It is usually easy to pick paint colors for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and other parts of your house. However, we usually forget that not every color scheme that works for other rooms is suitable for a hallway. This is especially true if you have dark hallways.

So, how do you pick the best paint color for a dark hallway? It is not as simple as selecting light colors from a palette. Fortunately, we have a solution as we have researched and picked the best ones from top brands for easy selection.

Why Is the Paint Color in Your Dark Hallway Important?

You may be wondering what the importance of the paint used in a dark hallway is. Why not simply put more light bulbs to brighten the place? You must remember that every paint color has a light reflectance value (LRV). This value is what determines how much light the color absorbs or reflects.

Picking vibrant colors for your hallway does not automatically translate to a bright hallway. Sometimes, bright colors have low light reflectivity. The same is true for whites, off-whites, and light grays. Light neutrals do not always have high LRVs. Therefore, you must carefully choose the paint colors you use in a dark hallway.

Understanding LRVs

The light reflectance value of any paint you choose must be high enough to throw the smallest light into the hallway. The value goes from 0, which is the darkest end, to 100, which is the brightest end. The closer to 100 the LRV of the paint is, the more capacity it has to make the hallway bright.

As mentioned, not all light neutrals have high LRVSs. So, while you may be tempted to pick a neutral paint color, you must check its LRV before deciding on it. You may find that another color has a higher LRV and appears aesthetically better than that neutral.

If you use trims in your hallway, note that some colors contrast better than others. For example, if you use a light paint color with a dark or wood trim in the hallway, the contrast is high, but it makes the place look smaller and busier. Nevertheless, in many cases, the result is amazing. The same is true for dark paint colors with light trims.

But when you use light paint colors with light trims, the contrast is low and the hallway looks brighter and wider. Keep this in mind when selecting colors, whether they are for the entire walls, trims, or both. Alternatively, put more light fixtures and bulbs in the hallway to brighten it.

13 Best Paint Colors to Brighten a Dark Hallway

Take a look at the best paint colors to make your hallway brighter. We picked the colors from Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore.

7 Best Paint Colors for Dark Hallways from Sherwin Williams

1. Origami White SW 7636

You do not have to look far for an excellent paint color that brightens your dark hallway. Sherwin Williams’ Origami White with its cool violet undertones adds style and brightness, with an LRV of 76. This color works even better if paired with saturated colors.

With an RGB color code of 229, 226, and 218, Origami White is as close to a perfect neutral as it can get. The best colors with which to coordinate it are Spalding Gray and Anew Gray. Wood tones also work with this color, especially if you want to use them on trims.

2. Alabaster SW 7008

Alabaster is bright and slightly warm, which are excellent attributes of any paint color of choice for a dark hallway. You want to keep the place light, airy, and warm with a little crispiness for a perfect balance. And Alabaster is the perfect choice for it.

With an LRV of 82, you already know how bright the color will be in the hallway. Alabaster has an RGB color code of 237, 234, and 224 respectively. Coordinate it with colors like Dakota Wheat and Townhall Tan for the best results.

3. Pure White SW 7005

You do not want white that looks too bare or stark, and Pure White is your go-to color in that case. It has a nice and high LRV of 84, meaning it will make the hallway brighter than usual. With the right lighting, Pure White changes everything in that space.

So, go for it if you want to enhance the look and feel of your hallway and other rooms in the house. Pure White has an RB of 237, 236, and 230 respectively, showing an almost perfect color balance that creates neutrality. Coordinate it with colors like Perle Noir and March Wind from Sherwin Williams.

4. Creamy SW 7012

We know how similar to Pure White this paint color appears, but believe us when we tell you that they are different, especially when applied. Creamy has an LRV of 81, which is quite high, and its undertones are more pronounced than those of the former color. Nevertheless, it is such a pretty color for a hallway or trims to brighten the place.

Creamy has an RGB color code of 239, 232, and 219 respectively. Its neutrality is one of the most loved features, making it popular among interior designers. Pair it with colors such as Reynard and Studio Taupe to complement its warm tone.

5. Rock Candy SW 6231

This color undoubtedly blends well with any decor or trim, whether you want to use it in other rooms or only the hallway. Rock Candy is a beautiful color and we love how it makes any room pop. Check out how it performs with other colors in this bathroom decor by Decorated Life.

Still in doubt? Rock Candy has an LRV of 75, and we already know the importance of how much light a paint color reflects. Match it with In the Navy, Dustblu, or Pure White, especially considering its RGB color value of 222, 225, and 223 respectively. Little wonder it was the color of the month for September 2020.

