Japonica vs RAL 310-4
Japonica (Cloverdale Paint) and RAL 310-4 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. The 8-point LRV gap — 42 for Japonica vs 34 for RAL 310-4 — means Japonica will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 8.5 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.
Japonica vs RAL 310-4 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Japonica and RAL 310-4 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. Japonica reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Japonica has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Japonica has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Japonica has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Japonica vs RAL 310-4 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Japonica on one side and RAL 310-4 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 Japonica comparisons
See how Japonica stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 42, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 42), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Japonica reads slightly lighter (LRV 42 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 42), opening up a space where Japonica encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 42, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 27, Japonica is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 43 and 42, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 42, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 42), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 42), opening up a space where Japonica encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 42, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 42, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 12, Japonica is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 8, Japonica is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 42, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 12, Japonica is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (45 vs 42) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Japonica reads slightly lighter (LRV 42 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.