Alyssum vs Artichoke
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Alyssum reads as pink-red, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Alyssum (LRV 71) reflects noticeably more light than Artichoke (LRV 21), a difference of 50 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Alyssum runs warm while Artichoke is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 39.9, 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.
Alyssum vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Alyssum 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 LRV gap is large enough that Alyssum will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Artichoke 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. Alyssum reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
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. Alyssum reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
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. Alyssum reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
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. Alyssum reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
Alyssum vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Alyssum 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 Alyssum comparisons
See how Alyssum stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 71, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Alyssum reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Alyssum reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Alyssum reads slightly lighter (LRV 71 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 71 vs 58, Alyssum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 27, Alyssum is decisively the brighter choice.
Alyssum reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 55, Alyssum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 44, Alyssum is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 71), opening up a space where Alyssum encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (71 vs 66) makes Alyssum the marginally brighter of the two.
A 3-point LRV gap (74 vs 71) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 71 vs 12, Alyssum is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 71 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 71 vs 12, Alyssum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 45, Alyssum is decisively the brighter choice.
Alyssum reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Alyssum reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Alyssum reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Alyssum reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 72 and 71, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.