The Simple Hack a Paint Expert Swears By to Choose the Right Color
There’s a lot more that goes into selecting a paint color than just flipping through a fan deck and choosing the prettiest hue. You might be well versed in the differences between glossy and matte finishes and water- and oil-based paints, but have you ever thought about how a color’s light reflective value (LRV) affects your choice? Turns out, it matters — a lot.
“Light reflective value predicts how light or how dark a color will look [on] a surface,” says Emily Kantz, color marketing manager at Sherwin-Williams. “[It’s] a good indicator to gauge the depth of a color,” says Hannah Yeo, senior manager of color marketing at Benjamin Moore.
It’s good to know that a light reflective value can help you understand how a color will work in a room. But you probably have a few more questions about how to fully grasp this concept, like whether there are “good” and “bad” LRVs and which LRVs work best for different types of projects.
To help you know exactly what you’re looking for in a gorgeous shade of paint to make your space shine, here’s a breakdown of a what light reflective value is — and what it means for your next home project.
What is a light reflective value?
Understanding the definition of this value is a good place to start to get a grasp on the concept. Kantz simplifies it: “A paint color’s light reflective value is the measured amount of visible light each shade reflects and is measured on a scale of 0%, or no light, to 100% of all light,” she explains.
“You can think of this scale as going from pure black to pure white,” Kantz says.
Yeo points out that light reflective value is one of the three properties every color has: hue, chroma, and value. “Hue is where a color falls on the color wheel, and chroma is how saturated or intense a color is,” she explains.
“Light reflective value is calculated solely from value and is not influenced by either hue or chroma,” Yeo says. “Understanding [light reflective value] helps you anticipate how light or dark a color will appear in a space,” she adds.
How are light reflective values measured?
A color’s numerical light reflective value is typically measured with a spectrophotometer. “The specific wavelengths reflected determine the color seen,” Kantz explains.
“Darker pigments absorb more light and have a lower light reflective value, while lighter pigments reflect more light and have a higher light reflective value,” she says.
Most paint brands clearly state a shade’s light reflective value on paint packaging, but Kantz has an even easier way to suss out a color’s brightness or darkness. “When you look at the color wheel or fan deck, the colors that are at the top of the fandeck leaf typically have a higher light reflective value,” she says. “They are lighter in value and will reflect more light than darker colors within that same strip.”
How to Select a Light Reflective Value for Your Home
While finding the “right” light reflective value for your room comes down to personal preference, you can start with deciding what you want the overall vibe of the room to be. “Lighter colors are often seen as more calming and are commonly used in bedrooms and bathrooms, while darker colors can add drama and are popular for dining rooms or home offices,” Kantz says.
If you’re working in small spaces, Yeo recommends selecting a shade with a light reflective value of at least 60 to make the space appear “open and bright.”
Meanwhile, if you’re seeking a bolder design, look for paint colors with opposite light reflective values. “Colors with similar values may lack contrast, so creating distinction can help to enhance the design,” Yeo shares. “Pairing an off-white wall with a brighter trim color adds a purposeful touch.”
In addition to keeping your design aesthetic in mind, you should also pay attention to the other elements in home. “Consider natural light and lighting fixtures — especially when working with lighter hues,” Yeo says. “Surrounding colors, such as adjacent room colors, lush greenery outside, and warm ambient lighting, can significantly influence the final appearance,” she says.
Even with an understanding of light reflective value, paint pros say you should always do the wall test before committing to a color.
“Paint a large swatch on the wall, and observe it at different times of the day and under different lighting conditions,” Kantz says. “This will give you a true sense of how the light reflective value affects the color in your specific environment,” she explains.
Further Reading
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