Naval vs Dover Surf
Where Naval belongs to Sherwin-Williams's range, Dover Surf is a Valspar color. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. Dover Surf (LRV 53) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 49 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 53.4, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Naval vs Dover Surf in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Naval and Dover Surf 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 Dover Surf will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
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. Dover Surf reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Naval vs Dover Surf Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Naval on one side and Dover Surf 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 Naval comparisons
See how Naval stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