6. Clean Slate SW 9621

Like Rock Candy, Clean Slate is a bright white paint color with a hint of blue. It is a perfect neutral color that matches other colors, whether they are soft pastels or saturated hues. If you want to keep it light and simple, Clean Slate is your best choice.

With an LRV of 76 and an RGB color code of 224, 227, and 226 respectively, you can coordinate Clean Slate with In the Navy or Pure White to add some character to the hallway or any room of choice.

7. Shoji White SW 7042

White does not have to be bland. Hints of color can spice it up, and Shoji White falls in this category. It has a warm color that invites you in with its coziness. The off-white color looks great in natural and artificial lighting.

Shoji White works well with many other colors, whether cool or warm. This may have something to do with its neutrality – check its RGB color code of 230, 223, and 211 respectively. It has an LRV of 74, so pair it with colors like Perle Noir, Fawn Brindle, and Pure White, all from Sherwin Williams.

6 Best Paint Colors for Dark Hallways from Benjamin Moore

1. Swiss Coffee OC-45

Make your hallway inviting and cozy with Swiss Coffee. There is a great chance you will want to use the same color for other rooms when you see how warm and sophisticated it is. Swiss Coffee is a popular off-white paint color because of how it complements other colors.

It has an LRV of 81.91, which is high enough to reflect the smallest light from any source. With an RGB color balance of 238, 236, and 225 respectively, pair this color with Fossil and Newburg Green or White Drifts and Lush.

2. Stonington Gray HC-170

Stonington Gray is one of those light gray paint colors that blend with every color. This is why the official website calls it ‘an all-purpose gray’; use it in your bedroom, sitting room, powder room, or hallway.

With white trims, it performs even better than when it stands alone. Although it has an LRV of 59.36, Stonington Gray is too light to be ignored. That is why we recommend lighter colors for trims or other walls when considering the color. It has an RGB color code of 202, 203, and 197. Therefore, it works well with other Benjamin Moore colors like Puritan Gray and Chantilly Lace or Lychee and Decorator’s White.

3. Lychee AF-40

Now, this is what it means to warm up your space with your paint color. Do it well or leave it alone; Lychee is such a vibrant white that reminds us a bit of a strawberry milkshake. It is a great dark hallway color because of how well it performs in natural and artificial lighting.

It has an LRV of 81.34, which is pretty high for such a warm and full white color. With an RGB color code of 246, 237, and 221 respectively, consider matching this color with Boudoir and French Press or Chantilly Lace and Nimbus.

4. Silken Pine 2144-50

This green is soft and cool, especially with a hint of silver in it. With an LRV of 74.02, Silken Pine is bright and nice, almost like the color of lime, only softer. We recommend it for a dark hallway because of its beautiful and unique shade.

Silken Pine has an RGB color code of 224, 227, and 212 respectively. This means the color has more green than red or blue. Coordinate it with Cloud Nine and Normandy or Cloud White and Tate Olive to get the best out of it.

5. Edgecomb Gray HC-173

You cannot get it wrong with this warm taupe paint color, and it is not only because it is neutral. Interior designers love Edgecomb Gray because it slides away from the stereotypical grays and taupes to provide such warmth that you cannot ignore it. This hallway on Pinterest is painted all Edgecomb Gray and looks amazing.

Edgecomb Gray has an LRV of 63.09, which is not exactly very high, but it is well above the middle point. And with an RGB color code of 217, 211, and 196 respectively, match this beautiful taupe color with Boothbay Gray and White Heron or Pashmina and Dove Wing.

6. Chantilly Lace OC-65

Chantilly Lace features a lot as a matching color because of the absence of undertones. We know that every color has undertones, even if it is only a little. And Chantilly Lace is no different, but the undertones are almost imperceptible, even when placed against white or compared to other colors.

And because of this, it fits perfectly well into any color scheme. With an LRV of 90.04, Chantilly Lace has the highest LRV on our list and probably one of the highest from Benjamin Moore. You know what that means for a dark hallway. It also has an RGB color code of 244, 246, and 241 respectively, so match it with White and Horizon or Seapearl and Edgecomb Gray.

Conclusion

It does not have to be difficult to select a paint color for a dark hallway. And while you may want to pick any light color, the LRV is crucial to the result you get. So, we have reviewed the best 13 paint colors for that purpose from Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore, and you cannot miss it with these choices.

Most of these colors have LRVs, with Chantilly Lace having the highest. However, you do not have to settle for just neutrals. Pair them with saturated colors if you do not mind having a narrower look in your hallway.

Let us know your thoughts and share your experience with us in the comments section.