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.
More Denim comparisons
See how Denim stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 14, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 14, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 14, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 14, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 14), opening up a space where Denim encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 14, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (14 vs 7) makes Denim the marginally brighter of the two.
A 10-point LRV gap (24 vs 14) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 14, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.