Benjamin Moore Arctic Shadows 1559: Is it Green or Gray? -

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.

However, when choosing your home’s best paint color, it’s not just about a pretty shade of green. It’s about understanding its undertones and depth (LRV) and how it might look under different lighting conditions to ensure it’s the right fit. So, let’s check this bad boy out…

WHAT TYPE OF COLOR IS ARCTIC SHADOWS?

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Arctic Shadows is an amazeballs shade of green with a good dose of gray to calm it. While it can appear a bit warm, it’s not overly inclined that way – it’s more that it’s not a cold green paint color; 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 ARCTIC SHADOW’S LRV?

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 your lighting, and I would lean toward 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 ITS UNDERTONES?

If the term ‘undertones’ is new to you, it’s just a slang way of describing the way a color leans. That said, this can change depending on a room’s exposure, interior lighting, and surrounding finishes.

Arctic Shadows’ main hue is green, but its warm gray backdrop calms it down. This gray definitely takes the colorful edge off Arctic Shadows compared to some of the other popular green paint colors, while still leaving a lovely green hue on your walls.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Arctic Shadows…

THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLORS 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

6 Questions to Ask Before You Paint Your Cabinets White

IS IT A GOOD EXTERIOR COLOR?

If you want 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 (except for 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 IT A GOOD CABINET COLOR?

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 favor other green paint colors, particularly those with some blue or that are darker and more saturated.

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?

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 (i.e., getting Benjamin Moore to match a Sherwin-Williams paint color), you might want to read THIS first.

WHAT 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

The 8 Best Green Paint Colors

A GORGEOUS Green Laundry Room Makeover!

The Best Whole Home Warm Neutral Paint Colors

Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?

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