Paean Black

How Paean Black behaves on a wall

Farrow & Ball publishes a light reflectance value of 26.6 for this shade. At LRV 26.6 this sits mid-scale — dark enough to hold its own against white trim, light enough not to close a room in. Mid-tones shift the most between daylight and lamplight, so check it at both ends of the day. For trim that reads as a clear edge rather than a smudge, aim about 30 LRV points away — roughly LRV 57 and up. Its red and blue channels are within a few points of each other, so it has no undertone worth naming — it takes its cast from whatever it sits beside. Order by the code, not the name, and put a test patch on the wall before you commit — a screen cannot show you how this shade behaves in your own light.