Gray Owl vs RAL 840-2
Where Gray Owl belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, RAL 840-2 is a RAL Effect color. Gray Owl reads as grey, while RAL 840-2 reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (65 vs 66), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. At ΔE 1.3, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gray Owl vs RAL 840-2 in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Gray Owl and RAL 840-2 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. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Gray Owl vs RAL 840-2 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gray Owl on one side and RAL 840-2 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 Gray Owl comparisons
See how Gray Owl stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 65, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Gray Owl reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (65 vs 58) makes Gray Owl the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 27, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (65 vs 55) makes Gray Owl the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 44, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 65), opening up a space where Gray Owl encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 65), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 10-point LRV gap (74 vs 65) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (68 vs 65) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 45, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Gray Owl reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.