Downpour vs Artichoke
Where Downpour belongs to PPG's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Downpour (LRV 25) reflects noticeably more light than Artichoke (LRV 21), a difference of 4 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 14.3, 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.
Downpour vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Downpour 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 — Downpour 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. Downpour 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. Downpour 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. Downpour 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. Downpour reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Downpour vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Downpour 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 Downpour comparisons
See how Downpour stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 25), opening up a space where Downpour encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 25, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (30 vs 25) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 25, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 25), opening up a space where Downpour encloses it.
With LRVs of 27 and 25, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 25, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 25), opening up a space where Downpour encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 25), opening up a space where Downpour encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 25, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 25), opening up a space where Downpour encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 25), opening up a space where Downpour encloses it.
Downpour reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Downpour reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 25), opening up a space where Downpour encloses it.
Downpour reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 25), opening up a space where Downpour encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (31 vs 25) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 25 vs 7, Downpour is decisively the brighter choice.