Mole's Breath vs Naval
Where Mole's Breath belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Mole's Breath belongs to the grey family and Naval to the blue family. Mole's Breath (LRV 24) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Mole's Breath runs neutral while Naval is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 34.3, 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.
Mole's Breath vs Naval in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Mole's Breath 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 Mole's Breath 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. Mole's Breath reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
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. Mole's Breath reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Mole's Breath vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mole's Breath 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 Mole's Breath comparisons
See how Mole's Breath stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
