Lead V is a proper architectural grey with real backbone, and the way to do it justice is to lean into that coolness rather than try to soften it.
The strongest approach is to drench — walls, woodwork and ceiling all in Lead V, just varying the sheen. Eggshell on the trim, matt or flat emulsion on the walls. It reads as deliberate and expensive, and it stops the room looking like a half-finished decorating job.
If you'd rather split the woodwork off from the walls, go for a clean, chalky off-white rather than a creamy one. Farrow & Ball All White (LRV 92) is your safest bet here; it's a neutral white with only the faintest warmth — no cream, no blue chill — so it frames Lead V cleanly rather than muddying it.
For accents, you've two directions. Drop into an ink-dark navy like Paint & Paper Library Blue Blood (LRV 16.4) for joinery, a panelled wall or a chimney breast — it deepens the cool palette and gives the scheme somewhere to land. Or, for a moment of personality, Dulux Fuchsia Falls 2 (LRV 29.8) is a bright, cool magenta-pink that works as a controlled jolt through textiles or a single piece — a velvet cushion, a chair. And Mylands Beehive Place No.140 (LRV 58.6) — a golden, honeyed yellow — is the deliberate exception to the cool rule: use it in an adjoining space or inside shelving, where it reads like sun against the grey.
The one thing to avoid: warm neutrals. Magnolias, beiges, taupes — they'll make Lead V look dirty and dated. Same goes for brassy or aged-gold hardware. Reach for polished nickel or gunmetal instead; it reinforces the cool, authoritative feel that makes this colour what it is.
Practical tip — Lead V can read quite differently north to south, so get a decent-sized sample board up and live with it for a couple of days before committing the whole room.