Curio Gray vs Naval
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Curio Gray reads as greige-grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 26 vs 4, Curio Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 21-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Curio Gray's warm character against Naval's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 40.1, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Curio Gray vs Naval in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Curio Gray and Naval 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Curio Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Curio Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Curio Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Curio Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Curio Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Curio Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Curio Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Curio Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Curio Gray vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Curio Gray on one side and Naval 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 Curio Gray comparisons
See how Curio Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 26, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
At LRV 26 vs 6, Curio Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 26), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 26, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 26, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 27 vs 26), so neither reads brighter in a room.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 26, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 26 vs 13, Curio Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 26, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
Curio Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 26, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 26, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 26, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 26 vs 12, Curio Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 26, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 26 and 25, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 26 vs 12, Curio Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 26, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 26), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Curio Gray reflects far more light (LRV 26 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
With LRVs of 26 and 24, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 26), opening up a space where Curio Gray encloses it.