DuraCube’s LRV Calculator
Navigating luminance contrast doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve made it easy with the DuraCube LRV Calculator, a simple tool to help you quickly determine whether your chosen DuraSafe Compact Laminate colour combinations meet accessibility requirements.
To use the calculator:
- Refer to our LRV table to find the Light Reflectance Value for your selected colours.
- Enter both colour values into the calculator to determine the contrast percentage.
- Review the result to see if it meets the recommended 30% luminance contrast, as outlined in AS 1428.1-2009.
It’s quick, practical, and ideal for early-stage planning.
Important:When entering your colours, please use the full product name — for example, type ‘111 Arctic White’ rather than just ‘Arctic White’. This ensures accurate LRV matching and consistent results.
Sample LRV Values – DuraSafe Compact Laminate
Colour | LRV |
111 Artic White | 81 |
113 Off White | 82 |
207 Wattle | 58 |
243 Sage Green | 53 |
275 Classic Grey | 55 |
738 Oak | 49 |
5333 Southern Pine | 30 |
5388 Alpine Ash | 38 |
5389 Deep Woods | 10 |
401 Midnight | 5 |
*Rounded down to nearest whole number. For the full list of colours, explore our DuraSafe Range.
What Is LRV?
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) measures the percentage of visible light a surface reflects when illuminated. It’s scored on a scale from 0 (absolute black, no reflectance) to 100 (pure white, full reflectance). In design, particularly in architecture and interiors, LRV helps determine how light or dark a colour appears and how much it contributes to ambient light.
Why LRV Matters in Design
LRV is more than a lighting tool — it plays a vital role in visual accessibility, especially in commercial and public spaces. Designers use it to:
- Enhance visual comfort and spatial awareness
- Improve energy efficiency through reflected light
- Ensure accessibility for people with vision impairments
In bathrooms, for example, a clear contrast between walls, partitions, floors, and grab rails helps users safely navigate the space — particularly the elderly or visually impaired.
LRV and Accessibility Standards
The AS 1428.1-2009 Design for Access and Mobility standard outlines how LRV should be used to ensure visual contrast. It recommends a minimum 30% luminance contrast between adjacent surfaces to aid navigation for those with low vision.
This contrast is calculated using the Bowman-Sapolinski formula:
125(Y2 – Y1) / (Y1 + Y2 + 25)
Where Y2 is the LRV of the lighter surface and Y1 is the LRV of the darker surface.
Woodgrain vs. Solid Colours
When considering LRV in your design, it’s important to understand how different surface finishes behave — particularly the difference between solid colours and woodgrain finishes.
Solid Colours
These surfaces offer uniform pigmentation, meaning their Light Reflectance Value (LRV) remains consistent across the entire panel. This makes them more predictable and easier to use when ensuring compliance with accessibility standards, especially where minimum contrast is required.
Woodgrain Finishes
In contrast, woodgrain laminates present a natural, varied appearance with lighter and darker streaks, knots, and patterns. As a result, their reflectance is not consistent. A single panel can feature a wide tonal range, which can cause significant fluctuation in LRV depending on where the measurement is taken.
For this reason, a single LRV reading isn’t sufficient. To ensure an accurate result, multiple readings across different areas of the panel should be taken, and an average value should be calculated. This is particularly important when woodgrain finishes are used in accessible environments such as bathrooms or aged care facilities, where visual contrast is critical for safety and compliance.
Design Tip: If you’re aiming to meet a 30% luminance contrast between adjacent surfaces (as recommended in AS 1428.1-2009), be cautious when selecting woodgrains. Always test and confirm the average LRV, and consider combining woodgrain with a solid, high-contrast colour to meet compliance.
Ready to Design for Compliance?
Incorporating LRV into your bathroom design ensures you’re not just meeting standards you’re building safer, smarter spaces for everyone.
Questions? Reach out to our team on 1300 387 228 , we’re here to help.
