Ever admired a paint color that constantly changes its appearance? Maybe from slightly a blue to a green to notably blue-green?
Well, yes – that’s quite common with some colors!
And one such prime example is Sherwin Williams Riverway.
This is a complex dark blue-green paint color that also shares similarities with teal and dark turquoise.
Believe it or not – this paint color tends to alter its appearances in every lighting condition.
So, it’s super important for you to figure out the variations and possibilities of blues in SW Riverway before you actually pick this paint color.
Other than that, this paint color is timeless and will always stay as the trends come and go.
This beautiful shade also mimics the texture and hue of water – which, in a way, brings you and your space an inch closer to nature.
It’s clean, crisp, and quite refined – and will magically change the vibe and appearance of your space.
So, are you planning to paint a fresh coat of SW Riverway in your bedroom, exteriors, living room, or kitchen?
Well, I have got you covered!
This color review will help you make informed decisions around this paint color and how, where, and when to use it!
So, let’s get started!
Sherwin Williams Riverway SW 6222 Details and Specifications
Especially for a paint color like SW Riverway, it’s utterly important to analyze the color specifications and details.
After all, there is some difference between the teal blues, turquoise blues, steely blues, icy blues, baby blues, and green blues – learn more here!
And you can notably differentiate them all with the help of specifications.
Yes, you might have to go through various decisions, comparisons, and discussions to make informed decisions.
After all, not every blue is alike. And there are considerable differences in each color that you observe on a swatch.
If you are new here, let me tell you – there are quite some facts and scientific terms that you would want to acquaint yourself with. (Before choosing a paint color for your home)
It’s important to analyze these values and then determine where, when, and how to use these paints!
So, first and foremost, one of the most important terms that I usually observe getting ignored is Light Reflectance Values (LRV)!
Every color has an associated Light Reflectance Value!
For Sherwin Williams Riverway, the LRV is 16!
Which falls on the darker end of the scale – but not too dark like SW Naval!
Remember, the lesser the value, the darker the paint color is!
And vice versa!
Another tip: If you want to easily try out Riverway to see how it will show, you can with a peel-and-stick sample from Samplize. Pick up your samples here!
Moving ahead, let’s discuss the RGB and HEX Values of the color.
Red = 93
Green = 114
Blue = 116
HEX Value = #5d7274
Now that I am concluding, I promise not to bore you with these scientific details anymore.
Let’s talk about the practical aspects of this blue-green paint color.
How Does This Color Feel in a Space?
Sherwin Williams Riverway is bound to make your space feel calm, composed, tranquilized, cool, and characteristic.
The bold and dark blue-green paint color gives the walls a sense of identity, depth, and blissful drama – which therefore can make your home feel extraordinary and awe-inspiring.
So, you can definitely use this paint color to create an illusion of a smaller space and at the same time, exhibit a sense of crispness and spaciousness.
If you’re struggling with a humongous-sized space, painting this color on all the walls can help solve your issue!
Furthermore, you can always choose to use this paint in any climatic condition since it doesn’t strictly confine to a particular saturation.
Although it’s better for warmer climates (coastal areas or even dry south-western regions).
How Does Light Affect the Color?
Light has a major role to play in Sherwin Williams Riverway!
Of course, due to obvious reasons – the light will bring out the various faces of this particular blue paint – blue-green, teal, and dark blue.
As such, this beautiful dark paint color has a unique personality of its own.
In some lighting conditions, it appears slightly more blue than green and vice versa.
And, it appears slightly warm in the south or west-facing rooms whereas cool in the north-facing rooms.
And that’s why it’s important to analyze the color swatch in various lighting conditions to determine its true hue and behavior.
Lastly, this paint color further looks phenomenal with warm white lighting through the chandelier, pendant lighting, and wall sconces.
I’ll have to say again, the absolutely coolest way to check a color like this out in your home is with a wall sample from Samplize. Buy yours here.
What are the Best Coordinating Colors?
Now comes one of the best sections to talk about!
Creating color palettes is quite a fun task to do. (And this is what I am consulted for).
So, it’s crucial for you to choose the best complementary colors in order to define a palette that looks appealing and well-balanced.
SW Riverway can be best paired with icy blues, lighter grays, mustard, and clean and cool whites.
Regarding metallic accents, I like the feel of brushed brass, glossy gold, or copper.
However, you have to be careful as to what vibe you need in your space for a perfect color combination.
So, I am going to enlist the two most popular color schemes here – monochromatic and contrasting.
So, here are a few of the colors I would recommend for a monochromatic palette!
- SW 6220 Interesting Aqua
- SW 9134 Delft
- SW 6221 Moody Blue – see my full guide on Moody Blue
On the other hand, here are a few of the colors I would recommend for a contrasting color palette!
- SW 6225 Mountain Air – see my full guide here!
- SW 7004 Snowbound – see my full guide here!
- SW 6099 Sand Dollar
For your ceilings, trims, and moldings – SW Extra White or SW Pure White will help protrude a true hue of SW Riverway.
SW Riverway Vs Similar Colors
Although you must know that even though these following colors look similar, they might still differ in the undertones or reflectivity!
So, one of the closely related colors is SW 7624 Slate Tile and BM CC-754 Polar Jade!
Let’s see how all of them differ.
Riverway Vs Slate Tile
Even though these two colors have a blue-green shade, at the same time, the latter paint has more notable blue undertones than green.
With an LRV of 15, this paint color is equally dark and deep – thus, giving you space an eye-catchy and roaring character. Be sure to check out my full guide on SW Slate Tile!
In a way, this paint color feels more cool and calm – so, highly recommended for warmer areas.
Order peel and stick samples of these colors here to help you compare these colors in your own living spaces.
Riverway Vs Polar Jade
A perfect symbol of glam, Eclecticism, and richness – this shade of blue-green paint is utmost stark and contrasting.
It’s not too subtle like SW Riverway – rather, makes a great statement in the Glam style interior design spaces.
With an LRV of 13.25 – this paint color is equally dark and bold.
Try out the looks of these colors in your own home with a some temporary wall samples. You can find them here!
Where to Use Riverway?
Sherwin Williams Riverway has the potential to make a breezy, airy, and yet characteristic statement in every corner of your home.
Whether it’s the exterior shiplap wall, kitchen cabinets, living room walls, bedroom accent walls, or the window frames – this is a great chameleon blue-green paint you can consider.
So, let’s have a look at these tips and tricks!
Riverway in Living and Dining Rooms
Especially if you have an admiration for coastal interior design, this is a great color choice for the accent wall.
You can further pair it with clean whites, lighter grays on the fabric, off-whites, tinges of black, and raw wooden textures.
Don’t forget to hold back from rattan and wicker textural details along with a few refreshing indoor plants in the corners.
Just in the case of a fireplace, you can choose white exposed brick or white natural stone cladding.
Using in Bedrooms and Bathrooms
This serene shade of blue and green can magically transform the vibe of your bedroom.
Yes, it can absolutely make it feel more composed, calm, and somewhere that you would love to come back to, after a long, hard-working day.
Furthermore, you can add raw and rustic wooden finishes on your furniture frame, accent chair, along with a cozy and comfortable off-white shag rug to create a welcoming aura.
On your throw pillows, it’s important to pick a vibrant hue like mustard or burnt umber to create a striking and visually appealing palette.
Riverway in Kitchens
SW Riverway is a great color recommendation for kitchen cabinets. (Upper as well as lower)
You can best pair it with clean whites on the backdrop wall, a gray granite countertop, and ample rustic wooden textures on the floating shelves.
For the backsplash, you can either choose something minimal like glossy tiles or a set of patterned tiles that make your kitchen more breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
Hardwood floors are good to go but you can even choose tiles per se.
Using on Exteriors
Whether you have a traditional style or Craftsman, Coastal, Ranch, or transitional – Sherwin Williams Riverway makes a wonderful, bold, and charismatic statement.
You can paint the shiplap walls in this color and choose to paint the trims and moldings in pure white.
Furthermore, you can choose gray for the shutters, door and window frames.
Do you want to make your home exteriors look even more interesting? Well, add cherry reds or mustard on the front door to make it stand out.
What’s the Best Way to Sample This Color?
So now my favorite tip when it comes to testing out a versatile color like Riverway – go and order a peel-and-stick sample from Samplize.
They’ve created an awesome way to sample colors with real paint, but no mess. Simply stick on your paint sample instead of having to get a test can of actual wet paint.
For only a few dollars you get a good sized square to throw up temporarily anywhere you want to “try” on your color, other similar colors, and any possible coordinating hues you like. It’s great!
So, how do you want to use this color in your homes? Interiors or Exteriors?
Now you see, SW Riverway has much more to offer! And you will never even regret it.
Should there be any questions or thoughts, let us know in the comments below!