Natural Gray vs Artichoke
Where Natural Gray belongs to Behr's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Natural Gray (LRV 53) reflects noticeably more light than Artichoke (LRV 21), a difference of 32 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Natural Gray runs red while Artichoke is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 28.0, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Natural Gray vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Natural Gray and Artichoke in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Natural Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
Natural Gray vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Natural Gray on one side and Artichoke on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Natural Gray comparisons
See how Natural Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 53), opening up a space where Natural Gray encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 53, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 53 vs 6, Natural Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 53 and 52, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Natural Gray reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 53 vs 52), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 53), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 5-point LRV gap (58 vs 53) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 53 vs 27, Natural Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Natural Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 53 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Natural Gray reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 55 vs 53), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 53 vs 13, Natural Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (53 vs 44) makes Natural Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 53), opening up a space where Natural Gray encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 53, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 53, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 53, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 53 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 53 vs 12, Natural Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 53 vs 8, Natural Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 53, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Natural Gray reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 53 vs 12, Natural Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (53 vs 45) makes Natural Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Natural Gray reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Natural Gray reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.