Dark Olive vs RAL 840-5
Dark Olive (Benjamin Moore) and RAL 840-5 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. Dark Olive reads as greige-grey, while RAL 840-5 reads as green-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 3-point LRV gap — 14 for Dark Olive vs 11 for RAL 840-5 — means Dark Olive will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 4.2 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dark Olive vs RAL 840-5 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Dark Olive 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
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Dark Olive vs RAL 840-5 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dark Olive 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 Dark Olive comparisons
See how Dark Olive stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 14, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
Dark Olive reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 14, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 14, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 14, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (14 vs 4) makes Dark Olive the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 14, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (21 vs 14) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 14, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Dark Olive reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 14, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 14), opening up a space where Dark Olive encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 14, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.