Purbeck Stone vs RAL 850-2
Where Purbeck Stone belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, RAL 850-2 is a RAL Effect color. Hue-wise, Purbeck Stone belongs to the greige-grey family and RAL 850-2 to the grey family. Purbeck Stone (LRV 52) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 850-2 (LRV 44), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 5.9 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Purbeck Stone vs RAL 850-2 in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Purbeck Stone and RAL 850-2 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 LRV gap is large enough that Purbeck Stone will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 850-2 would.
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. Purbeck Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 850-2.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Purbeck Stone reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 850-2.
Color Details
Purbeck Stone vs RAL 850-2 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Purbeck Stone on one side and RAL 850-2 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 Purbeck Stone comparisons
See how Purbeck Stone stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 52, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 6, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 52), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (58 vs 52) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 52 vs 27, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 52 vs 13, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 44) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 52, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 52, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 52, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 8, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 52, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.