RAL 180-M vs Aqua-Sphere
RAL 180-M is a RAL Effect color while Aqua-Sphere comes from Sherwin-Williams. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 41 vs 35, Aqua-Sphere will read as the brighter of the two — a 6-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 4.7, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 180-M vs Aqua-Sphere in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. RAL 180-M and Aqua-Sphere 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. Aqua-Sphere has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Aqua-Sphere gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
RAL 180-M vs Aqua-Sphere Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 180-M on one side and Aqua-Sphere 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-M comparisons
See how RAL 180-M stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 35, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 35), opening up a space where RAL 180-M encloses it.
RAL 180-M reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 35), opening up a space where RAL 180-M encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 35, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (35 vs 27) makes RAL 180-M the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 35, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (44 vs 35) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 35), opening up a space where RAL 180-M encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 35, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 35, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 12, RAL 180-M is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 8, RAL 180-M is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 35, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 12, RAL 180-M is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (45 vs 35) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
RAL 180-M reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.