RAL 280-5 vs Pure White

RAL 280-5RAL EffectvsPure WhiteSherwin-WilliamsΔE 60.2Very different colors

Where RAL 280-5 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Pure White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, RAL 280-5 belongs to the beige family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 280-5 (LRV 39), a difference of 45 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 60.2, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

RAL 280-5 vs Pure White in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 280-5 and Pure White 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 Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 280-5 would.

RAL 280-5RAL Effect 280-5 living room interior

@visualization

Pure WhitePure White SW 7005 7005 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 280-5.

RAL 280-5RAL Effect 280-5 bedroom

@visualization

Pure White7005 bedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Pure White

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 280-5.

RAL 280-5RAL Effect 280-5 kitchen painted backsplash

@visualization

Pure WhiteSherwin Williams Pure White 7005 kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 280-5.

RAL 280-5RAL Effect 280-5 bathroom

@visualization

Pure WhiteWhite 7005 bathroom in Pure White by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 280-5.

RAL 280-5RAL Effect 280-5 victorian house interior

@visualization

Pure WhitePure White 7005 house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 280-5.

RAL 280-5RAL Effect 280-5 kitchen cabinets

@visualization

Pure WhiteSherwin Williams Pure White kitchen cabinets color

@the.house.of.harrington

Color Details

RAL 280-5
RAL Effect · RAL 280-5
Hex#DCA140
LRV39.1
BrandRAL Effect
NumberRAL 280-5
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams · 7005
Hex#EDECE6
LRV84.0
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7005
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

RAL 280-5 vs Pure White Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 280-5 on one side and Pure White 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 280-5 comparisons

See how RAL 280-5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
RAL 280-5
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
RAL 280-5
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
RAL 280-5
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

RAL 280-5 is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
RAL 280-5
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
RAL 280-5
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

RAL 280-5 reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
RAL 280-5
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
RAL 280-5
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Accessible Beige
RAL 280-5
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
RAL 280-5
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

RAL 280-5 reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
RAL 280-5
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads slightly lighter

Naval
RAL 280-5
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

RAL 280-5 is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
RAL 280-5
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Bancha
RAL 280-5
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

RAL 280-5 is the lighter choice

Hardwick White
RAL 280-5
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads slightly lighter

Artichoke
RAL 280-5
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

RAL 280-5 reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
RAL 280-5
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Shoji White
RAL 280-5
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
RAL 280-5
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
RAL 280-5
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

RAL 280-5 is the lighter choice

Skimming Stone
RAL 280-5
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
RAL 280-5
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Nearly identical in tone

Calamine
RAL 280-5
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
RAL 280-5
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

RAL 280-5 reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
RAL 280-5
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

RAL 280-5 is the lighter choice

Saybrook Sage
RAL 280-5
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter

Pale Green
RAL 280-5
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

RAL 280-5 reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
RAL 280-5
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

RAL 280-5 is the lighter choice

Cement grey
RAL 280-5
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

RAL 280-5 reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
RAL 280-5
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green reads noticeably lighter

Just Walnut
RAL 280-5
Just Walnut
Dulux
Just Walnut
LRV 72

Just Walnut is the lighter choice