Aviary Blue vs Bitter Chocolate
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Aviary Blue reads as blue, while Bitter Chocolate reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Aviary Blue (LRV 73) reflects noticeably more light than Bitter Chocolate (LRV 5), a difference of 68 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Aviary Blue runs cool while Bitter Chocolate is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 63.8, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Aviary Blue vs Bitter Chocolate in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Aviary Blue and Bitter Chocolate 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 Aviary Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Bitter Chocolate would.
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. Aviary Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bitter Chocolate.
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. Aviary Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bitter Chocolate.
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 Aviary Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Bitter Chocolate would.
Color Details
Aviary Blue vs Bitter Chocolate Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Aviary Blue on one side and Bitter Chocolate 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.