RAL 170-M vs Thames Fog
Where RAL 170-M belongs to RAL Effect's range, Thames Fog is a Valspar color. Hue-wise, RAL 170-M belongs to the blue-grey family and Thames Fog to the grey family. RAL 170-M (LRV 40) reflects noticeably more light than Thames Fog (LRV 27), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 19.9, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 170-M vs Thames Fog in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 170-M and Thames Fog 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 170-M will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Thames Fog would.
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 170-M reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thames Fog.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. RAL 170-M reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Thames Fog.
Color Details
RAL 170-M vs Thames Fog Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 170-M on one side and Thames Fog 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 170-M comparisons
See how RAL 170-M stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
