What Is LRV in Paint? How Light Reflectance Value Works

Have you ever found what you thought was the perfect paint color, went to the store, brought it home, and painted only to discover it doesn’t look anything like you expected? There’s a scientific reason this happens, and when you understand why, it can transform how you approach color in your home. Light Reflectance Value, or LRV, is an often-used measurement that tells you how much light a color reflects or can absorb. Let’s take a closer look at LRV, so you can understand how to use it.

Understanding Light Reflectance Value

Light Reflectance Value or LRV ranges on a percentage scale from 0 to 100, with 0 representing an absolute black, which absorbs all light, and 100 representing a pure white that reflects all light. Most colors are found somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, and all have an LRV number printed on the back of the paint chip. You’ll usually see it as a simple number, such as LRV 63 or 12. This number tells you how a color will actually look on your wall more than almost any other factor.

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Why LRV Matters 

When I’m choosing color, I almost always start with LRV because it affects how a color looks in different lighting conditions and room sizes. A color with an LRV of 70 will make a room feel bright, open, and airy. That same color family with an LRV of 20 can create a cozy atmosphere, but may also make a small space feel cramped.

As you know, natural light changes throughout the day, and your artificial light fixtures add another layer of complexity. This means that a soft gray with an LRV of 60 might look lovely displayed in the showroom, under their bright commercial lighting, but look dimmer when painted in your bedroom with minimal natural light. It may even look dull and lifeless, forcing you to repaint again. For this example, the LRV hasn’t changed at all, but the amount of available light to reflect has diminished.

Breaking down The LRV Spectrum 

Let me break down the LRV ranges I work with most often. Colors with LRVs between 0 and 20 are those with deep, saturated hues like navy, charcoal, forest green, and chocolate brown. These colors will absorb more of the light that hits them, creating drama and depth. I love using them in large rooms with abundant natural light or in spaces where you want a sense of intimacy, like a formal living space or dining room.

Going up to LRVs ranging from 20 and 50, and you’ll find more medium-toned colors that offer the best of both worlds. These can be colors like soft taupe’s, sage greens, dusty blues, and warm terracotta hues. These have enough depth to feel substantial but will still reflect enough light to keep spaces from feeling too heavy. This is a versatile range that works well in most rooms.

Colors with LRVs ranging between 50 and 70 are your light, airy shades. These are the hues like soft whites, pale grays, light beiges, and pastel tones that make up the majority of wall colors in more contemporary homes. They reflect a lot of light, making the rooms they’re in feel larger and brighter. Finally, you can find LRVs above 70 that are reserved for the brightest whites and near-whites that maximize light reflection.

How Light Direction Transforms LRV

It is important to clarify that the direction your windows face changes how LRV performs in your space. North-facing rooms in the U.S receive a cool, indirect light throughout most of the day, which can make colors appear darker than their actual number suggests. In these spaces, I typically recommend colors with LRVs around 60 or higher to make up for the lack of bright, direct sunlight.

South-facing rooms are flooded with warm, consistent light all day, giving you more flexibility when it comes to choosing an LRV. In this environment, even colors in the 30 to 40 range can feel bright and welcoming. This is because there’s abundant natural light to reflect. East-facing rooms get beautiful morning light that’s often cooler and brighter, then it shifts to more indirect light in the afternoon. West-facing rooms do the opposite, starting out dim and ending the day with a warm, golden afternoon sun that can make colors appear much lighter and warmer than you might expect.

Adjacent Color Rule

Here’s something that sometimes catches people by surprise, and it’s the LRV contrast between adjacent rooms and surfaces that can affect how your colors read. If you paint a room with an LRV of 50 but your trim has an 85 number, that wall color will appear significantly darker than if you had used trim with an LRV of 70. Your eye constantly adjusts to the difference based on the surrounding contrasts.

You’ll also want to consider the LRV of flooring, cabinetry, and large furniture when choosing wall colors. A dark hardwood floor with an LRV of 10 to 15 will make colors appear lighter in contrast. If you have light oak floors with an LRV around 40, your wall paint needs to be chosen more carefully to avoid washing out the entire space or creating a lack of contrast that doesn’t look appealing.

