Sparrow vs RAL 870-2
Where Sparrow belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, RAL 870-2 is a RAL Effect color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (32 vs 30), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. At ΔE 2.2, 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.
Sparrow vs RAL 870-2 in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Sparrow and RAL 870-2 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
Sparrow vs RAL 870-2 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Sparrow on one side and RAL 870-2 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 Sparrow comparisons
See how Sparrow stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 32), opening up a space where Sparrow encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 32, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 32 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 32, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 32), opening up a space where Sparrow encloses it.
Sparrow reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (43 vs 32) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 32), opening up a space where Sparrow encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 32, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 32), opening up a space where Sparrow encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 32), opening up a space where Sparrow encloses it.
Sparrow reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Sparrow reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 32), opening up a space where Sparrow encloses it.
Sparrow reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 32), opening up a space where Sparrow encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 32 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.