Blue Parlor

Strong enough that it sets the palette for the room, not the other way around. 0610 in the Vista Paint range.

Chroma 26.6 is high enough that the color will bounce onto light surfaces, so expect it everywhere, not only on the wall. Ideal for a single accent wall or a small room where you want to commit.

South light flatters it. In a north-facing room it can turn cold, so sample that wall first. LRV 41.0 tells you how much light comes back, which matters less here than how much color comes with it.

If the room already has oranges and warm terracotta in the floor, a rug, or the furniture, this color will fight it rather than sit well beside it - the two sit at opposite ends of the color spectrum, which is exactly why they clash instead of blend.

Wood tones next to this read darker and richer than they do against a paler wall; it is one of the more dependable effects of putting a light-absorbing color next to anything reflective. A natural scheme here moves in three clear steps: this color on the main wall, a noticeably lighter mid-tone for a second wall or built-in, and a near-white on the ceiling. Each jump should be obvious at a glance, not something you have to squint to tell apart (roughly 41.0, 63 and 85 on the light-reflectance scale, for reference).

Benjamin Moore White Opulence pairs well as a second surface - close enough in feel to belong in the same room, far enough in lightness to read as two distinct walls (about 46.7 points apart on the reflectance scale). Matte suits a color this strong - a glossier sheen would turn every light source in the room into a visible hotspot on the wall.

For anyone tied to a different brand, Benjamin Moore Aqua Marina (816) is the nearest stand-in, at a delta-E of 1.27. This is a relatively uncrowded spot in the spectrum - just 1 color from other brands come this close.

It is lighter than 42 percent of the Vista Paint range. Vista Paint lists it in the C codes, alongside 1,421 other colors.