North Star (SW 6246) vs Krypton (SW 6247)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- North Star, LRV 62 vs 52.
- Warmer
- About the same (Lab b* -1.7 vs -2.5). North Star reads neutral gray; Krypton reads blue-gray.
- North rooms
- North Star keeps more brightness (L* 79.1 vs 73.2 in north light); both drift gray about equally.
- Trim that works
- Rarified Air SW 6525, #E1E6E6, LRV 78: the Sherwin-Williams white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 4.2, noticeably different. At 4.2, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
North Star (SW 6246) is lighter than Krypton (SW 6247) and about as warm: LRV 62 vs 52, deltaE 4.2 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | North Star | Krypton | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | SW 6246 | SW 6247 | |
| Hex | #CAD0D2 | #B8C0C3 | |
| RGB | 202, 208, 210 | 184, 192, 195 | |
| HSL | 195°, 8%, 81% | 196°, 8%, 74% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 62 | 52 | +10 |
| Lab L* | 83.1 | 77.2 | +5.9 |
| Lab a* | -1.7 | -2.2 | +0.5 |
| Lab b* | -1.7 | -2.5 | +0.8 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | neutral | neutral | |
| Color family | Gray | Gray |
Same paint, two kinds of light
North Star (SW 6246), published as #CAD0D2
#B8C6D0
#DCDAD2
Krypton (SW 6247), published as #B8C0C3
#A6B6C1
#CACAC3
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick North Star (SW 6246) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 10 LRV points lighter (62 vs 52), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to North Star in other brands
Closest matches to Krypton in other brands
Common questions
- Is North Star the same color as Krypton?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 4.2. Most people can see the difference between North Star and Krypton side by side.
- Which is lighter, North Star or Krypton?
- North Star, with an LRV of 62 against 52.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.