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Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is a versatile warm gray paint color that delicately balances between gray and beige, offering a soft neutral gray backdrop perfect for a variety of interior styles. Often underrated, this color provides a subtle warmth, making it an excellent choice for various spaces including the dining room, family room, and even as a serene choice for the master bedroom.

Crushed Ice on bathroom walls.
Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice

What Color is Crushed Ice?

Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is an adaptable warm gray paint color that brings a unique charm to interior spaces. While Crushed Ice is a warm gray, it doesn’t veer strongly into beige or cream territories.

It’s more of a ‘stormy’ gray, meaning that while it has warmth, it’s not immediately apparent, showcasing its gray color with cool undertones when in cool northern light and a wonderful warm light paint color in sunnier exposures.

What is The LRV?

The LRV (light reflectance value) of Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is 66, positioning it right in the middle of the light range. This LRV makes it suitable for a variety of spaces, offering enough lightness to brighten a room without being too close to off-white.

However, its slightly higher LRV means it can wash out on well-lit walls, and in a dark room, it might appear a bit dingier due to its warm gray nature.


Tip

Intrigued by LRV? Learn all about LRV in paint colors and how it will help you choose the right color for your home.

Is Crushed Ice a Warm or Cool Color?

An entryway painted with crushed ice on the side of a staircase with a console table underneath.
Crushed Ice Entryway Wall by Kylie M. Interiors

SW Crushed Ice teeters between warm and cool, but is primarily a warm paint color with warm undertones.

It can display varying characteristics based on the light it receives. In cooler, northern light, it leans into its cooler base and undertones. Conversely, in southern exposure or afternoon western light, it softens and shows a warmer side.

Its dual nature makes it a versatile choice for different room orientations and lighting conditions, from rooms with a lot of natural light to those with little natural light.

What Are The Undertones of Crushed Ice?

Crushed Ice displays green undertones but can also flash hints of blue or violet undertones depending on the lighting and surrounding colors.

This flexibility with undertones makes it compatible with many of today’s popular white quartz and marble-look countertops, accommodating a range of undertones

Trim Color and Crushed Ice

I tend to think that bright whites look best with Crushed Ice. It pairs very well with Sherwin Williams Pure White and High Reflective White, providing a nice contrast and complementing its subtle warmth.

An empty living room painted with color crushed ice.
Crushed Ice in an Empty Living Room by Grayson Dare Homes

How Does Light Affect Crushed Ice

Lighting is really important when it comes to Crushed Ice. Different lighting can shift this color from warm to cool quickly.

In cooler northern light, it can lean more on the cool side with its undertones. In southern sun or warm western light, it becomes softer, leaning slightly warmer but not appearing overly warm.

SW Crushed Ice Exterior – a Good Choice?

Sadly, this color doesn’t transfer well outdoors. It is generally not recommended for exteriors, especially in sunny locations due to its LRV, which can wash out.

It’s less common to pair well with brick and even some stone. To avoid disappointment, I’d just use this on the interiors of your home!

dining room with crushed ice walls and white wainscoting.

Kitchen Cabinets and Crushed Ice

There are SO many beautiful shades you can paint your kitchen cabinets, but unfortunately I’d steer clear of Crushed Ice if your sole purpose is for cabinetry. It might be too light and non-committal for cabinetry, especially considering the current trends leaning towards soft whites and off-whites.

SW Crushed Ice Coordinating Colors

Pair Crushed Ice with muted off-whites and blue-green-gray blended colors for a color palette that complements modern styles. Most white paint colors, especially SW Pure White work well, but skip the creamy whites.

Looking to create a whole house color scheme? These colors coordinate nicely:

  1. Agreeable Gray (SW 7029) – A warm, soft gray with a touch of beige, making it an ideal greige that’s neither too gray nor too beige. It’s incredibly versatile and a bit warmer than Crushed Ice, ensuring a seamless transition between spaces.
  2. Sea Salt (SW 6204) – A light greenish-gray with calming qualities, Sea Salt brings a hint of color and a breath of fresh air into the scheme. It complements Crushed Ice by introducing a soft, nature-inspired vibe that works well in bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas.
  3. Repose Gray (SW 7015) – A neutral gray that sits between warm and cool, offering a slightly deeper tone than Crushed Ice. Repose Gray provides a subtle contrast that’s perfect for open spaces and hallways, maintaining the scheme’s cohesive look while adding visual interest.

Accent Colors

  1. Naval (SW 6244) – As a bold navy blue, Naval serves as a striking accent color that brings depth and sophistication. It pairs beautifully with the neutral wall colors and Pure White trim, ideal for accent walls, kitchen islands, or interior doors for a touch of drama.
  2. Coral Reef (SW 6606) – This vibrant, cheerful coral adds a pop of warm color, perfect for creating focal points in the home. Use Coral Reef in smaller doses, such as on a powder room wall, a piece of furniture, or home accessories, to inject energy and personality into the space.

What is a Benjamin Moore Equivalent to Crushed Ice?

Check out Benjamin Moore Moonshine for a similar color to Crushed Ice. It’s a very similar gray, however it does have a slight green undertone.

SW Crushed Ice vs. SW Big Chill

Crushed Ice has a higher LRV of 66, making it slightly lighter and airier compared to SW Big Chill, which has an LRV of around 64. This difference in LRV influences how much light each color reflects and how they feel in a space.

Crushed Ice leans towards warm gray with hints of green, blue, or violet undertones, while Big Chill is a cooler gray with subtle blue undertones. This difference in undertones can affect how the colors appear in different lighting conditions and how they interact with other colors in a room.

SW Crushed Ice vs. SW Silverplate

SW Silverplate has an LRV of approximately 53, which makes it notably darker than Crushed Ice. This lower LRV means Silverplate will absorb more light, making it a cooler and more substantial gray that can add depth to a space.

Silverplate is a cooler gray compared to Crushed Ice. It primarily exhibits cool undertones without the warmer, beige or green nuances that are sometimes noticeable in Crushed Ice. Silverplate can project a more neutral to cool presence, making it suitable for spaces where a clean, crisp gray is desired.

Don’t Forget…

Don’t forget – no matter what you’ve read or photos you’ve seen online, it’s really important to sample paint colors in your home before committing!

Samplize provides real paint samples that are easy to move around your home, and cheaper than buying a gazillion paint pots! It’s the only way I buy paint samples.

Final Thoughts

Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is a subtly warm gray that offers flexibility and a serene backdrop for various interior styles.

Its ability to adapt to different lighting conditions and pair with a range of complementary colors makes it a versatile choice for creating a light and inviting space.

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