SHERWIN WILLIAMS CITY LOFT 7631: Paint Color Review

A COLOR WITH ‘LOFTY’ AMBITIONS

With gray falling out of style, we’re shifting to the WARMER end of things, including colors like Sherwin Williams City Loft. But will it be the next IT color? We’ll see!

To show you RELATEABLE & REAL homes, I ONLY use my own photos or those from my Online Color Consulting clients. 

IS CITY LOFT GRAY, GREIGE, BEIGE, OR TAUPE?

City Loft DEFINITELY isn’t beige – it’s not warm enough. It’s also not greige as it doesn’t have a green undertone. HOWEVER, City Loft is a bit of a hybrid as it sits in between the warm gray and taupe worlds – catering more to taupe than gray.

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

WHAT’S CITY LOFT’S LRV?

With its LRV of 70, City Loft offers a nice subtle balance between light and off-white depths. With this LRV, City Loft can wash out in an overly well-lit room – you’ll need a color with a lower LRV to prevent this (or blinds). HOWEVER, notice how it shifts as the day progresses, as overall, it’s a great option for the average room.

As for exposures, City Loft does well in a north-facing room as it offers a bit of warmth to offset the cool gray-blue northern light. On the other hand, it’s not SO warm that it makes a south or west-facing afternoon look like an easy-bake oven.

Notice how the ceiling is painted the same color as the walls for a seamless look.

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

The Best Paint NUMBER for Your Home – 62

The Best LIGHT Paint Colors for a DARK room

DOES CITY LOFT HAVE UNDERTONES?

YOU BET YOUR BOOTY, JUDY! Undertones are hard to avoid, especially in the warm gray and taupe worlds.

City Loft has feather-light earthy undertones of violet and pink (a blend). However, they’re gentle enough that the average person isn’t too bothered, and they happen to suit a wide range of interior finishes. If you’re sensitive to these undertones, you might find them a bit much, but compare City Loft to other shades to see where it sits (we’ll chat about similar colors shortly). 

This next photo shows City Loft with maple cabinets (with a pink undertone). Notice how well City Loft coordinates, considering this is as strong/warm as I’ve ever seen it look…

The Ultimate Guide to Paint Colors & Undertones

SAMPLING CITY LOFT WITH PEEL & STICK

SAMPLIZE peel-and-stick paint samples are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER, and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots.

• Samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1 DAY, depending on the location.

• They’re more affordable than the sample pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling.

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF CITY LOFT!

WHAT WHITE TRIM COLOR GOES WITH CITY LOFT?

City Loft’s best white partner is Sherwin Williams Pure White. Pure White is a soft white (NOT a pure white) and contrasts gently with City Loft. However, there are a few more that work just as well…

• Sherwin Williams Extra White
• Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

The ULTIMATE GUIDE to White Paint Colors

3 Steps to Picking the Best White Paint Color

IS CITY LOFT A GOOD COLOR FOR THE EXTERIOR OF A HOME?

City Loft has undertones to suit various facades, including stone, brick, and asphalt roofs. HOWEVER, its higher LRV can look washed out with even half-decent natural light. Be sure to partner it with a clean white trim color to increase the contrast. On the other hand, if you have black windows or prefer a more seamless look, painting the siding and trim the same color can look wicked pretty.

5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color

Does Your Exposure REALLY MATTER When Choosing EXTERIOR Paint Colors?

IS CITY LOFT A GOOD COLOR FOR KITCHEN CABINETS?

City Loft is often in the running, as off-white cabinet colors are popular. However, while its undertones can suit a range of finishes, watch that they don’t appear too colorful.

The Best Off-White & Light Depth Cabinet Colors

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO CITY LOFT?

While no colors will be exactly the same, a few shades have similar intentions, including…

• Sherwin Williams Egret White
• Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
• Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist

City Loft with Benjamin Moore Charcoal Slate accent wall on fireplace

WHICH PAINT COLORS GO WITH CITY LOFT?

Thanks to its slightly higher LRV and subtle warmth, City Loft has a wide range of color partners.

• warm grays and taupes with similar undertones (that are darker than City Loft)
• blue-green blends (must be a bit darker than City Loft)
• darker blue-gray blends
• shades of gray with blue-green undertones
• muted shades of green, like Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog
• darker navy hues like Sherwin Williams Cyberspace

Sherwin Williams 10 Best WARM Gray Paint Colors

COMPARING TOP WARM GRAY SHADES

CITY LOFT VS. AGREEABLE GRAY

City Loft and Agreeable Gray are similar in that they can pass as a warm gray or taupe. HOWEVER, that’s where the similarities stop. Agreeable Gray is darker than City Loft, with an LRV of 60. Agreeable Gray has more flexible undertones and can grab a vague violet or green, whereas City Loft isn’t likely to grab green.

Agreeable Gray could be your shade if you want a color with a bit more depth and flexible undertones. However, this flexibility comes with a bit of unpredictability, so sample carefully!

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray painted island, trim, and board and batten

Paint Color Review: Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

CITY LOFT VS. DRIFT OF MIST

City Loft and Drift of Mist are similar; both are soft, warm grays bordering on the off-white range (higher LRVs). However, the big difference is that while City Loft caters to a violet-pink undertone, Drift of Mist is more likely to grab a vague green.

You might find that a color like City Loft is more likely to suit a range of interior finishes. Drift of Mist, with its vague green, can sit a bit off with the average finish, unless it happens to have similar undertones – SAMPLE & COMPARE!

Paint Color Review: Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist

CITY LOFT VS. AESTHETIC WHITE

City Loft and Aesthetic White are warm, earth-toned paint colors. However, whereas City Loft caters to the warm gray and taupe end, Aesthetic White has a beige backdrop, giving it a slightly more noticeable warmth. Aesthetic White is also a true off-white as it’s lighter than City Loft by three LRV points.

With color trends leaning warmer, Aesthetic White could definitely be the next ‘IT COLOR.’ However, of the two, City Loft could be a BIT more likely to suit the average home’s finishes.

Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White Paint Color Review

READ MORE

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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!

Chat soon,