Elephant Ear vs Naval
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Elephant Ear reads as greige-grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Elephant Ear (LRV 28) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 24 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Elephant Ear runs warm while Naval is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 39.0, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Elephant Ear vs Naval in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Elephant Ear 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
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 Elephant Ear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Elephant Ear reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Elephant Ear reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
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. Elephant Ear reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
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 Elephant Ear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Elephant Ear reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Elephant Ear vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elephant Ear 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 Elephant Ear comparisons
See how Elephant Ear stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 28, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 6, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.
With LRVs of 30 and 28, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 28, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 28, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 28 vs 27), so neither reads brighter in a room.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 28, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 13, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 28, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.
Elephant Ear reads slightly lighter (LRV 28 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 28, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 28, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 28, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.
At LRV 28 vs 12, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 8, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 28, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 28), opening up a space where Elephant Ear encloses it.
At LRV 28 vs 12, Elephant Ear is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 28, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 28), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Elephant Ear reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.