Niagara Mist (PPG1036-2)
A cool, misty light gray. Named for the famous falls. Clean and modern with the refreshing quality of water spray.
About PPG Niagara Mist
Niagara Mist (PPG1036-2) is a gray from PPG's collection with an LRV of 58 and cool mist gray undertones. A cool, misty light gray. Named for the famous falls. Clean and modern with the refreshing quality of water spray.
At an LRV of 58, Niagara Mist is a medium-depth color with real presence on the wall. It will add noticeable color and warmth to a room, creating a more cocooning, intimate atmosphere than lighter colors. It works beautifully in rooms with good natural light, and can be used on accent walls in rooms where a full application might feel too enclosed. Pair it with a bright white trim color (LRV 85+) for clean contrast.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
Niagara Mist has an LRV of 58, placing it in the medium range on the 0-to-100 scale. LRV measures the percentage of visible light a color reflects. A pure black has an LRV of 0 and a pure white has an LRV of 100. Understanding a color's LRV helps you predict how it will feel in your space: higher LRV means brighter and more spacious, lower LRV means cozier and more intimate.
Undertone Analysis
Niagara Mist has cool mist gray undertones. Undertones are the subtle background colors that become visible in different lighting conditions. Even colors that look "neutral" in the store will reveal their undertones once they are on your walls and interacting with natural light, artificial light, and the colors around them.
A cool, misty light gray. Named for the famous falls. Clean and modern with the refreshing quality of water spray. Cool undertones like these pair naturally with other cool elements: gray-toned wood, chrome and silver hardware, white marble, and cool-toned textiles. They can feel disconnected from strongly warm elements like honey oak or brass, so consider your existing finishes before committing.
Lighting Behavior
Cool and clean. A reliable neutral light gray.
Every paint color looks different depending on the light source in your room. South-facing rooms get warm, direct sunlight that brings out yellow and warm undertones. North-facing rooms get cool, indirect light that emphasizes blue and gray undertones. East-facing rooms are bright and warm in the morning, cooler in the afternoon. West-facing rooms are the opposite: cool morning, warm afternoon. Incandescent and warm LED bulbs push colors warmer, while cool-white LEDs and fluorescent tubes push colors cooler. To avoid surprises, always test Niagara Mist with a physical sample on your actual wall, and observe it at different times of day before committing.
Best Rooms for Niagara Mist
PPG recommends Niagara Mist for: bathroom, bedroom, hallway, whole house, office.
Niagara Mist is versatile enough to use as a whole-house color, providing a consistent, cohesive look as you move from room to room. Whole-house colors need to work in multiple lighting conditions and alongside various furnishings, which is why a balanced LRV (58) and manageable undertones are essential. Niagara Mist handles this well.
Closest Matches in Other Brands
Find the closest equivalent to PPG Niagara Mist from other paint brands. Matches are calculated using Delta E (CIE2000), the industry standard for measuring perceptual color difference.
Benjamin Moore Matches
Sherwin Williams Matches
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for PPG Niagara Mist is Argos (SW 7065) with a Delta E of 3, which rates as a "good match" match. Argos is similar. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart, while 2 to 4 means the difference is subtle.
Niagara Mist has cool mist gray undertones. A cool, misty light gray. Named for the famous falls. Clean and modern with the refreshing quality of water spray. Undertones become most visible when the color is on a large surface like a wall, and they shift depending on the light source in your room. Always test with a physical sample in your specific space to see how the undertones interact with your lighting, flooring, and furnishings.
Niagara Mist (PPG1036-2) has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 58, which puts it in the medium range. LRV measures the percentage of light a color reflects on a scale from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white). At 58, this is a medium-depth color that adds warmth and character while still reflecting a reasonable amount of light.
Niagara Mist leans cool. The cool mist gray undertones give it a crisp, fresh quality. It pairs well with chrome, silver, cool-toned wood, and white marble. In south-facing rooms with warm light, the cool undertones help keep the color from feeling too warm.
Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.