SW 7647 Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice

About Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice

If you’ve ever been completely overwhelmed by selecting a gray paint color, you’re not alone. Grays are nearly as challenging to select as whites. With hundreds of options, going into a paint color selection without any colors in mind is a recipe for disaster. Today, we’re going to look at an underrated, yet versatile warm gray paint color, Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice. Even though its name implies it might be cool (more on its undertones later), Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is one of the most reliable go-to colors for a beautiful, warm neutral gray. When used as an all-over paint color, Sherwin William’s Crushed Ice creates an inviting feel to any space.

SW Crushed Ice is a soft neutral gray that is considered a top paint color for Sherwin Williams. It’s a part of several collections including the Top 50 Paint Colors and the Minimalist collection. Let’s explore the strengths of this paint color and see if it’s the right fit for your color palette.

How Light or How Dark is Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice?

We always want to know how a color is going to look once on the walls and SW Crushed Ice is a very medium gray. It’s not really light or really dark. It’s a nice middle-of-the-road gray that might even lean a little light when compared to some other gray paint colors. 

What is the LRV?

The Light Reflectance Value or LRV of Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is 66.

LRV is a useful tool for determining how light or dark a paint color is (100 being the whitest white and 0 being the darkest black). Keep in mind that “light” refers to Light Reflective Value, meaning the amount of light reflected. The more reflective the color, the brighter it will appear. This medium gray has an LRV of 66. Compared to another popular medium gray paint color, Repose Gray with an LRV of 58, Crushed Ice is a tad lighter so it reflects a bit more light giving it a softer finish.

Is Crushed Ice a Warm or Cool Color?

I’m glad you asked! Undertones are really important when selecting paint colors, especially in gray shades. Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is a warm paint color which feels a little odd because Crushed Ice makes me think of a cool color. That being said, in western light Crushed Ice appears warm and softens slightly. In southern, cooler light, Crushed Ice can lean a tad cool so keep lighting in mind when selecting this paint color.

What Undertones Does Crushed Ice Have?

Every gray paint color has undertones. Some are more subtle and I think SW Crushed Ice has very subtle undertones creating a perfect base. It has some slight yellow/green undertones yet, not so much that the color appears beige or greige. In cooler light, it can show a slight blue or violet undertone but overall it’s very neutral. If you are looking for a cooler paint color for a cool space, Crushed Ice can work. 

It’s a really great idea to stick paint samples of your desired color in the space you’re thinking about painting and check in on it at varying times throughout the day to get a true, accurate idea of what the color is going to look like in your space. Consider using large posterboard for samples instead of stick samples to give yourself a more accurate idea of the color.

Crushed Ice in Real Spaces

We can talk about paint colors endlessly but no words work as well as just seeing the paint color in real spaces. How does it look in a bathroom? What about on kitchen cabinets? Let’s dive in and see what Crushed Ice looks like in real spaces!

Check out Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice in this family room. It’s the softest gray that looks lovely in contrast with bright white trim and accents.

Sometimes Crushed Ice can look a little washed out with a lot of natural light. In the foyer above, I think Crushed Ice is at it’s very best. It has the perfect amount of depth and contrast with the white trim and accents.

With an abundance of natural light Crushed Ice softens up considerably. In such lighting, having bright white trim makes the gray really pop.

How about Crushed Ice painted on kitchen cabinets? It’s an A+ from me. The cabinets above appear white with just a touch of depth. If you look above at where the cabinetry meets the ceiling you can see very clearly the contrast between the cabinets and the ceiling.

I’ve mentioned that Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is a great “all over” paint color. These images are a perfect example of that.

What are some Complementary Colors to Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice?

Crushed Ice goes really well with white paint colors, some browns, and dark taupe colors, it can also work with some blue-gray paint colors as well. You’ll want to use a bright white trim as a contrasting color to Crushed Ice to make the color really pop. 

Where to Use Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice?

SW Crushed Ice is a perfect paint color for interiors. I would consider it a nice “all over” paint color but it’s especially nice in a living space with a lot of natural light and in bathrooms. It even can work on cabinetry as we saw above. With little natural light, the color appears with more depth so if you have spaces that lack natural light you may still enjoy this color with its cool hint of color. It’s a great color for different home styles including coastal, traditional, and even modern styles. Keep in mind, I don’t think it’s a perfect color as an exterior paint color because it can be easily washed out with the harshness of sunlight. 

What are Some Alternative Gray Colors to Crushed Ice? 

While there aren’t really any super similar colors to Crushed Ice, there are some colors that you can consider as an alternative. 

Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice vs. Sherwin Williams Repose Gray

Let’s compare SW Crushed Ice with a designer favorite, SW Repose Gray. When Crushed Ice is held up next to Repose Gray it is slightly deeper in color. Like Crushed Ice, Repose Gray is warm with a touch of coolness. Repose Gray is a favorite gray paint color for good reason. Its undertones are beige, taupe, and brown giving it the depth that is so loved. Comparatively, Repose Gray has an LRV of 55 while Crushed Ice is at 66 which is considerably lighter. I think you’ll find that Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is slightly softer but still a really nice neutral gray.

Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice vs. Sherwin Williams Passive

Let’s compare SW Crushed Ice with a cooler medium gray, SW Passive. Also in Sherwin Williams’ Top 50 Collection, Passive is a lovely alternative to SW Crushed Ice. Sherwin Williams Passive is a calming gray paint color with cool undertones that give it a light and airy feel. It has an LRV of 60 which is a touch darker than Crushed Ice. Both colors are medium gray hues but they give completely different feels. Crushed Ice brings a touch of cozy warmth while Passive provides a more airy feel. If you are looking for something a little less warm, Passive is a fantastic alternative!

Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice vs. Sherwin Williams Big Chill 

There aren’t many colors that are side-by-side comparisons to SW Crushed Ice but, SW Big Chill is pretty close. Sherwin Williams Big Chill has a very similar LRV to Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice at 62 to 66 respectively. Big Chill, however, is significantly cooler with blue undertones. Both colors are lovely medium gray hues but if you want a touch of coolness then I’d go for Big Chill over Crushed Ice.

Final Thoughts on Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice

To wrap up, Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice is versatile! It’s a warm gray paint color that works well in any space because it’s super inviting. It’s got some subtle undertones but they don’t appear is an obvious way. If you are looking for the perfect neutral warm gray paint color then Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice has to be on your list of paint colors to sample!