Aquastone vs Artichoke
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Aquastone reads as blue, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Aquastone (LRV 49) reflects noticeably more light than Artichoke (LRV 21), a difference of 28 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Aquastone runs cool while Artichoke is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 30.8, 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.
Aquastone vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Aquastone 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 Aquastone 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. Aquastone 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. Aquastone 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. Aquastone 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. Aquastone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
Aquastone vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Aquastone 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 Aquastone comparisons
See how Aquastone stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 49), opening up a space where Aquastone encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 49), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 49 vs 30, Aquastone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (60 vs 49) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Aquastone reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (49 vs 43) makes Aquastone the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Aquastone reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 49, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 49), opening up a space where Aquastone encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 49), opening up a space where Aquastone encloses it.
Aquastone reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Aquastone reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 49), opening up a space where Aquastone encloses it.
Aquastone reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Aquastone reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 49 vs 31, Aquastone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 49 vs 7, Aquastone is decisively the brighter choice.