Photo Gray vs Naval
Photo Gray is a PPG color while Naval comes from Sherwin-Williams. Photo Gray reads as greige-grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 40 vs 4, Photo Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 36-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 50.6, 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.
Photo Gray vs Naval in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Photo 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. Photo 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 Photo 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 Photo 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. Photo 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 Photo 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 Photo 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 Photo 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. Photo 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
Photo Gray vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Photo 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 Photo Gray comparisons
See how Photo Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 40, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Photo Gray encloses it.
Photo Gray reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (52 vs 40) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 10-point LRV gap (40 vs 30) makes Photo Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 40, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 40), opening up a space where Photo Gray encloses it.
Photo Gray reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (43 vs 40) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 40), opening up a space where Photo Gray encloses it.
Photo Gray reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 40, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 21, Photo Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 40), opening up a space where Photo Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 40), opening up a space where Photo Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Photo Gray encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (51 vs 40) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Photo Gray reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Photo Gray reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 40), opening up a space where Photo Gray encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 41 vs 40), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Photo Gray reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (40 vs 31) makes Photo Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 40 vs 7, Photo Gray is decisively the brighter choice.