Cay
With a focus on versatile and reflective tones, Cay (6772) is a standout Blue in our database. It was selected for this featured gallery for its ability to provide a clean, timeless feel that works across various lighting conditions. See it applied across 10 real world scenarios and find professional pairing data below.
Hex
#A6D0D6
LRV
58.24
Cay's Color Strip
Cay is the second shade on this 7-color strip, sitting between Bathe Blue and Gentle Aquamarine. The strip spans from Bathe Blue at the lightest end to Blue Nile at the deepest. As part of strip 165, these colors are curated to work together — helpful when you're deciding how light or deep to go.
Cay in Real Rooms
Cay has a high LRV of 58.24 — it reflects a lot of light and will read pale and airy in most spaces. It's neutral in temperature and , making it adaptable across different lighting conditions and room orientations. Grouped in the Blue family, the photos below show it applied in a home office, front door, dining room, living room, mudroom, patio, bathroom, kitchen, house and bedroom.
1 Home Office Photo
For those who spend their day on camera, Cay is a highly flattering background color. It doesn't wash out skin tones or create weird reflections, providing a professional and "expensive" look for virtual meetings and presentations.
Sherwin-Williams Cay in a industrial home office
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Front Door Photo
Using Cay for the front door allows the hardware to be the "jewelry" of the house. Whether you choose a modern long-bar handle or a traditional knocker, the color provides the perfect stage for the metalwork to shine.
cottagecore front door featuring Cay by Sherwin-Williams
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Dining Room Photo
The color Cay has a way of making wood furniture look its best. Whether you have a dark mahogany table or a light oak sideboard, the undertones of the paint will pull out the natural beauty and grain of the wood.
Cay paint in a moody dining room
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Living Room Photo
For open-concept living rooms, Cay is a powerful tool for definition. It has enough presence to signal where the living area begins without creating a harsh visual break from the rest of the house. It defines the "zone" of relaxation through color psychology and sophisticated depth.
A mid century living room painted in Cay
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Mudroom Photo
Cay in the mudroom earns its keep. It's a color that can handle the traffic — grounding enough to hide the daily chaos, and intentional enough to make the transition from outside feel considered and high-end.
Cay paint in a cottagecore mudroom
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Patio Photo
Exterior color behaves differently than interior — there's more bleaching, more weather, and more competition from the natural surroundings. Cay holds its character in open light and tends to look even better after a few seasons than it does fresh from the can.
rustic modern patio featuring Cay by Sherwin-Williams
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Bathroom Photo
Small bathrooms amplify whatever color is on the wall, which makes the choice more consequential than it first appears. Cay has enough depth to register without closing the room in, and it plays well with white subway tile or warm wood accents.
Cay — moody bathroom
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Kitchen Photo
In a modern kitchen, Cay provides the necessary "organic" touch to offset stainless steel appliances and glass backsplashes. It prevents the kitchen from feeling like a laboratory, injecting a much-needed sense of domestic warmth and culinary inspiration.
contemporary kitchen featuring Cay by Sherwin-Williams
@mybudgetrecipes
1 House Photo
In suburban environments, Cay provides a sophisticated point of difference. It stands out from the sea of beige and grey without being "that house" that's too loud. It's the subtle, high-end choice that improves the curb appeal of the entire block.
Cay paint in a rustic modern house
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Bedroom Photo
Cay has a unique ability to make a bedroom feel larger yet more intimate at the same time. By softening the "edges" of the room, the walls seem to move back, while the warmth of the tone makes the bed feel like a safe, protected island in the center of the space.
A industrial bedroom painted in Cay
@mybudgetrecipes
Coordinating Colors
At LRV 78 vs 58, Blue Horizon is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 59 vs 58), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 58 vs 29, Cay is decisively the brighter choice.
Trim Color
At LRV 78 vs 58, Blue Horizon is decisively the brighter choice.
Similar Colors
With LRVs of 60 and 58, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 4-point LRV gap (58 vs 54) makes Cay the marginally brighter of the two.
A 8-point LRV gap (66 vs 58) makes Blue Bauble the marginally brighter of the two.
Quench Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (68 vs 58) makes Minor Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Blue Click reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Complementary Colors
At LRV 76 vs 58, Mauve Tinge is decisively the brighter choice.
Cay reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 50), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 58 vs 35, Cay is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 81 vs 58, Heavenly White is decisively the brighter choice.
Original White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 58), opening up a space where Cay encloses it.
Cay reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 5), opening up a space where Bitter Chocolate encloses it.
Lighter Colors
Bravo Blue reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 58), opening up a space where Cay encloses it.
Tibetan Sky reflects far more light (LRV 80 vs 58), opening up a space where Cay encloses it.
Atmospheric reads slightly lighter (LRV 67 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Darker Colors
A 4-point LRV gap (58 vs 54) makes Cay the marginally brighter of the two.
