Steam vs RAL 120-3
Where Steam belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, RAL 120-3 is a RAL Effect color. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (84 vs 85), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. At ΔE 0.5, 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.
Steam vs RAL 120-3 in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Steam and RAL 120-3 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
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.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Steam vs RAL 120-3 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steam on one side and RAL 120-3 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 Steam comparisons
See how Steam stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
