Denim vs In the Navy
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. At LRV 14 vs 4, Denim will read as the brighter of the two — a 10-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a cool quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 21.7, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Denim vs In the Navy in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Denim and In the Navy 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. Denim returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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 Denim will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than In the Navy 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. Denim returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Denim will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than In the Navy would.
Color Details
Denim vs In the Navy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Denim on one side and In the Navy 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.