Stiffkey Blue vs RAL 820-5
Stiffkey Blue is a Farrow & Ball color while RAL 820-5 comes from RAL Effect. Hue-wise, Stiffkey Blue belongs to the blue family and RAL 820-5 to the blue-grey family. With LRVs of 10 and 9, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. At ΔE 6.1, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Stiffkey Blue vs RAL 820-5 in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Stiffkey Blue and RAL 820-5 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Stiffkey Blue vs RAL 820-5 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Stiffkey Blue on one side and RAL 820-5 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 Stiffkey Blue comparisons
See how Stiffkey Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 10, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (10 vs 6) makes Stiffkey Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 10, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 10, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 10, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.
Stiffkey Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 10, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (13 vs 10) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 10, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 10), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 10, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 10, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 10, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 10), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 10 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 10, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 10), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 10, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 10), opening up a space where Stiffkey Blue encloses it.