Arctic Grey vs Naval
Where Arctic Grey belongs to Jotun's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Arctic Grey reads as blue-grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Arctic Grey (LRV 32) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 28 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Arctic 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 39.6, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Arctic Grey vs Naval in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Arctic 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 Arctic Grey 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. Arctic Grey 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. Arctic 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. Arctic Grey returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Arctic Grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Arctic Grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Arctic Grey vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Arctic 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 Arctic Grey comparisons
See how Arctic Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 32, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 32 vs 6, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
With LRVs of 32 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 32, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 32, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (32 vs 27) makes Arctic Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 32, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 32 vs 13, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (44 vs 32) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
Arctic Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 32, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 32, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 32, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 32), opening up a space where Arctic Grey encloses it.
At LRV 32 vs 12, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 32 vs 8, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 32, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 32 vs 12, Arctic Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 32, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 32 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Arctic Grey reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.