Sometimes you want that admirable serene blue color that makes your space stand out positively. However, you do not want it to be too blue. So, you may want a color that balances blue and gray shades. So, in this situation, which color would be ideal?
Whenever I find myself in this scenario, I use the Sherwin Williams North Star. North Star SW 6246 brings that cool and crisp effect that eliminates my Monday Blues, helping me relax.
However, with its serenity and aesthetic beauty, North Star has so much going for it that would make you love it even more. To help you understand why more people are choosing North Star, we will answer all your questions about Sherwin Williams North Star SW 6246.
Table of Contents
What Color is Sherwin Williams North Star (SW 6246)?
| Manufacturer | Sherwin Williams |
| LRV | 62 |
| RGB | R: 202 G: 208 B: 210 |
| Hex Value | #cad0d2 |
| Color Collections | Live Well – Focus |
Is Sherwin Williams North Star a gray-blue or a blue-gray paint color? Well, this unique color has more blue than gray—therefore, it would be ideal to call it a Blue-Gray paint color. North Star is a light shade of blue with a gray feel and a tinge of crispness.
North Star SW 6246 works well when your goal is to bring out color while maintaining a neutral room. It plays into the tune when you use it as one of the colors in a beach house theme.
RGB of Sherwin Williams North Star?
The RGB is a scale measuring the amount of red, green, and blue that makes a specific color. This scale runs from 0 and tops out at 255.
North Star SW 6246 combines red: 202, green: 208, and blue: 210. As you would expect in a green color, the blue tone seems to be the most saturated.
LRV of Sherwin Williams North Star?
When interior designers want to measure the reflective ability of a specific paint color, the LRV—Light Reflectance Value—scale works perfectly. This scale starts at zero and increases as the reflective ability increases, topping out at 100.
Pure black sits at zero, reflecting zero percent light. Pure White sits at the top, reflecting 100% of the light. North Star, however, is just slightly above the middle region of the scale, with an LRV of 62.
Is Sherwin Williams North Star Warm or Cool?
As noted earlier, Sherwin Williams North Star is light blue with solid gray undertones. This essentially makes North Star a cool paint color.
However, the color can behave like a chameleon, changing to adapt to the room’s feel. Therefore, if you use North Star SW 6246 in a room with warm colors, it also tends to give a warm feeling.
What Are the Sherwin Williams North Star Undertones?
The primary color on SW 6246 is light blue. However, this color has some of the strongest gray undertones—this is why you may confuse North Star with a gray color on first look. However, Sherwin Williams North Star SW 6246 has no green undertones.
Sherwin Williams North Star Color Strip: Sherwin Williams North Star Color Comparisons
Sherwin Williams North Star SW 6246 has many colors close to it on the color strip. Since these colors closely resemble North Star, you may want to understand them to make the best choice for the color that ends up decorating your room. Below, we will look at the different colors neighboring North Star on the color strip and in general appearance.
Sherwin Williams North Star Vs. Krypton (SW 6247)
North Star and Krypton are blue-gray paint colors. However, Sherwin Williams Krypton is one shade darker than North Star.
Both colors will add a coastal feel to your room without overdoing it, making them ideal for a beach house. They add that shade of soft blue that creates a tranquil vibe without displaying that “too in your face” appearance.
As noted earlier, Krypton is slightly darker than North Star. Therefore, you would expect it to reflect less light. On the LRV scale, Krypton reflects 10% less light than North Star, with an LRV of 52.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Upward (SW 6239)
With an LRV of 57, Upward already reflects less light than North Star, which reflects 62% of the light. Like North Star, Upward gives a lighter appearance when you look at it in a room with excess sun rays. However, it seems grayish—meaning it has gray undertones like North Star—when you put it in a dark room.
Both North Star and Upward are cool colors—with blue as their prominent undertone, you can expect them to bring a certain level of coolness to any room. However, if you are worried about the colors making the room too cold, pair them with a warm color to bring in some warmth.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Online (SW 7072)
Unlike North Star, which has light blue as the leading tone, Sherwin Williams Online’s gray takes precedence. For this reason, you might easily miss the blue undertone in the SW 7072, depending on the lighting in a specific room.
Online SW 7072 sits in the first half of the LRV scale, reflecting 45% of the light. Compared to North Star, with an LRV of 62%, Online may be blander in darker rooms.
