Olive drab vs RAL 840-6

Olive drabRAL ClassicvsRAL 840-6RAL EffectΔE 6.2Noticeable difference

Where Olive drab belongs to RAL Classic's range, RAL 840-6 is a RAL Effect color. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (6 vs 6), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. The ΔE 6.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Olive drab vs RAL 840-6 in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Olive drab and RAL 840-6 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. 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.

RAL 840-6RAL Effect 840-6 living room

@visualization

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

RAL 840-6RAL Effect 840-6 bedroom

@visualization

Color Details

Olive drab
RAL Classic · RAL 6022
Hex#3A3327
LRV6.3
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 6022
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
RAL 840-6
RAL Effect · RAL 840-6
Hex#474135
LRV5.9
BrandRAL Effect
NumberRAL 840-6
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Olive drab vs RAL 840-6 Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Olive drab on one side and RAL 840-6 on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Olive drab comparisons

See how Olive drab stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Olive drab
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Olive drab
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Olive drab
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Nearly identical in tone

Purbeck Stone
Olive drab
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Olive drab
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Olive drab
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Olive drab
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Olive drab
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Olive drab
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
Olive drab
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray is the lighter choice

Naval
Olive drab
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Nearly identical in tone

Tranquil Dawn
Olive drab
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Olive drab
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Bancha reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Olive drab
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White is the lighter choice

Pure White
Olive drab
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Olive drab
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Olive drab
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Olive drab
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Olive drab
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Olive drab
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Pewter Green reads slightly lighter

Skimming Stone
Olive drab
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Olive drab
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue is the lighter choice

Calamine
Olive drab
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Olive drab
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Olive drab
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter

Saybrook Sage
Olive drab
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Olive drab
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Olive drab
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Cement grey
Olive drab
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
Olive drab
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice