Iconic vs Breakwater paint color comparison

Iconic vs Breakwater

IconicJotunvsBreakwaterSherwin-WilliamsΔE 2.4Subtle difference

Iconic is a Jotun color while Breakwater comes from Sherwin-Williams. Hue-wise, Iconic belongs to the green-grey family and Breakwater to the grey family. With LRVs of 39 and 38, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. With a ΔE of 2.4, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Iconic vs Breakwater in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Iconic and Breakwater are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.

Living Room

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.

IconicJotun 6378 living room

@oddbjorgese

BreakwaterA minimalist living room painted in Breakwater

@mybudgetrecipes

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

IconicJotun Iconic bedroom makeover

@sommerhuset_froeken_friis

BreakwaterA modern luxury bedroom painted in Breakwater

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

IconicJotun Iconic kitchen color

@happyhomesjonkoping

BreakwaterBreakwater — industrial kitchen

@mybudgetrecipes

Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.

IconicJotun Iconic dining room inspo

@fjeldborg

BreakwaterBreakwater paint in a mid century dining room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

IconicJotun Iconic bathroom paint review

@stenhuggartorpet

BreakwaterBreakwater — moody bathroom

@mybudgetrecipes

Home Office

In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.

IconicJotun Iconic home office color review

@siriolerud

BreakwaterSherwin-Williams Breakwater in a warm home office

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Iconic
Jotun · 6378
Hex#a1aba6
LRV39.0
BrandJotun
Number6378
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Breakwater
Sherwin-Williams · 9638
Hex#A2A8A6
LRV38.3
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9638
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium

Iconic vs Breakwater Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Iconic on one side and Breakwater on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Iconic comparisons

See how Iconic stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
White Dove
Iconic
Iconic
White Dove vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 39), opening up a space where Iconic encloses it.

Ammonite
Ammonite
Iconic
Iconic
Ammonite vs Iconic
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

At LRV 69 vs 39, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

Iconic
Iconic
Iron Ore
Iron Ore
Iconic vs Iron Ore
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Iconic reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Purbeck Stone
Purbeck Stone
Iconic
Iconic
Purbeck Stone vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

At LRV 52 vs 39, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Iconic
Iconic
Evergreen Fog
Evergreen Fog
Iconic vs Evergreen Fog
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

A 9-point LRV gap (39 vs 30) makes Iconic the marginally brighter of the two.

Mizzle
Mizzle
Iconic
Iconic
Mizzle vs Iconic
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 39), opening up a space where Iconic encloses it.

Iconic
Iconic
Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray
Iconic vs Agreeable Gray
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

At LRV 60 vs 39, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Iconic
Iconic
Accessible Beige
Accessible Beige
Iconic vs Accessible Beige
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 39), opening up a space where Iconic encloses it.

Denim Drift
Denim Drift
Iconic
Iconic
Denim Drift vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Iconic reads slightly lighter (LRV 39 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

French Gray
French Gray
Iconic
Iconic
French Gray vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

A 4-point LRV gap (43 vs 39) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Iconic
Iconic
Naval
Naval
Iconic vs Naval
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 39 vs 4, Iconic is decisively the brighter choice.

Tranquil Dawn
Tranquil Dawn
Iconic
Iconic
Tranquil Dawn vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 39), opening up a space where Iconic encloses it.

Bancha
Bancha
Iconic
Iconic
Bancha vs Iconic
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Iconic reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Hardwick White
Hardwick White
Iconic
Iconic
Hardwick White vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 39), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Iconic
Iconic
Pure White
Pure White
Iconic vs Pure White
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

At LRV 84 vs 39, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Iconic
Iconic
Artichoke
Artichoke
Iconic vs Artichoke
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

At LRV 39 vs 21, Iconic is decisively the brighter choice.

Balboa Mist
Balboa Mist
Iconic
Iconic
Balboa Mist vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 39), opening up a space where Iconic encloses it.

Iconic
Iconic
Shoji White
Shoji White
Iconic vs Shoji White
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 39), opening up a space where Iconic encloses it.

Iconic
Iconic
Snowbound
Snowbound
Iconic vs Snowbound
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 39), opening up a space where Iconic encloses it.

Iconic
Iconic
Pewter Green
Pewter Green
Iconic vs Pewter Green
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Iconic reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Skimming Stone
Skimming Stone
Iconic
Iconic
Skimming Stone vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 39), opening up a space where Iconic encloses it.

Dix Blue
Dix Blue
Iconic
Iconic
Dix Blue vs Iconic
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 41 vs 39), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Calamine
Calamine
Iconic
Iconic
Calamine vs Iconic
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

At LRV 68 vs 39, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.

Treron
Treron
Iconic
Iconic
Treron vs Iconic
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

At LRV 39 vs 25, Iconic is decisively the brighter choice.

Vintage Vogue
Vintage Vogue
Iconic
Iconic
Vintage Vogue vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Iconic reflects far more light (LRV 39 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Saybrook Sage
Saybrook Sage
Iconic
Iconic
Saybrook Sage vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 39), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Iconic
Iconic
Pale Green
Pale Green
Iconic vs Pale Green
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

A 8-point LRV gap (39 vs 31) makes Iconic the marginally brighter of the two.

Pine Needle
Pine Needle
Iconic
Iconic
Pine Needle vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

At LRV 39 vs 7, Iconic is decisively the brighter choice.

Iconic
Iconic
Cement grey
Cement grey
Iconic vs Cement grey
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

At LRV 39 vs 24, Iconic is decisively the brighter choice.

Guilford Green
Guilford Green
Iconic
Iconic
Guilford Green vs Iconic
Jotun
Iconic
6378 · LRV 39

At LRV 57 vs 39, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.