WHAT IS LRV & WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Partner Blog Post:
Have you ever painted your walls only to find they looked lighter or darker than you thought they would?
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That, my friend, is LRV (Light Reflectance Value).
Before we get into the guts n’ the glory, let me say it took nine hours, three bottles, and 20+ years of experience to research and write this article. And I’m not even remotely scientifically inclined (more artsy-fartsy inclined). So, let’s grab a bottle glass of wine and settle down for a bit of a read – just because I’m keeping it simple doesn’t mean I’m keeping it SHORT!
WHAT DOES LRV MEAN FOR PAINT COLORS?
Every paint color has an LRV number, which is on a scale between 0 (black) and 100 (white). The number tells you how light or darker a paint color is compared to pure black (LRV—0) and pure white (LRV—100).
In other words, a paint color’s LRV states its DEPTH (i.e., off-white/light/medium/dark).
You no longer have to reference a paint color’s depth vaguely, e.g., ‘it’s light, or it’s dark’—you can state its EXACT depth. Knowing a paint color’s exact depth also makes it easier to coordinate other colors with it or find the PERFECT depth for your project.
Benjamin Moore White Dove (below) is a white paint with an LRV of 83.16. This LRV means it reflects a LOT of light, as shown on the left side of this photo…
However, look at how different it looks on the right side of the photo, where the walls receive only indirect light.
The above is a great example of a color with a reasonably high LRV (83) that uses the natural light it’s given and bounces it around. Or, if you look at the lower stairwell, you can see how it reacts when it isn’t given a lot of light to play with.
Colors need LIGHT to come to LIFE!
THE ACTUAL ‘USEABLE’ LRV SCALE (for us real people)
While the scale technically goes to 100, related to the useable paint world, white goes up to an LRV of 94 – that’s the whitest white available. While the scale goes down to 0, in our useable paint world, mid-twos are the lowest LRV/blackest colors available.
Benjamin Moore American White is an off-white gray that reflects a LOT of light.
Remember, you don’t need to memorize this. Just take the info that applies to the color/color range you’re exploring and use it to find your best shade!
These numbers will give you a good idea of the depth of a color (how light or dark it is). The ranges below are approximate to a degree (three points or so). Regardless, the lines are blurry, as perception can play a huge part in how light or dark a paint color looks (or because I’ve had two glasses of wine).
2-10 = DARK PAINT COLOR
10-20 = MEDIUM-DARK PAINT COLOR
20-40 = MEDIUM-DEPTH PAINT COLOR
40-55 = LIGHT-MEDIUM COLOR
55-72 = LIGHT COLOR
73-81 = OFF-WHITE COLOR
82-94 = WHITE PAINT COLOR
Remember, you don’t need to MEMORIZE this information. Just use it as a guide for the specific colors you’re looking at.
WHERE DO YOU FIND A PAINT COLOR’S LRV NUMBER?
Given how important LRV is to the average paint buyer, I’m surprised some paint companies haven’t made it easier to find.
Here are the LRV locations of a few popular paint brands (or ask a store employee)…
- SHERWIN WILLIAMS LRVs: The best place for them is on the back of the fan deck or the back of the color chips – thank you, Sherwin Williams!
- BENJAMIN MOORE’S LRVs: on the Benjamin Moore website, on the specific color page, as well as in the glossary of their fan deck
- FARROW & BALL’S LRVs: they don’t make it easy; you’ll just want to write customer service – and good luck with that – thanks for comin’ out F&B
- VALSPAR’S LRVs: fan deck index
- KELLY MOORE’S LRVs: fan deck index
- BEHR’S LRVs: fan deck index
Here’s what it looks like on the back of the Sherwin William’s color strip (the long row of colors in the fan deck OR on the small samples found in-store)…
And in the index of the Benjamin Moore fan deck…
Wine break. Glug glug glug, I mean sip sip sip.
Now, let’s get into the actual LRV ranges. Again, it’s not scientific, just a general reference.
WHITE PAINT COLORS & LRV
APPROX. 82+
White paint colors have the highest LRV and reflect the most light. The range goes from 82-94 (knowing we don’t have access to whites above 94).
- White paint colors don’t just reflect light; they reflect the color of the light being thrown at them. For example, if grass or trees outside your window reflect on your wall, your wall can pick up some of this green hue.
