Rarified Air
Rarified Air is a bright and airy Purple from Sherwin-Williams. Our real-world data shows it is a primary choice when homeowners need to maximize natural light while maintaining a clean, neutral backdrop. Below, you'll find 7 examples of this shade in actual homes along with suggested color relationships.
Hex
#E1E6E6
LRV
78.14
Rarified Air's Color Strip
Rarified Air is the fourth shade on this 7-color strip, sitting between Icicle and Snowfall. The strip spans from Mountain Air at the lightest end to Hyacinth Tint at the deepest. As part of strip 273, these colors are curated to work together — helpful when you're deciding how light or deep to go.
Rarified Air in Real Rooms
Rarified Air has a high LRV of 78.14 — 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 Purple family, the photos below show it applied in a misc, bathroom and kitchen cabinets.
2 Misc Photos
Note how Rarified Air is used as a "ceiling color" in some of these rooms. This "fifth wall" application is a bold designer move that can make a room feel infinitely more cozy and architecturally unique.
Rarified Air walls deliver a soft, ethereal quality throughout the space.
@homemavericks
Painted surfaces in Rarified Air capture light with refined, delicate nuance.
@homemavericks
1 Bathroom Photo
The psychology of Rarified Air in a bathroom is all about the "slow down." It's a visual cue to breathe, relax, and take your time, turning a utilitarian room into a true retreat from the frantic pace of the rest of the world.
The bathroom vanity in Rarified Air creates serene, spa-like tranquility.
@graceandhenrydesigns
4 Kitchen Cabinets Photos
On kitchen cabinets, Rarified Air adds a considered, intentional feel without demanding attention. It holds its own against both warm wood countertops and cool quartz, making it a flexible choice for the hardest-working room in the house.
Kitchen cabinets painted in Rarified Air blend seamlessly with contemporary design.
@annette_tyrrell
Upper cabinets finished in Rarified Air brighten the kitchen with subtle sophistication.
@annette_tyrrell
Cabinet surfaces in Rarified Air provide versatile elegance for modern kitchens.
@annette_tyrrell
Lower cabinetry in Rarified Air complements open shelving and minimalist layouts.
@annette_tyrrell
Coordinating Colors
A 6-point LRV gap (84 vs 78) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 78 vs 4, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 35, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
Trim Color
A 6-point LRV gap (84 vs 78) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
Similar Colors
With LRVs of 78 and 77, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 78 and 78, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 78 and 76, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 78 vs 75), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 78 and 76, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 80 vs 78), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Rarified Air reads slightly lighter (LRV 78 vs 75), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Rarified Air reads slightly lighter (LRV 78 vs 73), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 81 vs 78), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 78 and 76, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Complementary Colors
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 78 vs 76), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Rarified Air reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 50), opening up a space where Studio Mauve encloses it.
Rarified Air reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 5), opening up a space where Bitter Chocolate encloses it.
At LRV 78 vs 57, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 4, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 27, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 5, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
Lighter Colors
At LRV 78 vs 0, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 80 vs 78), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Darker Colors
Rarified Air reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 65), opening up a space where Lullaby encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (78 vs 70) makes Rarified Air the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 78 vs 61, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 46, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 64, Rarified Air is decisively the brighter choice.