RAL 340-2 vs Artichoke
Where RAL 340-2 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. RAL 340-2 (LRV 30) reflects noticeably more light than Artichoke (LRV 21), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 23.0, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 340-2 vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 340-2 and Artichoke 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 RAL 340-2 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Artichoke would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. RAL 340-2 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
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. RAL 340-2 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
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. RAL 340-2 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. RAL 340-2 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Artichoke.
Color Details
RAL 340-2 vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 340-2 on one side and Artichoke 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 340-2 comparisons
See how RAL 340-2 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 340-2 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 30, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 340-2 encloses it.
With LRVs of 30 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 30, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 340-2 encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 340-2 encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 30, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 340-2 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 340-2 encloses it.
RAL 340-2 reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 340-2 encloses it.
RAL 340-2 reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 340-2 encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 30 vs 7, RAL 340-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (30 vs 24) makes RAL 340-2 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 30, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 30, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.