Licorice vs Naval
Licorice (PPG) and Naval (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Licorice belongs to the grey family and Naval to the blue family. The 3-point LRV gap — 7 for Licorice vs 4 for Naval — means Licorice will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 17.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Licorice vs Naval in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Licorice 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Licorice vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Licorice 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 Licorice comparisons
See how Licorice stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 7, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 7, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 7, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 7, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 7, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 8 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 7), opening up a space where Licorice encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 7, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.