In the rarified space of true pastels who moonlight as neutrals, you’ll find Sherwin Williams’ Upward. I resist the urge to call Upward sweet, as you would most pastel blue colors. With just the right amount of gray undertone, this color is seriously versatile. In the still-wildly-popular natural boho style, Upward doesn’t replace the dreamy muted pink and green colors, it plays very well beside them. And, for a coastal-inspired color palettes, you get a soft and beachy blue with a relaxing vibe.
In any decorating style, this dreamy blue could have been inspired by the sky on those days it clings to its morning haze — This is a relaxing and soothing color that can cool down warm wood finishes and stark white stone finishes without screaming “I AM A COLOR! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!”
Paired with charcoal gray and matte black, Upward becomes a sophisticated partner in a contemporary space. If you’d like to see Upward as sweet, then it would be very charming for the wall color of your guest bedroom or bathroom, especially with generous white trim and glossy chrome fixtures.
With a Light Reflective Value (LRV) of 57, the softness of this velvety blue is at the low end of what would be considered a light color (while still pastel), but it is deceptively rich. Sherwin Williams Upward could be the answer if you’re looking for a way to step up your gray game by introducing a little more color to your space — This is your year.