Sherwin Williams Reflection – Too Gray Or Too Blue?
Choosing the right paint for your space isn't always easy. Even if you know you want a specific color, there are often many shades to choose from, so gaining knowledge about what makes each color unique is essential to making the right choice. - That's where I come in.
Here we'll walk you through what you need to know about Sherwin Williams Reflection (SW 7661) so you'll know if it's a gray blue paint color you should consider.
Blue gray paint colors can act as a perfect neutral that can transform your space into a sophisticated and elegant retreat. You'll find them available in a wide range of shades, from vibrant Krypton to soft North Star, so you can easily find the right color to complement your existing decor or create a whole new look.
Let's find out what makes Sherwin Williams Reflection special and what it has to offer your home.
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What Color Is Reflection Sherwin Williams?
The name alone inspires a meditative calming effect, which is exactly the mood Reflection by Sherwin Williams captures as a cool and sleek blue gray neutral. For that reason, SW Reflection is more in demand for bedrooms and bathroom walls than it is for kitchen cabinets, main living area and hallways or as an exterior paint color.
What are Sherwin Williams Reflection undertones?
Reflection Sherwin Williams undertones lean strongly into its gray side with a hint of blue in the undertone. (In contrast Sherwin Williams 2024 color of the year, Upward is a blue gray shade that is much more blue.)
You'll definitely want to sample SW Reflection to test how it looks against your existing decor elements, like cabinets and flooring, before you make a commitment. Just click to get a peel and stick sample of SW Reflection - or any other paint color. It's that simple!
Looking to test paint colors but don't want to paint? Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples from all major paint brands delivered to your door so you can put them up on the wall with no mess.
What is the LRV of Reflection by Sherwin Williams?
Understanding LRV is important. LRV means Light Reflective Value (on a scale of 1-100) and it impacts how you see the colors, both outside and indoors under natural and artificial light. The higher the LRV, the more likely the paint is to reflect light and pick up the colors around them.
The LRV of SW Reflection is 66. (You can find this number on the back of the Sherwin Williams fan deck or color chips.) An LRV of 66 means the color is a bit lighter than average and will look lighter in rooms if lots of natural or artificial light is hitting it.
Sherwin-Williams Reflection Vs Other Blue Gray Paint Colors
By their nature, blue gray neutrals are cool, so if you're on the hunt for warmer neutral colors, head to my reviews of popular Sherwin Williams greige paint colors and top Sherwin Williams white colors for a list.
Let's compare SW Reflection with some of their "cool cousins" in the blue gray category.
SW Reflection vs Passive
Both SW Passive 7064 and Reflection have more gray than blue and are on the lighter end of the gray blue scale. Besides blue undertones, Passive has hints of purple and green which make it more likely to change under certain lighting conditions. Passive can even look a little stormy, while Reflection is a more peaceful shade.
SW Reflection vs Misty
These two are similar, with SW Misty 6232 being a touch darker and leaning more heavily into the gray side than SW Reflection. Both colors are easy to work with and your choice really comes down to what your interior design style is and your whole house color palette.
SW Reflection vs North Star
North Star by Sherwin Williams and SW Reflection 7661 are relatively light shades and North Star definitely has a bit more blue than Reflection. Both are great choices for a cool color palette, work well in large or small rooms, and pair well with a cool white trim like Sherwin Williams Pure White.
More great blue gray paint colors
Photos of Rooms With Sherwin Williams Reflection Color Palette
Be cautious about using Reflection SW 7661 as a primary exterior paint color as it can wash out in the sun and lose its hue. Reflection really comes into its own in bedrooms and bathrooms, or any room where you want to create a soothing mood.
The examples below will give you a general idea of how SW Reflection will interact with other colors and in various rooms. Let's pretend we're walking through a model home, starting with the entry.
Entry with Sherwin Williams Reflections
Understanding undertones is vital to choosing the right paint because they can be sneaky. This homeowner ended up surprised when Reflection's blue undertones showed up in her entryway. You can avoid this surprise by knowing how to easily identify undertones in this post.
Reflection Sherwin Williams living room
In contrast, Sherwin Williams Reflection paint appears grayer in this living room by Cynthia at Darling Down South. She choose Reflection for the living room, parlor and hallways because it felt true to their early 1900s home era. Trim around windows and baseboards is Sherwin Williams Pure White.
Kitchen walls SW Reflection
Reflection on the walls offers a sophisticated neutral in a gorgeous white kitchen illustrated by Sherwin Williams on their website (the only photo in this collection that's not from "real life" homes).
Sherwin Williams Reflection dining room
Brooke and Summer from Identical Living quickly and easily updated their clean and contemporary dining room in half a day with a $30 can of SW Reflection paint. Reflection is light enough to play well against the dark wood furniture and flooring, but has enough hue to provide contrast to the white board and batten.
Bedrooms with Sherwin Williams Reflection Gray
If you think this striped wall nursery is Reflection gray Sherwin Williams paired with white stripes - surprise! Reflection gray is the lighter color and SW Cityscape is the deeper gray. (Wanna know how to paint perfect stripes on walls? I've got the easy tips on this post!)
Sabine from Sabine's New House says her new favorite neutral is Reflection due to its balance between cool and warm. In this bedroom, Reflection feels elegant and timeless, creating the perfect backdrop for architectural details and room furnishings to take center stage.
Bathrooms with 7661 Reflection Sherwin Williams
Reflection on the walls offsets this stunning shade of blue along with the gold metals in the custom bathroom by Musser Home Builders.
Reflection definitely picks up the blue from that vanity and mirror, while in this hall bathroom refresh by A Lovely Living, the gray shade is more dominant.
Colors That Go With Sherwin Williams Reflection
According to Sherwin Williams, Reflection works well with a lighter trim color like Ice Cube because it has a slightly blue tone. Any crisp cool white like SW Extra White or High Reflective White will also bring Reflection's calm gray hues to life. For accent colors and contrast, consider these shades:
- SW 6252 Ice Cube
- SW 9161 Dustblu
- SW 9178 In the Navy
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