Pittsburgh Gray vs Artichoke
Pittsburgh Gray (PPG) and Artichoke (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 38-point LRV gap — 59 for Pittsburgh Gray vs 21 for Artichoke — means Pittsburgh Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 31.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pittsburgh Gray vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Pittsburgh Gray 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
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. Pittsburgh Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
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. Pittsburgh Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Pittsburgh Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Pittsburgh Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Pittsburgh Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Pittsburgh Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
Pittsburgh Gray vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pittsburgh Gray 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 Pittsburgh Gray comparisons
See how Pittsburgh Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 10-point LRV gap (69 vs 59) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 59), opening up a space where Pittsburgh Gray encloses it.
Pittsburgh Gray reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (59 vs 52) makes Pittsburgh Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 59 vs 30, Pittsburgh Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Pittsburgh Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 59 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 59), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 59 and 58, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Pittsburgh Gray reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 59 vs 43, Pittsburgh Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 4, Pittsburgh Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Pittsburgh Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 59 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Pittsburgh Gray reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Pittsburgh Gray reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 59, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 59), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 59), opening up a space where Pittsburgh Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 59), opening up a space where Pittsburgh Gray encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (59 vs 51) makes Pittsburgh Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Pittsburgh Gray reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Pittsburgh Gray reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 59), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 59 vs 41, Pittsburgh Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Pittsburgh Gray reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Pittsburgh Gray reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 59 vs 31, Pittsburgh Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 7, Pittsburgh Gray is decisively the brighter choice.