Traffic grey A vs Made in the Shade

Traffic grey ARAL ClassicvsMade in the ShadeValsparΔE 3.8Noticeable difference

Traffic grey A is a RAL Classic color while Made in the Shade comes from Valspar. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 31 and 33, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. At ΔE 3.8, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Traffic grey A vs Made in the Shade in Real Spaces

1 real room side by side. Traffic grey A and Made in the Shade 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.

Traffic grey ARAL Classic Traffic grey A 7042 living room

@reninaraci

Made in the ShadeValspar Made in the Shade hallway picture

@dcf_decorating

Color Details

Traffic grey A
RAL Classic · RAL 7042
Hex#8E9291
LRV30.9
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7042
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
Made in the Shade
Valspar · V116-2
Hex#959c9c
LRV32.5
BrandValspar
NumberV116-2
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium

Traffic grey A vs Made in the Shade Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Traffic grey A on one side and Made in the Shade 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 Traffic grey A comparisons

See how Traffic grey A stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Traffic grey A
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Traffic grey A
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Traffic grey A
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Traffic grey A is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Traffic grey A
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
Traffic grey A
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Nearly identical in tone

Mizzle
Traffic grey A
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
Traffic grey A
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Traffic grey A
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Traffic grey A
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Traffic grey A reads slightly lighter

French Gray
Traffic grey A
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Naval
Traffic grey A
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Traffic grey A is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Traffic grey A
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Bancha
Traffic grey A
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Traffic grey A reads noticeably lighter

Hardwick White
Traffic grey A
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads noticeably lighter

Pure White
Traffic grey A
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Traffic grey A
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Traffic grey A reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Traffic grey A
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
Traffic grey A
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Traffic grey A
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Traffic grey A
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Traffic grey A reads noticeably lighter

Skimming Stone
Traffic grey A
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Traffic grey A
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads slightly lighter

Calamine
Traffic grey A
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Traffic grey A
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Traffic grey A reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Traffic grey A
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Traffic grey A reads noticeably lighter

Saybrook Sage
Traffic grey A
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Traffic grey A
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

Pine Needle
Traffic grey A
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Traffic grey A reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Traffic grey A
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Traffic grey A reads slightly lighter

Guilford Green
Traffic grey A
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice