Boulder Creek vs RAL 840-3
Boulder Creek is a PPG color while RAL 840-3 comes from RAL Effect. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. At LRV 46 vs 42, RAL 840-3 will read as the brighter of the two — a 4-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. With a ΔE of 2.2, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Boulder Creek vs RAL 840-3 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Boulder Creek and RAL 840-3 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. RAL 840-3 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The brightness difference is modest but present — RAL 840-3 gives the walls a little more lift.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — RAL 840-3 gives the walls a little more lift.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — RAL 840-3 gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Boulder Creek vs RAL 840-3 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Boulder Creek on one side and RAL 840-3 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 Boulder Creek comparisons
See how Boulder Creek stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 42, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 42), opening up a space where Boulder Creek encloses it.
Boulder Creek reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (52 vs 42) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 12-point LRV gap (42 vs 30) makes Boulder Creek the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 42), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 42, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 42), opening up a space where Boulder Creek encloses it.
Boulder Creek reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 43 vs 42), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 42 vs 4, Boulder Creek is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 42), opening up a space where Boulder Creek encloses it.
Boulder Creek reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
With LRVs of 44 and 42, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 42, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 21, Boulder Creek is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 42), opening up a space where Boulder Creek encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 42), opening up a space where Boulder Creek encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 42), opening up a space where Boulder Creek encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (51 vs 42) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Boulder Creek reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Boulder Creek reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 42), opening up a space where Boulder Creek encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 42 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Boulder Creek reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 42), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (42 vs 31) makes Boulder Creek the marginally brighter of the two.