However, while North Star might feel washed out in extremely bright light, Online will not disappoint you in a room with excessive light. Both colors bring a cool feel to your rooms.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Misty (SW 6232)
Both Misty and North Star boast light blue as their leading tone. However, they differ in their undertones—the gray undertone in North Star is stronger than the one in Misty.
Both North Star and Misty lean toward the cool side. However, you can expect them to display a bit of warmth if you pair them with some warm colors in a room.
Both colors tend to look washed out when used outdoors. However, if you use them in a coastal or beach home, North Star and Misty can be easy outdoor choices as they have a tropical look paired with warm sunlight.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Rock Candy (SW 6231)
With an LRV of 75, Rock Candy reflects 13% more light than North Star. Therefore, Rock Candy might do better than North Star in a room with dimmer light.
While North Star SW 6246 has light blue as the leading tone, Rock Candy has light blue as its undertone. Additionally, Rock Candy might display a touch of purple undertones.
Due to its high reflective abilities, Rock Candy may not work well outside. In most cases, this color looks washed out in a space with too much light.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Icicle (SW 6238)
Like North Star, Icicle brings that cool and calm aura into your home. Icicle boosts deep blue undertones, adding a chilly vibe that can help relax a warm room.
On the LRV scale, the Icicle is much higher than North Star, reflecting 11% more light with an LRV of 73%. While the 73% light reflectance ability makes Icicle more ideal for dark rooms, it is also less suitable for bright areas—like the outdoors—where excess light can make it appear washed out.
North Star and Icicle behave more like a chameleon regarding coolness and warmth. Therefore, they can easily switch depending on the environment. If you think the colors make your room too cold, you can always change that pretty quickly with warm artificial light—for example, warm yellows or warm whites.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Evening Shadow (SW 7662)
Just like its name suggests, Sherwin Williams Evening Shadow boosts an appearance similar to that of a shadow. It creates an intriguing feel in a room.
Like North Star, Evening Shadow combines blue and gray tones, and in the case of Evening Shadow, Blue is more like an undertone than the leading tone. Both colors cool the hottest rooms, giving them a chilly vibe with their cool undertones.
These two colors are pretty close on the LRV scale. The North Star reflects 62% of the light, just 2% more than the Evening Shadow, with an LRV of 60%.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Gray Screen (SW 7071)
Sherwin Williams Gray Screen is a gray color that boasts blue undertones. Like North Star, Gray Screen is also a cool color that can balance out the warmth in any room. However, Gray Screen carries more notable character and depth than North Star.
Both North Star and Gray Screen boast a timeless appearance. A room painted in one of these colors will not go out of style. North Star reflects just 3% more light than Gray Screen, which has an LRV of 59, meaning Gray Screen will be slightly darker than North Star.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Jubilee (SW 6248)
Sherwin Williams Jubilee is just two tones above North Star—this makes Jubilee SW 6248 slightly darker than North Star SW 6246. This explains why Jubilee reflects 17% less light than North Star—while North Star boasts an LRV of 62, Jubilee has an LRV of 45.
Jubilee SW 6248 makes a room feel more significant than its actual size. Much like North Star, Jubilee also adds that unique tranquilizing vibe. Jubilee’s medium-light reflectivity ability and calm, cool undertones create a remarkable illusion of pushing the walls away, making the color ideal when painting small rooms.
Like North Star, Jubilee works well in a room with more warmth. Its hue balances out the saturation, releasing relaxed vibes that have a calming effect.
Sherwin Williams North Star vs. Daphne (SW 9151)
If you prefer a color with a more dominant blue tone, you might find one in Daphne SW 9151. Daphne is a smooth combination of gray and blue; in this case, the blue is more prominent, with gray sitting in the background.
The dark nature of Daphne explains why it reflects much less light than North Star. Daphne reflects 32% of light, 30% less than North Star, with an LRV of 62.
Daphne is perfect for well-lit rooms and the great outdoors. However, when you place it in a dark room, the color becomes bland—this is the opposite of North Star, which can look washed out in rooms with excess light but adds character to rooms with less light.
Sherwin Williams North Star Color Palette
Coordinating Colors for North Star
North Star pairs well with many colors. If you are using it in your home, here are some of the best colors that go hand-in-hand with this light blue-gray paint color:
Sherwin Williams Alabaster SW 7008
Sherwin Williams Alabaster is a warm, soft paint color that will balance out North Star’s coolness. The warm white paint color features a cream and soft yellow undertone, making its warmth stand out even in the coolest rooms.
