Gibraltar vs Inkwell
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Gibraltar (LRV 14) reflects noticeably more light than Inkwell (LRV 4), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Gibraltar runs neutral while Inkwell is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 21.8, 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.
Gibraltar vs Inkwell in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gibraltar and Inkwell 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 Gibraltar will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Inkwell would.
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. Gibraltar reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Inkwell.
Color Details
Gibraltar vs Inkwell Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gibraltar on one side and Inkwell 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 Gibraltar comparisons
See how Gibraltar stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 14, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 14, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 14, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 14, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 14, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 14, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 14, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 14, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 14, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.
Gibraltar reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 14), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 14), opening up a space where Gibraltar encloses it.