Atmospheric vs Artichoke
Where Atmospheric belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. Atmospheric reads as blue-grey, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Atmospheric (LRV 33) reflects noticeably more light than Artichoke (LRV 21), a difference of 11 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Atmospheric runs green and blue while Artichoke is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 18.6, 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.
Atmospheric vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Atmospheric 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.
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 Atmospheric will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Artichoke 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. Atmospheric reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Atmospheric reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Atmospheric reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
Atmospheric vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Atmospheric 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 Atmospheric comparisons
See how Atmospheric stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 33), opening up a space where Atmospheric encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 33, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 33 vs 6, Atmospheric is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 33), opening up a space where Atmospheric encloses it.
With LRVs of 33 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 33, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 33), opening up a space where Atmospheric encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 33, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (33 vs 27) makes Atmospheric the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 33), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Atmospheric reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 33, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 33 vs 13, Atmospheric is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (44 vs 33) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 33), opening up a space where Atmospheric encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 33, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 33, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 33, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 33), opening up a space where Atmospheric encloses it.
At LRV 33 vs 12, Atmospheric is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 33 vs 8, Atmospheric is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 33, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 33), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 33 vs 12, Atmospheric is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 33, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 33 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Atmospheric reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.