Pigeon vs RAL 440-2
Where Pigeon belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, RAL 440-2 is a RAL Effect color. Hue-wise, Pigeon belongs to the grey family and RAL 440-2 to the pink-red family. Pigeon (LRV 51) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 440-2 (LRV 18), a difference of 33 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 61.6, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pigeon vs RAL 440-2 in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Pigeon and RAL 440-2 in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Pigeon reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 440-2.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Pigeon reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 440-2.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Pigeon reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 440-2.
Color Details
Pigeon vs RAL 440-2 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pigeon on one side and RAL 440-2 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 Pigeon comparisons
See how Pigeon stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 51, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (58 vs 51) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 51 vs 27, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 4-point LRV gap (55 vs 51) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 44) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 51, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 51, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 51, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (51 vs 45) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.