Calico Blue vs RAL 840-5
Where Calico Blue belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, RAL 840-5 is a RAL Effect color. Calico Blue reads as blue-green, while RAL 840-5 reads as green-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (9 vs 11), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. The ΔE 5.7 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Calico Blue vs RAL 840-5 in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Calico Blue and RAL 840-5 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Calico Blue vs RAL 840-5 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Calico Blue on one side and RAL 840-5 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 Calico Blue comparisons
See how Calico Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (9 vs 6) makes Calico Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 9, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 9, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Calico Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (13 vs 9) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 9, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 9, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 9, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 9, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 9, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 9, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
With LRVs of 9 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 9), opening up a space where Calico Blue encloses it.