Metropolitan vs Naval
Where Metropolitan belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Metropolitan reads as grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Metropolitan (LRV 50) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 46 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Metropolitan runs green while Naval is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 52.8, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Metropolitan vs Naval in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Metropolitan 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 Metropolitan 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. Metropolitan reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Metropolitan returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Metropolitan reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Metropolitan reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Metropolitan vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Metropolitan 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 Metropolitan comparisons
See how Metropolitan stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 50), opening up a space where Metropolitan encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 50, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Metropolitan reflects far more light (LRV 50 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 50), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 50 vs 30, Metropolitan is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 50, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 10-point LRV gap (60 vs 50) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 50), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Metropolitan reflects far more light (LRV 50 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (50 vs 43) makes Metropolitan the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 50), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Metropolitan reflects far more light (LRV 50 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Metropolitan reads slightly lighter (LRV 50 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 50, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 50 vs 21, Metropolitan is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 50), opening up a space where Metropolitan encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 50), opening up a space where Metropolitan encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 50), opening up a space where Metropolitan encloses it.
Metropolitan reflects far more light (LRV 50 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 50), opening up a space where Metropolitan encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (50 vs 41) makes Metropolitan the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 50, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 50 vs 25, Metropolitan is decisively the brighter choice.
Metropolitan reflects far more light (LRV 50 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Metropolitan reads slightly lighter (LRV 50 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 50 vs 31, Metropolitan is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 50 vs 7, Metropolitan is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 50 vs 24, Metropolitan is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (57 vs 50) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 72 vs 50, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.