eggy pillows, throws, & accessories. For winter, I’ll replace the duck-egg with lots of red, tan, and furry texture.
Meanwhile, I can’t tell you how much women like me owe to you for sharing your knowledge of the Science of Paint & Color with those of us less scientifically inclined. (Whoever said this stuff isn’t brain surgery?)
Thanks for your blogs. I couldn’t even have selected test colors without your help. Now that I have (thanks to you), the heat is off. Thinking about the project is now FUN instead of worry & dread.
For my money, you’re a precious national resource. If you decide to run for President, put me and the rest of your fans on your mailing list and hit us up for donations. You’ll win in a landslide.
Thanks for all you do–and what you’ve done for me.
Super helpful article! We are actually considering Revere pewter for our main floor, our home has dover white trim, doors and cabinets and its one of the only grays I have found that doesn’t make it look drab. My struggle is going down our hallway and our family room. With the hallway how much do you suggest lighting just so its not too dark? With our family room I don’t know if lightening the color is best or just a different lighter gray. It gets some northern light but not much and we definitely need an LRV in the 60s. Any colors you would suggest? Thanks!
Hi Terri, thank you for your note! I actually have an Edesign business that I’ve created for questions like yours! I try to give as much complimentary info as I can on my blog posts and if that doesn’t work, it might be time for a closer look, this way I can see your particular lighting, layout, flooring, etc…otherwise I’m totally guessing!
https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Hi Kylie, I’m wondering if you have seen Accessibly Beige lightened 25% on walls in person? I’m loving the sample of AB on my wall. I love the warmth and freshness but it’s a wee bit darker than I want and Aesthetic White is too light. Any thoughts?
Hi Monica, no I haven’t, but it’s worth trying! And I agree that Aesthetic White is TOO much of a shift…play around with Accessible if it has the bones you’re looking for 🙂
Hi Kylie! Thank you for this SUPER helpful post! Is there an LRV that you would recommend for a room with NO natural light — only two recessed lights in the ceiling?
This is my second comment on one of your posts in an hours time 🙂 you helped me choose paint for our current house and I have loved Wool Skien!
I am not choosing paint for my new build and I should have hired you ????????♀️ I’m waaaay to anal about color to be making these decisions myself. ???? but I’ve run out of time …crappers. I think I’ll buy the exterior package for your help. ANYWHO- what level contrast do you like to see between walls and trim or cabinet and trim?
In the photo showing the doors with BM Revere Pewter 50% darker, what are the wall and trim colors? It all looks so good together! Thanks !
I truly enjoy your take on this all!
B
Thank you Bonnie! That’s BM Edgecomb Gray 50% lighter (I love playing with colour in my own home) with BM White Dove on the trim!