Pigeon vs RAL 590-5
Where Pigeon belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, RAL 590-5 is a RAL Effect color. Pigeon reads as grey, while RAL 590-5 reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Pigeon (LRV 51) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 590-5 (LRV 4), a difference of 47 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 59.5, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pigeon vs RAL 590-5 in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Pigeon and RAL 590-5 in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 LRV gap is large enough that Pigeon will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 590-5 would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Pigeon reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 590-5.
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 590-5.
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 590-5.
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 590-5.
Color Details
Pigeon vs RAL 590-5 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pigeon on one side and RAL 590-5 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.