- Just because a color is in the white range doesn’t mean it won’t have undertones—every color has undertones.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White LRV 85.05 / Sherwin Williams Cascade Green LRV 43
Sherwin Williams Pure White LRV 84 / Sherwin Williams Sensible Hue LRV 46
For example, let’s say you’re trying to find the perfect white. You’re comparing several but can’t tell which one is lighter. All you need to do is look at their LRVs, and you’ll know EXACTLY which is the brightest white.
When you eyeball the whites in this next photo, the only one that’s obviously darker is the sample on the bottom…
However, let’s look at all their LRVs to see where they stand…
- TOP: Sherwin Williams High Reflective White LRV 93
- 2ND DOWN: Benjamin Moore Super White LRV 87.36
- 3RD DOWN: Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace LRV 90.04
- BOTTOM: Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White LRV 82.68
Crazy, eh?The shift in these numbers might not seem HUGE, but on a large scale, you see these LRVs come into play – when there’s more WALL space for the color to come to life.
WHERE ARE WHITE PAINT COLORS POPULAR?
- TRIMS & DOORS
- CEILINGS
- CABINETS
- WHOLE HOMES (every room)
- WALLS (a trend)
- EXTERIORS (again, another trend)
Benjamin Moore White Dove LRV 83.16 / Antique Pewter LRV 25.4
OFF-WHITE PAINT COLORS & LRV
APPROX. 73-81
Off-white paint colors have LRVs between 73 and 81. The closer a paint color’s LRV gets to 82, the closer to white it gets.
For example, Sherwin William’s Creamy has an LRV of 81—this LRV puts it on the edge of the white range, and what it really is can be open to perception! Creamy looks warm white in this staircase (below), thanks to the gratuitous natural light (east-facing).
However, notice how different Creamy looks down near the carpet/landing on the same staircase.
In the above photo, Creamy looks less like a warm white and more like an OFF-white (which it is), especially when you compare it to the trim.
Why?
Because it’s not given as much natural light to reflect.
Another beautiful off-white is Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White. Whereas Creamy sits on the high end of the off-white range (closer to white), Aesthetic White has an LRV of 73, meaning it’s a bit darker and closer to the light range…
Being a darker shade of off-white compared to Creamy, you would see the contrast between Aesthetic White walls and white trim or cabinets much easier .
WHERE ARE OFF-WHITE PAINT COLORS POPULAR?
- CABINETS (currently a trend, but be careful!
- WALLS (single room, every wall)
- WHOLE HOMES (every room)
Sherwin William’s Moderate White LRV 74 – a popular off-white, beige paint color
The 10 Best Off-White Paint Colors
LIGHT DEPTH PAINT COLORS & LRV
APPROX. 55-72
Light-depth paint colors have LRVs between 55 and 72. Many of today’s popular colors sit between 60 and 70, and again. How light or dark they look on your walls depends on how much light your room gets. A room with tons of natural light could make an LRV of 65 looks more like 75. If you have a dark room, the lack of light could make an LRV of 70 look more like 60.
Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray has an LRV of 60, which is a great depth to start with if you’re not sure what you’re doing (you’ll likely want to go lighter from there rather than darker).
Spend some time looking at the above image and notice how Agreeable Gray looks on each wall space. It’s lighter on the right wall and more clay-like/darker on the wall space around the door.
Why does this matter?
You might want to adjust your LRV range to higher or lower depending on how light or dark your room is and how you want it to look.
- Even though light-depth paint colors have lower LRVs (compared to whites and off-whites), they can still COMPLETELY wash out with direct hits of natural light.
- The light-depth range is the most POPULAR for the average home – specifically, THIS more condensed range.
- In a poorly lit room, light colors can look flat and drab and won’t come to life. You can supplement a bit with less neutrality and more color, but you have to work at it.
- In a well-lit room, a color with a high LRV can wash out where it gets direct hits of light. Just remember that this changes a lot as the day progresses, and you have to accommodate the rest of the walls, too, which might be more shaded.
This next photo shows Benjamin Moore Collingwood 859, which has an LRV of 62.14. This LRV means it will reflect some light into your room, making an average room with average light look reasonably bright but still soft. For example, look from the far left of the photo to the middle right and see how Collingwood changes its tune…and tone!
Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore Collingwood
If you have a bright room and you partner it with a lighter color (usually 55+ is where you’ll start seeing the reflective value kick into gear), you’ll have a lot of light bouncing around.
Why?
Well, not only are you giving your walls a lot of light to play with, but you’ve also chosen a paint color that likes to REFLECT light, as it has a higher LRV.
The higher a paint color’s LRV, the more light it will reflect.
This next photo is the same color as Benjamin Moore Collingwood, but this room has more moderate light…
WHERE ARE LIGHT-DEPTH PAINT COLORS POPULAR?