If you are using Sherwin Williams North Star in a north-facing room where the light coming in makes the room too cold, you may want to pair North Star with Alabaster. Alabaster will offer the perfect balance, ensuring that the room is neither too cold nor too warm.
Alabaster boasts an LRV of 82, reflecting 20% more light than North Star, making it a perfect color for use together with North Star in a dark room. Alabaster will add character in a space where North Star would have looked too bland or dull.
Sherwin Williams Cadet SW 9143
Cadet SW 9143 is another exciting color that combines gray and blue undertones. The lighting in a room often determines the undertone that stands out. If you use Cadet, the gray tone will always show up more than the blue undertone in a well-light room.
If you combine Sherwin Williams North Star and Cadet in the same room, it would be ideal to do this in rooms with more light. This is because Cadet reflects only 31% of light, making it too dull in a room with no light.
Both Cadet and North Star are cool colors. Therefore, I wouldn’t advise combining them in a north-facing room. However, use the two colors in a south-facing room to balance the warmth.
Sherwin Williams Quicksilver SW 6245
Sherwin Williams Quicksilver is just one shade lighter than North Star, explaining why it reflects 13% more light with an LRV of 75. Quicksilver will add interest to a room when you combine it with North Star in a dimly lit room.
These two colors are so close in the color strip that they blend well when painted in the same room. However, you may not want to have the two colors in a north-facing room as both are cool—they may create a situation where the rooms have excess coolness.
The two colors will, however, perform well in a south-facing room. You can use them to balance the warmth and create a relaxed and cool atmosphere.
Sherwin Williams Storm Cloud SW 6249
When you look at a Storm Cloud for the first time, it gives the impression that it is blue. However, when you take a second look, you realize it’s more gray than blue. Therefore, just like Sherwin Williams North Star, it has blue and gray tones.
Storm Cloud and North Star differ in their ability to reflect light. Storm Cloud will reflect only 23% of the light. On the other hand, North Star will reflect 62% of the light. Therefore, when combining these two colors, put them in a well-lit room.
As you would expect with any color dominated by blue and gray undertones, Storm Cloud is a cool color. You will, therefore, want to pair it with another cool color—North Star—in a warm room. Both colors will perform exceptionally well in the south-facing room, helping balance the warmth.
Sherwin Williams in the Navy SW 9178
A luxe color that boasts splendor, Sherwin Williams In the Navy is a dark blue color that is pretty bold. It boasts an eye-catching backdrop that seamlessly enriches home areas, allowing them to flow with positivity.
This color is pretty low on light reflectivity. Reflecting just 4% of the light, it will not perform well in the dark—especially not when paired with North Star, which has medium LRV. The good news is that the two colors perform well in a well-lit room.
The colors boast a cool blue tone. Therefore, they will have a more appealing appearance if you use them in a south-facing room with a lot of warmth. The colors will use their blue tone to balance the warmth in these rooms, creating a chill vibe.
Sherwin Williams Pure White SW 7005
Pure White SW 7005 is one of the most popular, flexible, and versatile colors on the market—for many good reasons; one of them is that you can pair it with almost all types of paint colors.
While its name could suggest that Pure White is the True White reflecting 100% light, this is not the case. Pure White features an LRV of 84, reflecting 16% less light than True White.
Pure White features a passive, soft warmth that makes it perfect for pairing with cool blue colors like North Star. North Star will balance the warmth in Pure White.
Sherwin Williams Dustblu SW 9161
Dustblu SW 9161 combines steely gray and mystical blue, creating a lighter-toned color featuring a delightful mixture of gray and blue. It features deep cool undertones that make your room appear more significant than its size.
Dustblu boasts an LRV of 32, making it less ideal for a dim-lit room. However, combine it with North Star in a well-lit room, and you can be sure it will make a statement.
Dustblu and North Star are cool colors. Therefore, they would be ideal for adding a chill vibe in the south-facing rooms with too much warmth.
Sherwin Williams North Star Complementary Color
Your interior design project may demand a color that is 100% different from North Star SW 6246. In that case, you need the North Star Complementary color—the complementary color for North Star boasts a hex value of #D2CCCA.
