Granite Boulder vs RAL 840-3
Granite Boulder (Behr) and RAL 840-3 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. The 3-point LRV gap — 46 for RAL 840-3 vs 42 for Granite Boulder — means RAL 840-3 will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 2.3 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Granite Boulder vs RAL 840-3 in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Granite Boulder and RAL 840-3 are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. RAL 840-3 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. RAL 840-3 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Granite Boulder vs RAL 840-3 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Granite Boulder on one side and RAL 840-3 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 Granite Boulder comparisons
See how Granite Boulder stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 42), opening up a space where Granite Boulder encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 42, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Granite Boulder reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (52 vs 42) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 12-point LRV gap (42 vs 30) makes Granite Boulder the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 42), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 42, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 42), opening up a space where Granite Boulder encloses it.
Granite Boulder reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 43 vs 42), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 42 vs 4, Granite Boulder is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 42), opening up a space where Granite Boulder encloses it.
Granite Boulder reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
With LRVs of 44 and 42, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 42, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 21, Granite Boulder is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 42), opening up a space where Granite Boulder encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 42), opening up a space where Granite Boulder encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 42), opening up a space where Granite Boulder encloses it.
Granite Boulder reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 42), opening up a space where Granite Boulder encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 42 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 42, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 25, Granite Boulder is decisively the brighter choice.
Granite Boulder reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 42), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (42 vs 31) makes Granite Boulder the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 42 vs 7, Granite Boulder is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 24, Granite Boulder is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 42, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.