- WALLS (single room, every wall)
- ENTIRE HOMES (every room)
- CABINETS (currently a trend)
Here’s Agreeable Gray on painted kitchen cabinets with Sherwin Williams Snowbound (LRV 83) on the walls and Iron Ore (LRV 6) on the island…
The 11 Best Warm Neutral Paint Colors That AREN’T BEIGE!
Notice the drastic difference between the cabinets (60) and the island (6). And while the difference between the walls and cabinets isn’t that drastic (83-60), it’s still a noticeable shift.
LIGHT-MEDIUM DEPTH PAINT COLORS & LRV
APPROX. 40-55
Many consultants jump from light to medium, but there’s a HUUUUGE gap in the middle of colors that don’t read as either!
- Light-medium depth paint colors have LRVs between 40-55. They’re darker than light-depth paint colors without the more noticeable heft of medium-depth paint colors.
- Paint colors in the light-medium range hold up a bit better in OVERLY bright rooms. They’ll look lighter where the light hits but won’t wash out as much as whites, off-whites, and light-depth paint colors.
- The light-medium depth is great for those who want to show off moldings or create more contrast between their walls and trims.
My next client was sampling exterior colors with a range of LRVs…
The most important ones for this section are Requisite Gray (45), Versatile Gray (48), Comfort Gray (54), Imperial Gray (46) and Oyster Bay (44). While Comfort Gray is in the same light-medium range as these others, it’s on the higher/lighter end of the range (if you’re curious, Egret White sits at 70, so it’s an off-white, and Modern Gray is 62, so it’s in the light depths).
Did I just go too far? STORY OF MY LIFE! Let’s carry on.
As shown in this next photo, a light-medium-depth color like Sherwin Williams Anew Gray offers a nice contrast with the right white trim color.
Light-medium depth paint colors are a GREAT range to start when looking at exterior colors. Natural light can really wash out exterior colors, more so than the average room. This is why starting your exterior color journey in the light-medium range can be a great idea. While you might go lighter or darker, this range is a good starting point, as shown again, with Sherwin Williams Anew Gray…
WHERE ARE LIGHT-MEDIUM DEPTH PAINT COLORS MOST POPULAR?
- WALLS (single room, every wall)
- SOME ‘WHOLE HOMES’ (every room)
- CABINETS (somewhat popular)
- EXTERIORS
Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray: Paint Color Review
MEDIUM-DEPTH PAINT COLORS & LRV
APPROX. 20-40
Medium-depth paint colors have LRVs between 20 and 40. The lower the LRV, the darker the color.
Sherwin Williams Dovetail is shown on this next kitchen island (LRV 26) with Agreeable Gray on the walls (LRV 60)…
A paint color in the medium range will lighten up when given some light to play with (as shown below). Remember, every paint color has light reflectance (even dark ones; they just don’t reflect as much light). This also means that a room without much natural or artificial lighting may look heavy as the LRV isn’t strong enough to grab the minimal light offered.
Kylie M E-Design and Online Color Consulting
- Medium-depth paint colors are great for overly bright rooms. ANY paint color will look lighter when light hits it, but the darker a color is, the more it will stand up to an overly bright space.
- This range is popular for feature walls and exteriors but can look amazing on ALL of the walls in a room!
- Paint colors with medium-range LRVs reflect a moderate but not obscene amount of light, especially in the middle of the range. So, while medium-depth colors can look a bit darkish on a small scale, on a larger scale (wall), they can look a bit lighter if given a reasonable amount of light. AND REMEMBER, the quality of light changes throughout the day, so sample carefully and look at it on all walls in various lights.
- In a poorly lit room, medium-range LRVs can look flat and drab, especially neutral ones.
- 50+ is the range where the paint colors really start reflecting light into the room. The closer you get to 100, the more light the color will reflect.
- In a room with poor lighting, paint colors in the 50+ range will take ANY light they can and reflect it into the space but don’t expect any screamin’ glory. Often, it’s better to add a bit more color to help counteract the shade vs. going with a more standard neutral paint color.
Long story short – lighting matters.
Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray island LRV 23.33
Benjamin Moore Metropolis LRV 24.46
WHERE ARE MEDIUM-DEPTH PAINT COLORS MOST POPULAR?
- FEATURE OR ACCENT WALLS
- WALLS (single room, every wall)
- CABINETS (somewhat popular)
- KITCHEN ISLANDS
- EXTERIORS
How to Brighten a Dark Room – AND IT AIN’T WITH PAINT!
