RAL 490-2 vs Agreeable Gray
RAL 490-2 (RAL Effect) and Agreeable Gray (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, RAL 490-2 belongs to the pink-red family and Agreeable Gray to the greige-grey family. The 7-point LRV gap — 68 for RAL 490-2 vs 60 for Agreeable Gray — means RAL 490-2 will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 15.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 490-2 vs Agreeable Gray in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 490-2 and Agreeable Gray 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. RAL 490-2 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. RAL 490-2 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. RAL 490-2 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. RAL 490-2 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. RAL 490-2 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
RAL 490-2 vs Agreeable Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 490-2 on one side and Agreeable Gray 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 490-2 comparisons
See how RAL 490-2 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 68), opening up a space where RAL 490-2 encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 52, RAL 490-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 30, RAL 490-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 490-2 reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 490-2 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 43, RAL 490-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 490-2 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
RAL 490-2 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 68, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 68 and 66, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 490-2 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
RAL 490-2 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 68 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
RAL 490-2 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
RAL 490-2 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 31, RAL 490-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 7, RAL 490-2 is decisively the brighter choice.