I’m actually working on another one to talk about LRV a bit more as I’ve had several of the same questions come up, so there’s definitely more work to be done on that topic!Hi Kylie! The lower the LRV number is – the darker the colour is. That’s LRV in action – friggin cool! Didn’t even know there was a thing called LRV. That said, white is tricky! I live in Florida, near the beach, so we would like to keep the color light. In New Zealand, most of our homes are made of traditional timber boards. One kitchen wall was a dark red, with all the dark cabinets and a dark brown and yellow floor that saw better days 20 years ago.
You find many beautiful whites in the 70-85 range that are perfectly wonderful for your home’s exterior. In some rooms, my clients find it too cold blueish toned whereas in other rooms it gets some green mixed in there. What works at one’s house, may not work at another house due to LRV. Seems strange to me… INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR See where the natural light HITS Dorian Gray? Paint colors in the 60-100 scale are considered a higher LRV. Actually, it is in my genes as my mother and sister have the same issue. I have made so many regrettable choices of the years :(. Light paint colours will have a higher LRV (approx 60+ range). For example, in a hot climate if you want your home to absorb less heat you would use a lighter LRV (of 50 or higher) and smoother finish. So, if you’re painting your house white, you better understand LRV.Let’s talk LRV…LRV stands for light reflectance value (may also be called light reflective value). LRV runs on a scale from 0% to 100%. I’m saving this.Thank you Kylie! An absolute black or perfectly reflecting white … It's mostly applicable to lighting design; it's good for managing the quantity of light in a space and contrasts. This would be a darker color that isn’t as reflective.
Everyone needs to read this. You better understand LRV. In architecture, light reflectance value (LRV), is a measure of visible and usable light that is reflected from a surface when illuminated by a light source. It’s also one of the most overwhelming! The main floor has a very large south facing window that catches lots of direct light and no shade at all. I love how you explain things in a no-nonsense way!
And if I don’t figure it out soon, I’ll be hiring you for color recommendations. Understanding a bit about LRV will help you in selecting the correct shade of white, or any paint color, for your environment. thanks,Hi Karen, thank you for your patience! So, even if you choose a colour with a high LRV, the lack of light will affect how bright that colour will look.Choosing a light paint colour 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 colour to play off of and This next photo shows a room painted in Benjamin Moore Whereas in this NEXT photo, the bedroom (painted in Revere Pewter, same as above) has a good amount of natural light on the left side, bringing the look of the paint colour UP and making the room look brighter (the bathroom is Let’s take a look at an off-white like Benjamin MooreFor how important LRV is to the average paint buyer, I’m surprised some paint companies haven’t made it EASIER to find it.So, here are the LRV locations of a few of the popular paint brands (or ask a store employee)…Here’s what it looks like on the back of the Sherwin Williams colour strip…Good question! I’m saving this article in a PDF for reference. I’ve also rounded the numbers off to save your sanity. That said, it depends how much direct sunlight hits your home and what fixed elements are there to stay.I don’t know if tricky is the right word; however, colors with a higher LRV can be challenging.
In a WELL-lit space, this colour can look soft, stunning, and a bit lighter and more colourful as the undertones come up. Clare Paint readily displays their LRV values whereas I had to message Backdrop’s customer service to attempt to get this information. You just saved me a lot of stress and paint samples! When low LRV paint colours are used, timber movement is exacerbated and the paint film becomes …
This can GREATLY affect your room The less light there is in your room, the less light there will be to reflect. I plan on using warm gray but will be sure to check the LVR first!Thanks for tbe “411”. A lower LRV means that this paint color will absorb more light than what’s reflected back.Paint colors 40-60 are considered a medium LRV.
The measurement is most commonly used by design professionals, such as architectural color consultants, architects, environmental graphic designers and interior designers.. LRVs are frequently reported on paint chips or paint samples. There is more information about the paint color by clicking In conclusion, understanding LRV is important before jumping into painting your home’s exterior. This makes me a bit twitchy, but makes for MUCH easier learning.Now, let’s get into the actual LRV ranges.
Thanks. Paint colors 40-60 are considered a medium LRV.
Thanks!Love this article! I have spent so much timing staring at 100 “white paintWahoo – just the type of email that I like to get! Basically the lighter a colour is, the higher the LRV is. Keep up the good work!Wow, what a lovely note to get – thank you! I’d love to give you the smarty pants scientific answer, but I’m afraid there isn’t one. Six sample paint swatches and two weeks later I find your blog and youtube videos…mind blown! I’m going to do that…I’m also going to send you an email in the meantime with some photos, so you don’t have to wait!Wait, I just realized that I do have a blog post on it!