Onyx vs Naval
Where Onyx belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Onyx reads as grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (5 vs 4), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Onyx runs red while Naval is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 11.7, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Onyx vs Naval in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Onyx 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 temperature contrast between Naval and Onyx is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Naval brings more warmth to the space, while Onyx keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Naval brings more warmth to the space, while Onyx keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Naval brings more warmth to the space, while Onyx keeps things cooler and crisper.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The temperature contrast between Naval and Onyx is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Onyx vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Onyx 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 Onyx comparisons
See how Onyx stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
