Tidal Salt (SW 9162)
A very light blue-green gray. Coastal and airy.
About Sherwin Williams Tidal Salt
Tidal Salt (SW 9162) is a blue from Sherwin Williams's collection with an LRV of 66 and soft blue-green undertones. A very light blue-green gray. Coastal and airy.
With a light-to-medium LRV of 66, Tidal Salt sits in a versatile sweet spot. It has enough depth to read as more than a white or off-white, adding real color and character to a room, while still reflecting enough light to keep spaces feeling open and airy. This is the range where most popular whole-house colors live, because they offer warmth and personality without making rooms feel smaller.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
Tidal Salt has an LRV of 66, placing it in the light 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
Tidal Salt has soft blue-green 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 very light blue-green gray. Coastal and airy. Neutral undertones give you the most flexibility in decorating. This color should coordinate well with both warm elements (wood, brass, cream) and cool elements (chrome, marble, blue-gray), making it a versatile foundation for any design direction.
Lighting Behavior
Shifts between blue and green. Very light and calming.
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 Tidal Salt with a physical sample on your actual wall, and observe it at different times of day before committing.
Best Rooms for Tidal Salt
Sherwin Williams recommends Tidal Salt for: bathroom, bedroom, nursery, hallway.
Closest Matches in Other Brands
Find the closest equivalent to Sherwin Williams Tidal Salt from other paint brands. Matches are calculated using Delta E (CIE2000), the industry standard for measuring perceptual color difference.
Benjamin Moore Matches
Gray Cashmere is slightly more saturated.
View all Benjamin Moore matches →Behr Matches
Frequently Asked Questions
We are still researching the best Sherwin Williams match for this color. Check back soon for updated match data.
Tidal Salt has soft blue-green undertones. A very light blue-green gray. Coastal and airy. 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.
Tidal Salt (SW 9162) has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 66, which puts it in the light range. LRV measures the percentage of light a color reflects on a scale from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white). At 66, this is a medium-depth color that adds warmth and character while still reflecting a reasonable amount of light.
Tidal Salt leans neutral, with soft blue-green undertones that do not strongly push warm or cool. This makes it one of the more versatile colors in its family, pairing well with both warm and cool accent colors and finishes. Shifts between blue and green. Very light and calming.
Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.