Sherwin Williams Opalescent SW 9686
Contentsshow +hide -
- Opalescent for bedroom (1 photo)
- Opalescent for living room (7 photos)
- Sherwin Williams Opalescent for bathroom (2 photos)
- Sherwin Williams SW 9686 on kitchen cabinets (4 photos)
- Sherwin Williams Opalescent reviews (9 photos)
- What are Sherwin Williams Opalescent undertones?
- Is Opalescent SW 9686 cool or warm?
- How light temperature affects on Opalescent
- Monochromatic color scheme
- Complementary color scheme
- Color comparison and matching
- LRV of Opalescent SW 9686
- Color codes
- Color equivalents
| Code: | SW 9686 |
| Name: | Opalescent |
| Brand: | Sherwin Williams |
| Collections: | Emerald Designer Edition - Classic + Collected |
What color is Sherwin Williams Opalescent?
Sherwin Williams Opalescent SW 9686 is a very light gray with a subtle cool, blue-leaning cast visible in its #dfe0e3 color value. Its pale depth keeps it close to off-white, but the gray presence is clear enough to give walls a clean, lightly shaded appearance. In bright daylight, Opalescent can read crisp and airy; under warmer lamps, it may look softer and more neutral. Use it in bedrooms, bathrooms, or open living areas alongside white trim, pale oak, brushed nickel, and charcoal accents. It is especially suited to full walls and ceilings where a gentle contrast from bright white is wanted.
Opalescent for bedroom
We’ve hand-picked a beautiful collection of photos of this amazing grey shade used in real bedrooms. Take a look and imagine how this wonderful cool light paint color could transform your own bedroom space.
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Opalescent for living room (7 photos)
Check out this stunning light color used in real living rooms. Explore how this grey shade can create a unique space
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Sherwin Williams SW 9686 for bathroom (2 photos)
Looking for inspiration for your dream bathroom renovation project? These beautiful handpicked photos will show you this delightfully cool light grey real bathrooms.
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Sherwin Williams SW 9686 on kitchen cabinets (4 photos)
Want a stylish kitchen? View real-life photo examples of this fascinating cool grey hue is paired with backsplashes, countertops, and hardware.
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Sherwin Williams Opalescent reviews (9 photos)
View the photos of real spaces painted with this grey that were not included in specific categories. Close-ups, painted furniture, storages and dressers, hallways, stairs and ceilings.
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What are Sherwin Williams Opalescent undertones?
Opalescent is a light, near-neutral neutral off-white. Its chroma is so low that assigning a specific hue-based undertone would be misleading. Because it is close to neutral, nearby surfaces and the color of the light can noticeably change how warm or cool it appears.
HEX value:
RGB code:
223, 224, 227
Is Sherwin Williams Opalescent cool or warm?
warm
cool
With a hue of 225°, this Grey leans cool, but it is near the neutral line and may feel warmer in certain lighting.
SW 9686 Opalescent HSL code: 225, 7%, 88%
Hue - degree on a color wheel from 0 to 360. 0 is red, 120 is green, and 240 is blue.
Saturation is expressed as a percentage. At 0%, it appears as a shade of grey, and at 100%, it is in full color.
Lightness is also a percentage value. 0% is black, and 100% is white.
How light temperature affects Opalescent
Natural Lighting. During the day, natural light shifts from about 2000 K at sunrise/sunset to 5500–6500 K at noon.
In addition, natural-light temperature depends on its direction:
| Direction of sunlight | Visible temp. | Hue | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Cool | Bluish | All day |
| East | Warm | Yellow | Before noon |
| West | Warm | Orange-red | After noon |
| South | Warm | Orange-yellow | All day |
Artificial Lighting. When choosing bulbs, pay attention to their color temperature in Kelvins.
Use the slider to see how this Grey shade looks under different lighting:
4000K
Coordinating colors.
Colors that go with Sherwin Williams Opalescent:
Monochromatic color scheme
This scheme consists of various shades, tints, and tones of a single color. While it offers a perfect combination of hues, without accent décor it may become monotonous.
Lighter shades
SW 9686
Opalescent
Darker shades
SW 9686
Opalescent
Complementary color scheme
This color scheme is a combination of two shades that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The high contrast between these colors creates a vibrant and dynamic visual effect. For the color Opalescent with a blue hue, complementary colors are those with a orange hue close to 45, such as Sherwin Williams Griffin and Warm Stone.
LRV of Opalescent
Opalescent has an LRV of 74.64% and refers to Off‑White colors that reflect a lot of light. Why LRV is important?
Light Reflectance Value measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from a painted surface.
Simply put, the higher the LRV of a paint color, the brighter the room you will get.
The scale goes from 0% (absolute black, absorbing all light) to 100% (pure white, reflecting all light).
Act like a pro: When choosing paint with an LRV of 74.64%, pay attention to your bulbs' brightness. Light brightness is measured in lumens. The lower the paint's LRV, the higher lumen level you need. Every square foot of room needs at least 40 lumens. That means for a 200 ft2 living room you'll need about 8000 lumens of light – e.g., eight 1000 lm bulbs.
Color codes
We have collected almost every possible color code you could ever need.
Not sure what the difference between HEX and RGB is? We break down color models in plain language. Understanding color models
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HEX | #dfe0e3 |
| RGB Decimal | 223, 224, 227 |
| RGB Percent | 87.45%, 87.84%, 89.02% |
| HSV | Hue: 225° Saturation: 1.76% Value: 89.02% |
| HSL | hsl(225, 7, 88) |
| CMYK | Cyan: 1.76 Magenta: 1.32 Yellow: 0.0 Key: 10.98 |
| YIQ | Y: 224.043 I: -1.56 Q: 0.722 |
| XYZ | X: 70.949 Y: 74.545 Z: 83.303 |
| CIE Lab | L:89.18 a:0.204 b:-1.577 |
| CIE Luv | L:89.18 u:-0.728 v:-2.454 |
| Decimal | 14672099 |
| Hunter Lab | 86.34, -4.414, 3.233 |
Color equivalents
2118-70
Heaven
Benjamin Moore
SW 6539
Soothing White
Sherwin Williams
SW 9687
Blue Iris
Sherwin Williams
PPU16-06
Lilac Mist
Behr
N540-1
Script White
Behr
MQ3-31
Dutch White
Behr
SW 6812
White Iris
Sherwin Williams
N100-1
Enigma
Behr
2119-70
Full Moon
Benjamin Moore
SW 6532
Aura White
Sherwin Williams
2117-70
Dreamy Cloud
Benjamin Moore
2130-70
Seattle Gray
Benjamin Moore
1401
Nosegay
Benjamin Moore
SW 6540
Starry Night
Sherwin Williams
MQ3-59
Will O The Wisp
Behr
1436
Whirlpool
Benjamin Moore
SW 6238
Icicle
Sherwin Williams
PR-W01
Mystical Mist
Behr