Citrus vs Naval
Citrus and Naval come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Citrus belongs to the beige-yellow family and Naval to the blue family. The 57-point LRV gap — 61 for Citrus vs 4 for Naval — means Citrus will open up a space more effectively. Where Citrus leans warm, Naval reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 111.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Citrus vs Naval in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Citrus 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
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. Citrus reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Naval.
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. Citrus returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Citrus returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Citrus will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Naval would.
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. Citrus 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. Citrus 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. Citrus returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Citrus vs Naval Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Citrus 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 Citrus comparisons
See how Citrus stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 61, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Citrus reads slightly lighter (LRV 61 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
With LRVs of 61 and 60, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 3-point LRV gap (61 vs 58) makes Citrus the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 27, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (61 vs 55) makes Citrus the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 44, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 61), opening up a space where Citrus encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (66 vs 61) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 61, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 12, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 8, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (68 vs 61) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 12, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 45, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.