Anchor Gray vs Naval
Where Anchor Gray belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Anchor Gray reads as blue-grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Anchor Gray (LRV 14) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Anchor Gray runs blue while Naval is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 17.2, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Anchor Gray vs Naval in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Anchor Gray and Naval in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Anchor Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Anchor Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Anchor Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Anchor Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Anchor Gray vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Anchor Gray on one side and Naval 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 Anchor Gray comparisons
See how Anchor Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 14, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (14 vs 6) makes Anchor Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 14, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 14, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 14, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 14, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 14), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 14, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 14, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 14, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 14, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 14), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 14, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
Anchor Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 14), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 14), opening up a space where Anchor Gray encloses it.