Pittsburgh Gray vs Naval
Where Pittsburgh Gray belongs to PPG's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Pittsburgh Gray belongs to the grey family and Naval to the blue family. Pittsburgh Gray (LRV 59) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 55 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 57.5, 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 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pittsburgh Gray vs Naval in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Pittsburgh Gray 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
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 LRV gap is large enough that Pittsburgh Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Pittsburgh Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Pittsburgh Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. 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
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. Pittsburgh Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
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. Pittsburgh Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
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. Pittsburgh Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Pittsburgh Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Color Details
Pittsburgh Gray vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pittsburgh Gray 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 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.
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.
At LRV 59 vs 21, Pittsburgh Gray 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.