Gunmetal Gray vs Naval
Gunmetal Gray is a PPG color while Naval comes from Sherwin-Williams. Gunmetal Gray reads as grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 14 vs 4, Gunmetal Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 10-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 24.5, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gunmetal Gray vs Naval in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gunmetal Gray 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
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. Gunmetal Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Gunmetal Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Gunmetal Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Gunmetal Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Gunmetal Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Gunmetal Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
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 Gunmetal Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval 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. Gunmetal Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Gunmetal Gray vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gunmetal Gray 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 Gunmetal Gray comparisons
See how Gunmetal Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 14), opening up a space where Gunmetal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 14, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (14 vs 6) makes Gunmetal Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where Gunmetal Gray encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 14), opening up a space where Gunmetal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 14), opening up a space where Gunmetal Gray 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 Gunmetal Gray encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 14, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.
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 Gunmetal Gray encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 14), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 14, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 14, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 14, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 14), opening up a space where Gunmetal Gray encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 6-point LRV gap (14 vs 8) makes Gunmetal Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 14, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 14), opening up a space where Gunmetal Gray encloses it.
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 Gunmetal Gray encloses it.
Gunmetal Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.