Charcoal Blue vs Olive Grove
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Charcoal Blue reads as blue-grey, while Olive Grove reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Olive Grove (LRV 20) reflects noticeably more light than Charcoal Blue (LRV 6), a difference of 15 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Charcoal Blue runs cool while Olive Grove is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 35.3, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Charcoal Blue vs Olive Grove in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Charcoal Blue and Olive Grove 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 Olive Grove will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Charcoal Blue would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Olive Grove reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Charcoal Blue.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Olive Grove reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Charcoal Blue.
Color Details
Charcoal Blue vs Olive Grove Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charcoal Blue on one side and Olive Grove 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 Charcoal Blue comparisons
See how Charcoal Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
With LRVs of 6 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 6), opening up a space where Charcoal Blue encloses it.