You can try some samples of Benjamin Moore’s Simply White and Swiss Coffee. I like BM’s Natura line.

You could also add some plants and/or reflective metals to the space:

I don't really understand the light reflective values on paints.

Light Reflectance Value comes from measuring color with a special instrument.

The instrument measures the reflectance of a color and transforms the data into a percentage.

The resulting Light Reflectance Value tells you how much light a color reflects.

For example, Revere Pewter has an LRV of 55%. That means it's going to reflect 55% of whatever quantity or quality of light that hits it.

Colors with a higher LRV % will reflect more light back into the space.

Colors with a lower LRV % will reflect less.

Keeping track of LRV pin points a preference for lighter or darker paint colors and provides an easy-to-use framework for finding the colors that align with that preference.

It's easy because all paint manufactures publish LRV in their fandecks and most have it online too.

That's all LRV is about.

LRV is about how much light a color reflects. Period.

It doesn't tell you anything about clean or dirty or any other color characteristic.

It's possible that your trees need to be limbed up to allow more light to get through.

What lighting do you have? A room needs more lighting than just a ceiling fixture.

Consider full spectrum paint

ellenkennon.com/ Has some of the most amazing paint I have ever seen.

Why wouldn’t you select your furniture first? There are an almost infinite number of paint colors, but a limited number of upholstery colors. Paint should be the last thing to choose.

When you go to the clothing store and pick an outfit you usually see something you love, then you build on that piece to find coordinating pieces. Clothing comes in all different colors because people love different colors.

Some love black and gray and will add bright reds as accents, others will add light pink as an accent, others never wear black or gray and prefer beige or taupe.

Your home should reflect your personality. Part of determining the best neutral for your home is starting with the colors you love.

I have 2 sister in laws and 2 sisters. Each of us has different coloring and each of us loves different colors. We often love colors that look good on us because we like looking good.|

The colors and neutrals in each of our homes is quite different.

I have taupe with purples, teals and deep burgundy reds. (Taupe as in a color between pink beige and violet gray as opposed to greige - also beige gray, but between green beige and green gray)

My oldest sister has a very conservative pallet with mid toned blues, greens and light yellow beige as her neutral.

My second sister has all fall colors, orange reds, golds and greens, very little blue and her neutral is a mossy green greige.

My oldest sister in law is a platinum blond with light blue eyes and loves white. Her entire home is white on white with furniture that may have the slightest light tans or grays. It is pretty much devoid of color with the exception of quilts on the beds - she makes about 2 to 3 quilts a year and changes the quilts out all the time.

My second sister in law is a dirty blond with bright blue eyes - she has a country color palette with the cornflower blues and peaches and yellows and a clean cream as her neutral.

So which neutral is the best - really depends on what colors you will pair with your neutral so that walking into your room makes your heart sing.

Thanks all - I appreciate it! You are all so wise!

Post pictures how the heck can we even begin to guess without them IMO lighting lightens up rooms more than anything else since the room is still there when night comes. IMO LRV never enter into my color choices.