Sharkskin vs Naval
Where Sharkskin belongs to PPG's range, Naval is a Sherwin-Williams color. Sharkskin reads as greige-grey, while Naval reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Sharkskin (LRV 40) reflects noticeably more light than Naval (LRV 4), a difference of 36 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 48.6, 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 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Sharkskin vs Naval in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Sharkskin 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
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 Sharkskin will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Sharkskin reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Sharkskin reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Sharkskin returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Sharkskin reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Sharkskin reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
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. Sharkskin reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
Color Details
Sharkskin vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Sharkskin 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 Sharkskin comparisons
See how Sharkskin stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Sharkskin 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 Sharkskin the marginally brighter of the two.
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 Sharkskin encloses it.
Sharkskin 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 Sharkskin 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.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 40), opening up a space where Sharkskin encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 40), opening up a space where Sharkskin encloses it.
Sharkskin reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Sharkskin 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 Sharkskin encloses it.
Sharkskin 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 Sharkskin the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 40 vs 7, Sharkskin is decisively the brighter choice.