Sherwin Williams Serenely: Undertones, Best Uses, & LRV

You Won’t Have The Blues With This New Hue

Are you tired of neutrals? Craving a little color in your life—maybe a beautiful blue? Well, let me introduce you to a new(ish) paint color from Sherwin Williams Designer Edition – Serenely

All the photos in my blog are from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, & friends— because real homes deserve to be celebrated (dirty laundry & all!) While not magazine-perfect, they’re packed with ideas & proven color choices to help you create a home you’ll love.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SERENELY

Serenely is bound to be one of the most popular light blue paint colors, but being newer, we need to give it some time. We also need homeowners to adjust to the price tag that comes along with the Emerald Designer Edition paint line! Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful paint, but I also love their regular Emerald line – it’s amazeballs (the matte finish is stunning).

Anyway.

Colors like Serenely, including light blues and light greens with a similar vibe, are often used in bedrooms. However, if you’re hankerin’ for a bit of coastal color in your living room, bathroom, or office, it’s a great shade for any space that suits it.

If you have north-facing light with a cool gray tint, expect Serenely to look cooler and even a bit bluer.

While some people love a cool-on-cool room, think about whether you can handle this, as it can affect your mood!

This next image isn’t Serenely (I don’t have images of it yet from clients). Notice how the northern light sits with the light blue hue of Benjamin Moore Ocean Air...

If you have south-facing light or warm western afternoon sunshine, Serenely will still look blue, but it will be a bit softer—less fresh and crisp and potentially a wink more blue-green.

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

WHAT’S ITS DEPTH (LRV)?

Serenely has an LRV of 66. This LRV makes it a light-depth paint color, and if you have an overly bright room or a wall that gets a good light, it’ll wash out (like many colors with a higher LRV will).

On the other hand, if you have a dark room and want to paint it gray, Serenely is a great alternative. Its increased chroma (color) can help offset a darker room with flatter light.

Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Serenely…

WHAT ARE SERENELY’S UNDERTONES?

Even straightforward colors can have tricks up their colorful little sleeves. So, while Serenely seems blue, it has some gray and a dash of green (blues tend to lean blue-purple or blue-green). You might notice this green a ‘bit’ more in southern light or afternoon western sunshine, whereas the blue might be more obvious in northern light.

You’ll also want to pay close attention to your LIGHT BULBS.

While cool colors can look beautiful with a higher Kelvin bulb (e.g., 4000K+) this isn’t always a liveable light. The average person chooses 3000K, which is softer.

WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLOR WITH SERENELY?

Serenely’s smoky cool blue hue loves whites that aren’t overly creamy warm, including shades like…

• Sherwin Williams White Snow
• Sherwin Williams Extra White
• Sherwin Williams Pure White

The WHITEST White Paint Colors

The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO SERENELY?

With Serenely being new on the scene, it can be helpful to see some comparisons. Besides, you should never pick a paint color without comparing it to a few similar shades anyway.

• Sherwin Williams Lullaby
• Benjamin Moore Pale Smoke
• Benjamin Moore Quiet Moments

The Best Light Blue Paint Colors

Sherwin Williams Rainwashed is another hot shade of blue, with a bit more green than Serenely…

WHAT COLORS GO WITH SHERWIN WILLIAMS SERENELY?

Serenely is going to love other blues with a similar undertone profile, such as Sherwin Williams Mantra and Stargazer. However, having more color to it, it will be finicky about its partners. You can also consider…

• some other blue-gray blends with a bit more depth (making sure there’s still a touch of green, too)
• soft, slightly warm whites
• clean, crisp whites
• green or violet paint colors with similar degrees of color vs. gray

Not sure if Serenely is right for you? I’ve got more!

READ MORE

The 10 Best Blue-Gray Paint Colors

The Two Types of Blue Paint Colors

NEED HELP?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting!