Gray is one of the most versatile colors in home decor.
It’s the go-to choice for minimalistic and modern rooms, as it adds just the right amount of depth to a space while keeping it airy and light.
But here’s the thing:
There are over 100 variations of light gray alone!
Although the difference is subtle, they reflect light and color in ways that may impact the overall feel of your room.
I’ve used and experimented with dozens of gray shades throughout my career, but the light gray color that never failed my expectations is Valspar Tempered Gray.
With its subtle blue-gray undertones, it adds a cool and bright aura to a space.
In this article, I’ve listed everything you need to know about this simple but impactful color, including its effects on lighting and the best coordinating colors.
Let’s dive right in!
Valspar Tempered Gray 4004-1A Technical Characteristics
Valspar Tempered Gray 4004-1A is a cool gray color with subtle blue-gray and beige undertones.
It’s light, harmonious, and ethereal, making it a wonderful cool-tone paint to have in your home.
Tempered Gray is one of the most flexible grays you can get your hands on. It works with a ton of color schemes and themes, from classic to romantic.
Its cool gray color comes off fresh and crisp, with a slight hint of iciness that elevates the temperature of the room.
With an LRV (Light Reflectance Value) of 66.64%, Tempered Gray falls on the lighter end of the scale.
For the uninitiated, the higher the LRV value, the lighter the color and vice versa.
Knowing the LRV rating of color will help you decide just how much light you’ll need in a room to make the color really shine—but more on that later.
Moving ahead, let’s take a look at the color’s RGB, CMYK, and HEX Values help us with color matching:
- RGB Decimal: (Red) 215, (Green) 213 (Blue) 207
- CMYK Percentage: (Cyan) 0.00, (Magenta) 0.93, (Yellow) 3.72, (Key) 15.69
- HEX Code: #D7D5CF
How Will Valspar Tempered Gray 4004-1A Make Your Home Feel?
Tempered Gray is a cool but inviting color. With faint beige undertones, it adds a sense of earthy comfort, tranquility, and calmness to a space.
Thanks to its high LRV, this color makes the room appear much larger than it actually is.
It’s a great color for small apartments, lofts, and rooms.
The cool-gray hue also makes a room feel nice and chilly without taking away the sophistication of the space.
So if you live in warmer regions, Tempered Gray is one of the colors I highly recommend.
It creates an illusion of a lighter, airier, and fresher space!
The Effects of Lighting on Valspar Tempered Gray 4004-1A
Lighting is one of the most important aspects of home decor. Without the right lighting, your paint color won’t shine as it’s meant to.
Both natural and artificial light affects the color of Tempered Gray.
Tempered Gray is a reflective color, so it doesn’t need quite as much light to brighten up a room.
However, you do need a decent amount of light to maximize the color’s effect in small rooms.
The positioning of the room also plays a major role in the effect of light.
In north-facing rooms, its blue-gray tone appears more prominent, making the space look even more cool and crisp.
The color looks a bit more grayish in south-facing rooms. The coolness of the color becomes a touch softer without removing its brightness.
In west-facing rooms, the color appears darker, warmer, and cozier.
Other Similar Colors to Consider
Tempered Gray shares a lot of similarities with other cool-gray paints and neutral beiges.
The colors appear similar, but if you take a closer look, they’ll differ in undertones or reflectivity.
Here are two of the closest alternatives to Tempered Gray:
Valspar Tempered Gray vs. Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice
With a name like “Crushed Ice,” you’d think that the Sherwin William alternative is just as cool, if not cooler, than Tempered Gray—but this is actually far from the truth!
When placed side-by-side, you’ll notice that SW Crushed Ice is leaning more towards the warmer end of the scale.
It has deep beige undertones, which appear more prominent when bathed in natural light.
SW Crushed Ice has an LRV value of 66.87%, so it reflects just about the same light as Tempered Gray.
It also has the same effect in a space; it makes a room look bigger, bright, and airier!
SW Crushed Ice is a fantastic alternative for those who want to add a warmer vibe to their room.
Let’s take a look at its technical specs:
- RGB Decimal: 214, 211, 204
- CMYK Percentage: 0, 1, 5, 16
- HEX Code: #D6D3CC
Valspar Tempered Gray vs. Behr Close Knit
If you’re looking for a slightly darker alternative to Tempered Gray, Behr Close Knit is a color to consider.
With an LRV 64.97%, Behr Close Knit is just a touch darker than Tempered Gray. The difference becomes more apparent when the two paint colors are placed side-by-side.
Unlike Tempered Gray, which has cool blue-gray cool undertones, Close Knit has warm green-gray undertones.
It adds a calming nature vibe to a room, especially when paired with shades of brown and green.
Here’s an in-depth look at its technical specs:
- RGB Decimal: 211, 211, 206
- CMYK Percentage: 0, 0, 2, 17
- HEX Code: #D3D3CE
What Colors to Coordinate with Valspar Tempered Gray 4004-1A
Now that we have lighting and technical aspects out of the way, let’s start coordinating colors!
There are a plethora of color options to choose from depending on the scheme you’re going for.
Here are some suggestions:
Light Coordinating Colors
If you want your room to look bright and cozy without taking away its crispness, I recommend this color palette:
- Valspar Cream in my Coffee 3003-10C
- Valspar Wet Pavement 5006-2A
- Valspar Dove White 7002-7
Tempered Gray will be your main backdrop color, covering about 60% of the room.
Cream in my Coffee adds a touch of color to an otherwise monochrome palette, so it works well as a secondary or texture color.
Wet Pavement works nicely as an accent, but don’t overdo it as it may dampen the brightness of the space. Use no more than 10% of this color in your room.
For trims and moldings, you can’t go wrong with Dove White.
Dove White goes fantastically with the earthy undertones of Tempered Gray.
Monochromatic Coordinating Colors
A monochromatic color scheme not only makes your room look bigger but also creates a harmonious, visually cohesive appeal to a room.
Plus, it allows colored focal points to truly shine!
Here’s what I recommend for a monochromatic scheme:
- Valspar Journey 6010-1
- Valspar Granite Dust 5006-1C
- Valspar The North Wind Blows V140-5
- Valspar Ultra White 7006-24
This scheme is bold and dramatic whilst simultaneously being soft and elegant—perfect for modern-themed rooms.
Use Valspar Ultra White for your trims to make the wall color really “pop” with the monochrome scheme.
Complementary Coordinating Colors
If you want to highlight specific parts of your room, like an accent wall or a piece of furniture, this color palette is an option to consider.
- Valspar Cathedral Stone 4003-2A
- Valspar Smoky Pitch 4007-4B
- Valspar Silver Leaf 4006-1A
- Valspar Dove White
The opposing color of this palette naturally draws the viewer’s eye. It also creates a dynamic look that makes the colors look brighter and more vibrant than they actually are.
For the trim colors, use Dove White to balance out the vibrant colors of the room.
Best Places to Use Valspar Tempered Gray 4004-1A in Your Home
Tempered Gray works in every room in the house, which is why I love working with it so much!
It quite literally goes anywhere, from the bathrooms to the dining areas.
Here are some of the best places to use this color:
Bathroom
Tempered Gray makes a space brighter and bigger, making it a brilliant choice for small bathrooms.
Painting the bathroom with this color will result in a clean and refined look. You can also use the color of the bathroom countertops or cabinets with the same color.
Kitchen
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You can’t go wrong with Tempered Gray kitchen walls and cabinets (see the third photo in the above photo series).
Pair the color with oak brown flooring, silver pull handles and fixtures, and beige or white-veined marble countertops to let the color shine!
You can also use black veined marble countertops and dark hardwood floors for a more luxurious space.
Bedroom
One of the best aspects of Tempered Gray is that it works seamlessly with dark, monochrome palettes.
With Tempered Gray as your backdrop, you can pair it with darker-toned blues, mauves, and even greens.
You can also use plain black—just make sure the room has ample lighting!
For the floors, use a lighter shade of beige or brown to complement the darker hues of the room.
Summary
Valspar Tempered Gray is an extremely versatile color. As one of Valspar’s most popular colors, it works with almost every home theme imaginable, from Mid-Century Modern to Contemporary to Romantic.
It brightens up a dull room and gives the illusion of a bigger, airer space, making it an optimal choice for small areas!