Small Spaces and Your LRV Strategy

I’m sure you’ve heard the old rule about painting small rooms in light colors, and it isn’t wrong, but it’s a little incomplete. You’ll find that higher LRV colors of 60 and above reflect more light and make smaller spaces feel more open. However, I’ve seen inviting powder rooms and home offices painted in colors with LRVs of around 30 that feel perfect because the lighting was designed to work with the lower reflectance value. The key to this is understanding that low LRV colors in small spaces work best when you have adequate artificial lighting. If you’re trying to force brightness into the space, it will always feel uncomfortable. 

Testing Colors with LRV in Mind

When testing paint samples, I like to look at them at different times of day and under your room’s lighting conditions. It also pays to understand what you’re actually seeing. If you’re testing two grays, one with an LRV of 55 and one with an LRV of 65, the difference might seem subtle on a small sample surface. But when you paint it across an entire wall, it can mean the difference between a room that feels cozy and one that feels expansive.

To get a good read of your conditions, paint large sample areas of at least two feet by two feet on different walls in the room. Then watch how the morning light affects the sample versus the afternoon light. Notice how the color shifts as the available light changes, and realize that this isn’t the paint changing color; it’s the LRV doing exactly what it’s supposed to do with the available light.

Artificial Lighting and LRV

Your lighting fixtures also impact how LRV performs after dark. Warm-toned bulbs with a range of 2700K to 3000K make tones feel richer and can compensate to a degree for lower LRVs. Meanwhile, cool-toned bulbs that are 4000K and above enhance the reflective qualities of higher LRV hues but can make lower ones feel flatter and duller. With this in mind, a room painted in a color with an LRV of 25 will need more ambient lighting and carefully placed fixtures to prevent it from feeling closed-in at night. On the other hand, a room with an LRV of 70 might need dimmable fixtures, so you’re not overwhelmed by brightness during the evening hours.

The Finish Factor

The paint finish is another detail that affects how LRV impacts your space. A flat or matte finish will reflect less light, making the hue appear true to its stated LRV number. A satin or eggshell finish adds a sheen that can make the hue appear slightly lighter. Semi-gloss and high-gloss finishes will reflect light more directly, potentially increasing the perceived LRV by several points. As a general rule, I use flat finishes in low-traffic areas for the most accurate color representation, satin finishes in main living areas for minimal light-reflection alteration, and glossier finishes for the trim, doors, and cabinetry to create contrast and highlight the architectural details.

Creating Flow with LRV

When designing a whole-home color scheme, I use LRV to create intentional transitions between spaces. Moving from a room with an LRV of 70 to one with an LRV of 30 can feel jarring. Instead, I prefer to step down gradually, for instance, using 70 in the main hallway, 55 in the living room, and 40 in the study. This creates a natural flow that guides you through the home, but still allows each space to have its own character.

The 10-point rule is a general guideline that states you try to keep adjacent spaces within 10 to 15 LRV points of each other. The only reason you wouldn’t want this is if you want to create a dramatic transition deliberately for effect. Open floor plans require even more attention to their LRV because you see multiple colors simultaneously, and you want them to relate to each other without being disorienting.

Your LRV Action Plan

Start by finding the LRV of any colors you’re considering, and you’ll find that most paint manufacturers list this information online or on the back of paint swatches. Measure the natural light in your space at different times of day using an app like Lux Light Meter. Notice where the light is strongest and where there are shadows. Consider your existing elements, like the flooring, furniture, countertops, etc. These aren’t changing, so your wall color needs to work with them. Think about how you want each area to feel and use higher LRVs to create energy and openness, and lower LRVs to create intimacy and calm.

Avoid painting a sample and hoping for the best. Watch how the LRV performs throughout the day and under your artificial lighting at night. Trust what you see, not how it looks under the artificial light of a store or on a computer screen. 

Understanding how LRV works gives you the knowledge required to break the rules if you want. You can have rooms with dramatic contrast as long as the room has enough natural light to support it. Knowing how it works won’t make color selection foolproof, but it will give you a framework for making more informed decisions.

You’ll also want to consider the undertones of a color. For instance, having a room with a cool blue undertone may clash with your oak flooring. LRV tells you how much light reflects, while the undertones determine what color the reflected light shows. You can have two paints with the same LRV and find that they look different in the same room, because of their undertones. For example, a neutral gray may skew more green, blue, or purple depending on it. You’ve got to get them both right to match all of the other elements in your design.