RAL 180-1 vs Special Gray
RAL 180-1 is a RAL Effect color while Special Gray comes from Sherwin-Williams. Hue-wise, RAL 180-1 belongs to the blue family and Special Gray to the grey family. At LRV 49 vs 19, RAL 180-1 will read as the brighter of the two — a 29-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 25.5, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 180-1 vs Special Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 180-1 and Special Gray 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
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 180-1 returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that RAL 180-1 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Special Gray would.
Color Details
RAL 180-1 vs Special Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 180-1 on one side and Special Gray 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 180-1 comparisons
See how RAL 180-1 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
