Curlew vs Artichoke
Where Curlew belongs to PPG's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Curlew belongs to the greige-grey family and Artichoke to the grey family. Artichoke (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Curlew (LRV 14), a difference of 7 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 13.2, 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.
Curlew vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Curlew 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
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 brightness difference is modest but present — Artichoke gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Curlew vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Curlew 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 Curlew comparisons
See how Curlew stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Curlew encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 14, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
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 Curlew encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 14), opening up a space where Curlew encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 14, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 14), opening up a space where Curlew encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 14), opening up a space where Curlew 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 Curlew encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 14), opening up a space where Curlew encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Curlew 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 Curlew encloses it.
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 Curlew encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 14, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (14 vs 7) makes Curlew the marginally brighter of the two.