Startling Orange vs Naval
Where Startling Orange belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Startling Orange belongs to the beige family and Naval to the blue family. Startling Orange (LRV 32) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 28 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Startling Orange runs red while Naval is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 96.8, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Startling Orange vs Naval in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Startling Orange 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 Startling Orange will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Color Details
Startling Orange vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Startling Orange 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 Startling Orange comparisons
See how Startling Orange stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
