Gesso vs Naval
Gesso is a Cloverdale Paint color while Naval comes from Sherwin-Williams. Hue-wise, Gesso belongs to the beige family and Naval to the blue family. At LRV 78 vs 4, Gesso will read as the brighter of the two — a 74-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 67.9, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gesso vs Naval in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gesso 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Gesso returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Gesso will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Gesso will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Gesso reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Gesso vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gesso 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 Gesso comparisons
See how Gesso stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 5-point LRV gap (83 vs 78) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 78 vs 58, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 27, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 78 vs 55, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 44, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 78), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 78 vs 66, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (78 vs 74) makes Gesso the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 78 vs 12, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (78 vs 68) makes Gesso the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 78 vs 12, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 45, Gesso is decisively the brighter choice.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Gesso reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.