RAL 120-3 vs Artichoke
Where RAL 120-3 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, RAL 120-3 belongs to the beige-greige family and Artichoke to the grey family. RAL 120-3 (LRV 85) reflects noticeably more light than Artichoke (LRV 21), a difference of 64 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 42.2, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 120-3 vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 120-3 and Artichoke in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. The LRV gap is large enough that RAL 120-3 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Artichoke would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. RAL 120-3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. RAL 120-3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. RAL 120-3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. RAL 120-3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
RAL 120-3 vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 120-3 on one side and Artichoke 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 RAL 120-3 comparisons
See how RAL 120-3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 85 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 58, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 27, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 55, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 44, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 85 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 85 vs 66, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (85 vs 74) makes RAL 120-3 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 85 vs 12, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 8, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 68, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 12, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 45, RAL 120-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
RAL 120-3 reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.