Salon Drab vs Artichoke
Salon Drab (Farrow & Ball) and Artichoke (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Salon Drab reads as greige-grey, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 8-point LRV gap — 21 for Artichoke vs 14 for Salon Drab — means Artichoke will open up a space more effectively. Where Salon Drab leans warm, Artichoke reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 12.9 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Salon Drab vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Salon Drab and Artichoke 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Artichoke has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Artichoke has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Salon Drab vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Salon Drab on one side and Artichoke 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 Salon Drab comparisons
See how Salon Drab stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 14, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
Salon Drab reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 14, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 14, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 14, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (14 vs 4) makes Salon Drab the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 14, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 14, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Salon Drab reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 14, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 14), opening up a space where Salon Drab encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 14, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (14 vs 7) makes Salon Drab the marginally brighter of the two.