Contemporary White vs RAL 120-5
Contemporary White (Jotun) and RAL 120-5 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. Contemporary White reads as beige-greige, while RAL 120-5 reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 70 vs 70 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 1.8 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Contemporary White vs RAL 120-5 in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Contemporary White and RAL 120-5 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Contemporary White vs RAL 120-5 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Contemporary White on one side and RAL 120-5 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 Contemporary White comparisons
See how Contemporary White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 70 vs 69), so neither reads brighter in a room.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 70), opening up a space where Contemporary White encloses it.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 70 vs 52, Contemporary White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 30, Contemporary White is decisively the brighter choice.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (70 vs 60) makes Contemporary White the marginally brighter of the two.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 70 vs 43, Contemporary White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 4, Contemporary White is decisively the brighter choice.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 70, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 21, Contemporary White is decisively the brighter choice.
Contemporary White reads slightly lighter (LRV 70 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 70), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 70), opening up a space where Contemporary White encloses it.
At LRV 70 vs 51, Contemporary White is decisively the brighter choice.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 70 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 70 vs 41, Contemporary White is decisively the brighter choice.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Contemporary White reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 70 vs 31, Contemporary White is decisively the brighter choice.