Pearl Grey vs Naval
Where Pearl Grey belongs to Dulux's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Pearl Grey reads as grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Pearl Grey (LRV 71) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 67 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Pearl Grey runs neutral while Naval is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 63.6, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pearl Grey vs Naval in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Pearl Grey 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 Pearl Grey will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Pearl Grey 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. Pearl Grey returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Pearl Grey vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pearl Grey 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 Pearl Grey comparisons
See how Pearl Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 12-point LRV gap (83 vs 71) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 71 and 69, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Pearl Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 71 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 71 vs 58, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 27, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 55, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 44, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 71), opening up a space where Pearl Grey encloses it.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (71 vs 66) makes Pearl Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
A 3-point LRV gap (74 vs 71) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
A 11-point LRV gap (83 vs 71) makes Snowbound the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 71 vs 12, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (71 vs 68) makes Pearl Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Pearl Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 71 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 12, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 45, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 72 and 71, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.