RAL 280-4 vs RAL 290-3

RAL 280-4RAL EffectvsRAL 290-3RAL EffectΔE 4.1Noticeable difference

Both from RAL Effect's palette. Both sit in the beige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (44 vs 43), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. The ΔE 4.1 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

RAL 280-4 vs RAL 290-3 in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. RAL 280-4 and RAL 290-3 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.

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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

RAL 280-4RAL Effect 280-4 bathroom

@visualization

RAL 290-3RAL Effect 290-3 minimalist bathroom

@visualization

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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

RAL 280-4RAL Effect 280-4 victorian house interior

@visualization

RAL 290-3RAL Effect 290-3 victorian house interior

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Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

RAL 280-4RAL Effect 280-4 kitchen cabinets

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RAL 290-3RAL Effect 290-3 kitchen cabinets

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Color Details

RAL 280-4
RAL Effect · RAL 280-4
Hex#D6AE5F
LRV44.0
BrandRAL Effect
NumberRAL 280-4
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
RAL 290-3
RAL Effect · RAL 290-3
Hex#D8A960
LRV42.8
BrandRAL Effect
NumberRAL 290-3
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium

RAL 280-4 vs RAL 290-3 Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 280-4 on one side and RAL 290-3 on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 280-4 comparisons

See how RAL 280-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
RAL 280-4
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
RAL 280-4
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads noticeably lighter

Iron Ore
RAL 280-4
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

RAL 280-4 is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
RAL 280-4
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
RAL 280-4
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

RAL 280-4 reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
RAL 280-4
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
RAL 280-4
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Accessible Beige
RAL 280-4
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
RAL 280-4
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

RAL 280-4 reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
RAL 280-4
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

Nearly identical in tone

Naval
RAL 280-4
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

RAL 280-4 is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
RAL 280-4
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter

Bancha
RAL 280-4
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

RAL 280-4 is the lighter choice

Hardwick White
RAL 280-4
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Nearly identical in tone

Pure White
RAL 280-4
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
RAL 280-4
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

RAL 280-4 reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
RAL 280-4
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Shoji White
RAL 280-4
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
RAL 280-4
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
RAL 280-4
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

RAL 280-4 is the lighter choice

Skimming Stone
RAL 280-4
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone reads noticeably lighter

Dix Blue
RAL 280-4
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

RAL 280-4 reads slightly lighter

Calamine
RAL 280-4
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine reads noticeably lighter

Treron
RAL 280-4
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

RAL 280-4 reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
RAL 280-4
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

RAL 280-4 is the lighter choice

Saybrook Sage
RAL 280-4
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Nearly identical in tone

Pale Green
RAL 280-4
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

RAL 280-4 reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
RAL 280-4
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

RAL 280-4 is the lighter choice

Cement grey
RAL 280-4
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

RAL 280-4 reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
RAL 280-4
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green reads noticeably lighter