My question is how can it be used as a tool for flow throughout house? Flow throughout a whole house probably not so much. Because it's key to partner nuance of a paint color with inherent light sources. LRV is a key factor of nuance and you can only work inherent light sources of a space, the quality and quantity of light, one room at a time. The other part of color that *makes up* nuance is saturation. LRV + Saturation = Nuance. LRV is how light or dark. Saturation is how vivid or dull. There's actually a designer with a YouTube video about LRV. She speaks to using a set range of LRV, a formula she devised involving simple point spread, in order to guarantee the *right amount* of contrast and whatnot. The math that makes LRV a useful piece of data doesn't work that way. Formulas for LRV are about the light/dark relationship between two (sometimes more) colors and striking the right degree of contrast and/or illumination for purposes of visual ergonomics and lighting design, energy efficiency. Visual ergonomics and lighting design/efficiency are detailed goals of color design specification that utilize LRV and those goals don't necessarily have anything to do with creating harmonious, aesthetically pleasing color schemes. Rather it is about function first per the numbers and aesthetics a second, separate issue. Using a simple point spread of like 20 to 30 LRV points between two colors won't work the way she's saying it will because you can't just consider LRV, just one part of nuance. "Flow" throughout an interior or exterior is about creating a harmonious, aesthetically pleasing color scheme and in order to do that you must, among other things, consider both LRV and saturation a.k.a. nuance. Should one try to keep the values within the same range? It depends. Keeping paint colors for an entire house within a tight range of light/dark value is a choice. All lighter colors, all mid-range colors, all darker colors is more about individual color tolerances than anything else. And although it's a very popular piece of color advice found in interior decorating world, it's totally subjective. If I'm not mistaken Christopher Lowell is a one designer who likes to keep paint color values consistent. It's not "the key to creating perfect color schemes". It's just one of many ways to approach creating a whole-house wall color palette. And if there is one that is 73 and another that is 78 for example, can one assume these are relatively similar? Yes. LRV of 73 and 78 indicates those two colors are about the same on the lightness/darkness value scale. Regardless of hue or saturation, it paints a picture in your head about where on the lightness/darkness scale you're starting from. LRV communicates a lot about a color's characteristic even if you can't see - or remember - the color. LRV is a key data point in two very well-known color systems, Munsell Color Tree and the Natural Color System (NCS). NCS is used for specifying color across industries, including paint colors, internationally. Additionally, Dunn Edwards Paints includes the Munsell notation for its entire palette located on the fandeck index. AkzoNobel which used to be ICI/Dulux also includes LRV in its custom color notation system. I assume the smaller the room the higher the value,etc. Wouldn't necessarily assume that. You can use LRV as a benchmark when choosing paint colors. Benchmarks suited to your color tolerance, preferences, etc. It may be that by paying attention to LRV through your process of choosing paint colors you discover that you do prefer higher LRV, lighter paint colors, in smaller rooms. Or maybe not.

I think it will not ultimately depend on anything you do or say, Meg. I think it will depend on the seller. IOW: how badly does he want/need to sell the rug? What else must he do to it? Will you have it repaired or does it go back to him and must he deal with that? If he's had it for a long time -- regardless of whether it's been out on approval or not -- then his cost may be lower or he needs to get his $$ out of it. You have no way of knowing. T2G makes a good point about the pad, which would be nice, but I don't even think that's the point. I don't know if this will help you but a dealer I spoke with this week, who has 30 years of experience says she won't ever guarantee age, except in certain circumstances where there is documentation or when you can absolutely see the age due to the size of the knots. Some of the value on this stuff is scarcity, some is size, some is auction prices set for whatever type of rug it is (you haven't said), some is age, some style/origin, color, condition etc. Just this week I saw rugs go for huge prices at an auction even if the condition wasn't so hot. Then there is the issue of old rugs and specialists. I didn't want a new rug and set about finding a dealer who was well known, highly respected and who was a specialist in old rugs. I studied up on my own -- it was hardly a blind item. I know, in retrospect, I didn't overpay because I've watched the auction prices for rugs from the same area, similar size, age and condition. Ultimately, that's the best way to judge. This stuff is expensive whether it's new or old and you want to be sure you're paying a fair price. I would try to decide how much you want it and what you will do if he refuses to lower the price. Will you send it back? Will you be sorry? Or will you go for it? I still don't feel there's any harm in calling to ask if he could do better on it. But I don't see why he should -- you have it on your floor. And lastly, if your local people whom you seem to trust are so good, I must ask why they couldn't get you a rug of this quality for the $1000 less than the price of this one? I'm not trying to disparage anyone but dealers work in market segments. Anyone who isn't working in that segment can say they like something or not, or comment on condition but it's unlikely any other opinion will be very informed. I have a completely seperate dealer, actually a few, I'd go to for Tibetan rugs. If I took a Tibetan to my dealer for an opinion I know he would tell me what he said when I asked him about the value of a Chinese rug I eventually sold: I don't deal in that and don't know. If this is proving so difficult for you, would your DH speak to the guy?

Holly - your response makes sense and is basically what we have here (although it is not FLUSH with the back - the back panel hangs over, which you can barely see in the picture above. But if this is true and how these are supposed to be, then why do the installation instructions say to drill pilot holes 1" from the side panels on each side. That wouldn't make it into the base at all. My husband installed it, the way gaucho advised above. It seems fine, although there is no oven in it yet. During install, we found cracks on both sides of the front (that go through from inside to outside) panels. (Attached a picture of the worst one.) I've sent pictures to the cabinet company we bought it from to see what is next. I think it should be replaced. Which mean DH has to take this one out and install again. Or they'll do nothing and we'll have cracked cabinet fronts to live with. Very annoying.

@ Marylee, Thank you! That is so helpful. i am going to check out BM Silver Fox. Not sure if that will be too dark but if the swatch looks good I’ll buy a sample. @ Seattle MCM: I do have some SW samples but haven’t tried Behr. Thanks for the recommendation! Yes, I have a ton of swatches! I’ve been able to buy samples of all the SW and BM colors. SW has the best containers, with screw on lids and handles. It’s crazy that I have an opinion on sample containers! @kandrewspa: Thank you kindly for the info on using the BM site! I did see that 1549 had much more detail than 27. Very much appreciated!