RAL 260-M vs Different Gold
RAL 260-M is a RAL Effect color while Different Gold comes from Sherwin-Williams. Both sit in the beige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 31 and 32, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 2.5, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 260-M vs Different Gold in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. RAL 260-M and Different Gold 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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Color Details
RAL 260-M vs Different Gold Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 260-M on one side and Different Gold 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 260-M comparisons
See how RAL 260-M stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 31), opening up a space where RAL 260-M encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 31, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 31, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 31), opening up a space where RAL 260-M encloses it.
RAL 260-M reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 31, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 31), opening up a space where RAL 260-M encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 31), opening up a space where RAL 260-M encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 31, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 31), opening up a space where RAL 260-M encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 31), opening up a space where RAL 260-M encloses it.
RAL 260-M reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
RAL 260-M reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 31), opening up a space where RAL 260-M encloses it.
RAL 260-M reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 31), opening up a space where RAL 260-M encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.