Auric vs Salty Dog
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Auric belongs to the beige family and Salty Dog to the blue family. Auric (LRV 30) reflects noticeably more light than Salty Dog (LRV 5), a difference of 25 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Auric runs warm while Salty Dog is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 88.7, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Auric vs Salty Dog in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Auric and Salty Dog in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Auric 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. Auric reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Salty Dog.
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. Auric reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Salty Dog.
Color Details
Auric vs Salty Dog Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Auric on one side and Salty Dog 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.