# Alabaster in a coastal room

Alabaster, from the Mullican Castillian Cottage 6.5" line, is a very light white oak hardwood with a golden undertone (measured from its own picture: LRV 57). Here it is with High Reflective White walls, Greek Villa trim and Distance as the deep note, chosen by the numbers.

A vision board by Powell Flooring, 1811 Union Valley Rd, West Milford, NJ 07480, 973-728-9717. AI assisted: the rooms are AI generated, simulated photos; the floor, the paint colors and every number are real.
Page: https://www.powellflooring.com/vision-boards/alabaster-coastal

## The floor
- Alabaster, Mullican Castillian Cottage 6.5": Engineered european white oak hardwood · White oak · 6.5 in (SKU 25021)
- Every color and detail: https://www.powellflooring.com/floors/mullican/castillian-cottage-6-5/alabaster

## Measured from its own picture
- LRV (light reflectance value, 0 black to 100 white): 57
- CIELAB (D65): L* 80.1, a* 4.6, b* 20.1, chroma 20.6, hue 77.2 degrees
- Undertone: a golden undertone, warm without leaning red
- Alabaster is calm and even from board to board (a spread of 1.6 in L*), so it reads as one quiet plane.

## Paint
- Walls: High Reflective White (Sherwin-Williams SW 7757, LRV 92.7, +35.8 from the floor). A soft neutral with a touch of warmth (hue 110°), so Alabaster stays golden without turning yellow. Source: https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/color/color-family/white-paint-colors/sw7757-high-reflective-white/
- Or walls: Simply White (Benjamin Moore OC-117, LRV 89.5, +32.6 from the floor). A soft neutral with a touch of warmth (hue 110°), so Alabaster stays golden without turning yellow. Source: https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/color/oc-117/simply-white
- Trim and ceilings: Greek Villa (Sherwin-Williams SW 7551, LRV 84.2). 27 points over Alabaster in LRV and warm enough (chroma 5.3) to read white, not blue, beside its golden undertone. Source: https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/color/color-family/white-paint-colors/sw7551-greek-villa/
- Deep note: Distance (Sherwin-Williams SW 6243, LRV 15.2). Deep and cool, about 179° around the color wheel from Alabaster and 42 points darker in LRV, so each makes the other look richer. Source: https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/color/color-family/blue-paint-colors/sw6243-distance/
- Lower cabinets or an island in Distance, uppers and trim in Greek Villa. The floor at LRV 57 sits between the two (15 and 84).

## Wood, rugs and metals
- Wood a step darker: a light natural wood, like our Silvered Gray stain sample. About 19 points darker than Alabaster in L* (61 against 80), far enough to read as a choice.
- Wood a step lighter: black or painted pieces. Alabaster is lighter than any wood stain we photographed (L* 80), so contrast comes from black, painted or upholstered pieces.
- Rug or fabric, tone on tone: taupe (#776c5e). 9 in chroma, half the warmth of Alabaster (21), and 34 points darker in L*.
- Rug or fabric, across the wheel: slate blue (#798897). Hue 257°, straight across the color wheel from the 77° of Alabaster, softened to balance it.
- Rug or fabric, grounding: pewter (#7f766b). A deep note at L* 50, 30 points from the 80 of Alabaster, so a rug keeps its edge.
- Metal: polished nickel. A bright nickel with a touch of warmth, for the golden undertone of Alabaster (chroma 20.6).
- Metal: aged brass. A warm metal that agrees with the golden undertone of Alabaster (hue 77°).
- Metal: unlacquered brass. Left unsealed, it darkens with handling to a softer warm tone beside High Reflective White walls.

## Room by room
- Living room: High Reflective White walls and Greek Villa trim, a taupe rug in a flat weave on Alabaster, slate blue pillows, black or painted side tables.
- Kitchen: Greek Villa cabinets with an island in Distance, polished nickel hardware, Alabaster underfoot.
- Bedroom: Simply White walls, taupe linen, a slate blue throw, aged brass on the lamps.
- Bath: Distance on the vanity, Greek Villa walls, a pewter mat, unlacquered brass fixtures.

## What to avoid
- Walls at the lightness of Alabaster: Worldly Gray (Sherwin-Williams SW 7043, LRV 57.2) sits within a point of its LRV of 57, so wall and floor would blur into one.
- Wood that almost matches Alabaster: a tone like our Country White sample, 6.9 apart (CIEDE2000), reads as a near miss. Go clearly darker or lighter.
- Walls that lean yellow: yellow on yellow flattens the golden undertone of Alabaster (hue 77°).

## The room it suits
- At LRV 57, Alabaster is very light: it bounces light back into the room, suits north facing rooms, basements and small rooms, and shows dark grit more than lint.
- At 6.5 inches a board, Alabaster lays about 23 boards across a 12 foot room.
- Engineered hardwood: living spaces and bedrooms on every level, kept out of full baths.
- Hardness: White oak: Janka 1,360 lbf (the force to press a steel ball halfway into the wood; a higher number dents less under heels and chair legs)
- Construction: Engineered european white oak hardwood (a real wood face over a stable core, so it moves less with the seasons)
- Finish: Aluminum Oxide Finish

## Sources
- Paint names, codes, hex and LRV as Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore publish them (each color links to its page).
- BS 8300-2:2018 asks for a difference of at least 30 LRV points between adjacent surfaces, such as a floor and a wall, so the surfaces read apart.
- The floor measured from its own picture in CIELAB (D65); the wood tones from our own photographs of 37 stains on oak.
- Janka hardness from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook (2021), Table 5-3b, at 12 percent moisture.