This paint color currently does not have an official name. However, it is a light shade combining red and orange tones. On the RGB scale, this color boasts red: 210, green: 204, and blue: 202.
Mixing #D2CCCA and North Star will make the two colors lose their hues, turning black or White. When you paint the two colors next to each other, they display the most significant contrast.
What Trim Colors Go with Sherwin Williams North Star SW 6246
Sherwin Williams North Star is an easy-going paint color. You can use it with many trim colors. However, the trim colors that make North Star stand out include:
Sherwin Williams Dover White SW 6385
Dover White is a white paint color that displays strong yellow undertones. The yellow tint gives this paint color its warm appearance, creating a balancing effect on trims when paired with the cool light blue shade of North Star.
Dover White has an LRV of 83, reflecting 21% more light than North Star. Therefore, Dover White will make the trims stand out in a dark room. On the LRV scale, Dover White SW 6385 combines red: 240, green: 234, and blue: 220.
The yellow undertones in Dover White will give your trims an energetic and serene vibe. Combined with the cool North Star, they will make the room feel relaxed and even more spacious.
Sherwin Williams Bee’s Wax SW 7682
This is another color that brings some warmth to the coolness that resides in North Star. Bee’s Wax is an orange color that boasts strong yellow undertones that bring out its warmth.
On the LRV scale, Bee’s Wax can reflect 57% of the light. This is just 5% less than North Star—the two paint colors will collaborate well in a medium-lit room, considering they both have medium reflectivity.
On the RGB scale, red dominates the mixture making Bee’s Wax. In Bee’s Wax, the color features red: 234, green: 191, and blue: 131.
Sherwin Williams Quicksilver SW 6245
Maybe you want to maintain the same look on your walls and the trims. However, to make the trims stand out, you can use Quicksilver SW 6245. Quicksilver is one tone below Sherwin Williams North Star. It is also a mixture of light blue and gray.
The main difference between North Star and Quicksilver is in the LRV. Reflecting 75% of light, Quicksilver sits in the off-white range, reflecting 13% more light. With Quicksilver on the trims, North Star & Quicksilver blend in well, but Quicksilver will still make a statement.
Sherwin Williams North Star Benjamin Moore Version
Sometimes you may want to try out different brands but still maintain the same appearance. Benjamin Moore is one of the best brands and features colors almost similar to those on the Sherwin Williams Palette.
The Benjamin Moore paint color that looks like Sherwin Williams North Star is the BM Early Frost (CSP-590). On the RGB scale, Early Frost carries red: 201, green: 206, and blue: 209.
Sherwin Williams North Star and Benjamin Moore Early Frost boast a combination of blue and gray undertones—both cool colors. Both North Star and Early Frost reflect 62% of light.
How Does Light Affect Sherwin Williams North Star?
Light in north-facing rooms tends to be warm, making your Sherwin Williams North Star appear warm. The cool color balances out the warmth in the north-facing room.
In a south-facing room, the light allows the cool undertones to shine. In this case, gray and blue will show, creating a cool, relaxed vibe. If the light in the south-facing room is not excessive, it will not make North Star look washed out.
Luckily, if you are concerned that light can mess up the appearance of your North Star in a room, you shouldn’t. You can always use artificial light to create an environment that allows your North Star to stand out positively.
Best Rooms to Paint Sherwin Williams North Star SW 6246
Sherwin Williams North Star Bathroom
Sherwin Williams North Star Bedroom
Sherwin Williams North Star Living Room
Overview
Sherwin Williams North Star is a cool color combining gray and light blue tones. It works well in south-facing rooms where it can balance the warmth from the southern light.
You can still use North Star SW 6246 in a north-facing room. You will, however, need to combine it with a warmer-toned color to balance out the hue and keep the room from getting too cold.
With an LRV of 62, North Star can work in all rooms. However, it tends to work well with medium-light rooms—that is, light that is not so bright that the color becomes washed out and light that is not too dim that North Star becomes bland.
I hope this article has answered your questions about Sherwin Williams North Star. If I did miss some questions, let me know in the comments. I will answer these questions immediately.
Sherwin Williams Eider White (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
Sherwin Williams White Duck (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
Sherwin Williams Softened Green (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
Sherwin-Williams Pussywillow (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
Sherwin-Williams Natural Choice (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
Sherwin Williams Coastal Plain (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