MEDIUM-DARK PAINT COLORS & LRV
APPROX 10-20
Just as with light-medium depth paint colors, medium-dark paint colors are the ‘happy mediums’ – literally. Medium-dark colors are darker than the average medium-depth paint color but don’t have the depth of traditional DARK paint colors.
Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray (shown with White Dove cabinets) is a medium-dark gray paint color. Notice how it looks more muted on the top portion of the wall but lightens up where the light hits.
WHY?
Because even though its LRV is LOWER, it still reflects light. This means that when hit with light, a color like Amherst Gray will reflect some light back!
Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray LRV 17 is another popular dark, warm gray paint color…
Gauntlet Gray walls (LRV 17), Snowbound cabinets (LRV 83)
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray
WHERE ARE MEDIUM-DARK PAINT COLORS MOST POPULAR?
- FEATURE OR ACCENT WALLS
- CABINETS (somewhat popular)
- KITCHEN ISLANDS
- EXTERIORS
DARK PAINT COLORS & LRV
APPROX 2-10
These are the heavy hitters. While not all of these are black, once you get down under 6, you better be ready for a wickedly dark color.
Sherwin Williams Cyberspace (shown below) is pretty darn dark with an LRV of 6. In a WELL-lit space, this color can look soft, stunning, lighter, and more colorful as the undertones come up. However, in a low-light room, it can look closer to black and lose some of its color/hue.
- Paint colors with a lower LRV will reflect SOME, but not tons of light. If a color’s LRV is 10, it will absorb a lot of light and reflect a smaller amount into the room. If it’s 20, it will reflect more than 10, but still not much. If you want a dark color to look lighter, give it A lot of light.
- IN A BRIGHT ROOM, a darkerpaint color will appear lighter, and you may notice the ‘color’ and undertones more. This is because you’re giving the paint color more light to reflect.
- IN A DARK ROOM, dark color won’t come to life as much and won’t reflect light (as it hasn’t been given any, and it has a low LRV to boot, double-whammy). In fact, dark colors can almost look blackish in dark rooms.
This next room shows Cyberspace again. Notice how it changes in color and depth from left to right, based on how much light it’s receiving…
Compare the wall space on the far left to the far right. No light = no reflective value…
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Cyberspace
In this next photo, notice how Benjamin Moore Hale Navy (LRV 8.36) changes as the amount and quality of light change…
As for black, one of my favorite shades is soft black called Sherwin Williams Iron Ore, coming in HOT with an LRV of 6. Check it out on the end of this kitchen island…
Now, compare the previous photo to the backside of the island…
Cool, eh?
Now, let’s go big or go home with Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black and it’s low LRV of 3…
The Best Black Paint Colors
WHERE ARE DARK PAINT COLORS MOST POPULAR?
- FEATURE OR ACCENT WALLS
- CABINETS
- KITCHEN ISLANDS
- EXTERIORS
- FRONT DOORS (INSIDE & OUT)
WHAT’S THE BEST LRV FOR A DARK OR LOW-LIGHT ROOM?
Choosing a light paint color may be a better choice for a dark room if you want to brighten it, but it will not save the day—you need actual light for the paint color to play off of and reflect. One way to add brightness to a dark room, along with LRV, is to choose a color with more chroma/color vs. a more standard neutral paint color (and/or improve your lighting).
This next photo shows a room painted in Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter (LRV 55.51). Notice that there isn’t an abundance of natural or artificial light, which affects how Revere Pewter looks – it’s LRV isn’t being used very well…
In this next photo, the bedroom is also painted in Revere Pewter…
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
The above room has a good amount of natural light on the left side, making Revere Pewter look more like it should and the room looks brighter (the bathroom is Wickham Gray). On the right side of the photo (outside of the entrance to the bathroom), there isn’t as much natural light, and you’ll see that Revere Pewter looks darker.
Let’s look at an off-white like Benjamin Moore Classic Gray, a warm gray. With an LRV of 74.78, Classic Gray will reflect a considerable amount of light, lightening and brightening a space. Notice how it washes out completely on the left side of the photo (around the TP) and softens up to its natural self on the wall space behind the vase…
Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
TOO much light washes colors out, especially off-whites. Not enough light dulls any color.
WILL NATURAL LIGHT AFFECT MY PAINT COLOR’S LRV?
Natural light won’t change your paint color’s LRV; it is what it is, but the more light you give a color, the more light it will REFLECT, especially if it has a higher LRV. The LRV is what it is; giving your paint color light helps it come to life!
