Soot vs RAL 790-2
Soot is a Benjamin Moore color while RAL 790-2 comes from RAL Effect. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. With LRVs of 6 and 6, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 2.3, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Soot vs RAL 790-2 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Soot and RAL 790-2 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Color Details
Soot vs RAL 790-2 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Soot on one side and RAL 790-2 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 Soot comparisons
See how Soot stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
