Whirlybird vs Naval
Where Whirlybird belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Whirlybird belongs to the green family and Naval to the blue family. Whirlybird (LRV 46) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 42 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Whirlybird runs neutral while Naval is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 55.1, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Whirlybird vs Naval in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Whirlybird 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 Whirlybird 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. Whirlybird reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Whirlybird 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. Whirlybird reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Whirlybird will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Whirlybird reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Whirlybird vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Whirlybird 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 Whirlybird comparisons
See how Whirlybird stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 46, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 46), opening up a space where Whirlybird encloses it.
At LRV 46 vs 6, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 46), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (52 vs 46) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 46), opening up a space where Whirlybird encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (58 vs 46) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 46 vs 27, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
Whirlybird reads slightly lighter (LRV 46 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (55 vs 46) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 46 vs 13, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 46 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 46), opening up a space where Whirlybird encloses it.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 46, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 46, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 46, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 46 vs 12, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 46, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Whirlybird reads slightly lighter (LRV 46 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 46), opening up a space where Whirlybird encloses it.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 46 vs 12, Whirlybird is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 46 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Whirlybird reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 46), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 46), opening up a space where Whirlybird encloses it.