This dining room (below) is painted Sherwin Williams North Star, which has an LRV of 62. Because the room has a lot of natural light, North Star looks a bit brighter than I’d expect, however…
The walls in the hallway/staircase are painted Sherwin Williams Pearly White, which has an LRV of 77 – meaning it’s on the higher end of the off-white range. The staircase doesn’t get as much natural light and the walls look more or less the same depth as the dining room!
This was the effect we wanted, so I’m not worried, but it goes to show how important your lighting situation is and how your paint colors LRV can make it or break it!
Colors with higher LRVs reflect MORE light; colors with lower LRVs reflect LESS light. But if you don’t GIVE them light, it won’t matter.
The less light in your room, the less light there will be to reflect. So, even if you pick a light color with a high LRV, if you don’t give it light to reflect, it won’t rise to the occasion, which goes back to one of my favorite sayings (I have about 80)…
No paint color will save you if you don’t have enough natural or artificial light.
This next entryway is painted Sherwin Williams Fleur de Sel, a beautiful off-white/light depth gray with blue-green undertones. Even though Fleur de Sel has a reasonably high LRV of 72, with the reduced light in this entryway, it looks a bit flat and stormy…
Now, if I do a bit of editing and add some light…
Of course, you can’t edit your home, but you can update your lighting to have more bulbs, the right Kelvins and higher-quality bulbs!
PEOPLE ALSO ASK…
WHEN YOU LIGHTEN OR DARKEN A PAINT COLOR, DOES ITS LRV CHANGE?
HECK YES, it does. Any change you make to a paint color will change its roots, and the LRV will go higher or lower, depending on how much you change the depth.
Read more right here… .
WHAT IS A GOOD LRV?
It depends on the surface you’re painting and the look/contrast you’re looking for. Generally…
- THE AVERAGE SINGLE ROOM: LRV 60-65
- FOR EVERY ROOM IN AN ENTIRE HOME (PAINTED 1 COLOR): 60-65
- KITCHEN CABINETS: LRV 82-93
- FEATURE WALL: ANYWHERE FROM 5-50, BUT 30 IS A GOOD AVERAGE
- EXTERIOR: STARTING AT APPROX. 50
- FRONT DOOR: LRV 10
Again, the above numbers can be highly variable; these are just good places to start your color journey!
In this home bar, my client wanted moody as she called it her ‘bat cave’. But at the same time, we didn’t want it to look too heavy…
We settled on Sherwin Williams Still Water LRV 10 as the perfect dark blue-green blend. Also notice how much I love when my clients know my personal tastes, if you know what I’m sayin’…
On the other hand, this hallway has a range of light, going from NO natural light to an adequate amount…
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Antique White
We settled on Sherwin Williams Antique White LRV 72 as way to add warmth and interest in the dark areas, without making the lighter areas too yellow or overwhelming.
WHAT’S THE PERFECT LRV NUMBER OR RANGE?
What makes an LRV good or bad is subject to perception. For the average room, an LRV of 62 is a great place to start—read more about this HERE. In my opinion, the best range to start with is 60-70.
Sherwin Williams Egret White has an LRV of 70, putting it at the top of my recommended range…
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Egret White
IS A HIGHER OR LOWER LRV BETTER?
It’s all relative to the surface you’re painting and the room it’s in. A higher LRV of approximately 60-70 is better for the average room and homeowner. The white range (82+) is usually ideal for kitchen cabinets unless you want off-white, in which case you’re looking at 73-81.
However, if you’re talking about a feature wall, a higher LRV might not give you the contrast you’re looking for, so you’ll bump to the 40 range or lower (depending on the color on your other walls and the contrast you want).
WHAT’S CONSIDERED A HIGH LRV?
The higher the LRV number, the lighter the paint color. Paint colors with LRVs of 74+ (off-white and white paint colors) are considered HIGH LRVs.
WHAT’S THE BEST LRV FOR A DARK ROOM?
Again, color needs LIGHT to come to life. Generally, colors with high LRVs of 74 are better for dark rooms, but even those won’t look great if you don’t give them some form of light.
The 7 Best Light Paint Colors for a Dark Room
So there you have it – LRV in a big, fat nutshell.
PARTNER POSTS…
What Matters the Most When Choosing Paint Colors?
How to Choose the Right Kelvins For Your Paint Color
The 5 Blog Posts You Need to Read BEFORE Choosing a Paint Color
Still not sure what color to pick?
Check out my E-BOOKS and Online Color Consulting Services!
Originally written in November 2017, updated 2024
