Alchemy vs Needlepoint Navy
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Alchemy belongs to the beige family and Needlepoint Navy to the blue-grey family. Alchemy (LRV 38) reflects noticeably more light than Needlepoint Navy (LRV 13), a difference of 25 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Alchemy runs warm while Needlepoint Navy is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 59.6, 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 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Alchemy vs Needlepoint Navy in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Alchemy and Needlepoint Navy 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 Alchemy will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Needlepoint Navy 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. Alchemy reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Needlepoint Navy.
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. Alchemy 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. Alchemy reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Needlepoint Navy.
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. Alchemy reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Needlepoint Navy.
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. Alchemy reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Needlepoint Navy.
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 Alchemy will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Needlepoint Navy would.
Color Details
Alchemy vs Needlepoint Navy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Alchemy on one side and Needlepoint Navy 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 Alchemy comparisons
See how Alchemy stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 38, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (38 vs 30) makes Alchemy the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 38, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Alchemy reads slightly lighter (LRV 38 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (43 vs 38) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 38), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 38, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Alchemy reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 38), opening up a space where Alchemy encloses it.
Alchemy reflects far more light (LRV 38 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 38), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (38 vs 31) makes Alchemy the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 38 vs 7, Alchemy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 38 vs 24, Alchemy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 38, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.