Rocky Road vs Artichoke
Rocky Road (PPG) and Artichoke (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Rocky Road reads as greige-grey, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 28-point LRV gap — 49 for Rocky Road vs 21 for Artichoke — means Rocky Road will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 24.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Rocky Road vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Rocky Road and Artichoke 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Rocky Road reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Rocky Road returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Rocky Road returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Rocky Road returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Rocky Road returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Rocky Road reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
Rocky Road vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Rocky Road on one side and Artichoke 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 Rocky Road comparisons
See how Rocky Road stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 49), opening up a space where Rocky Road encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 49, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 49 vs 6, Rocky Road is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 49, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Rocky Road reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 49), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (58 vs 49) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 49 vs 27, Rocky Road is decisively the brighter choice.
Rocky Road reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Rocky Road reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (55 vs 49) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 49 vs 13, Rocky Road is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (49 vs 44) makes Rocky Road the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 49), opening up a space where Rocky Road encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 49, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 49, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 49, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 51 and 49, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 49 vs 12, Rocky Road is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 49 vs 8, Rocky Road is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 49, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Rocky Road reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 49 vs 12, Rocky Road is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (49 vs 45) makes Rocky Road the marginally brighter of the two.
Rocky Road reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Rocky Road reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.