RAL 490-5 vs Shoji White
Where RAL 490-5 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Shoji White is a Sherwin-Williams color. RAL 490-5 reads as pink-red, while Shoji White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Shoji White (LRV 74) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 490-5 (LRV 29), a difference of 45 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 39.2, 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 490-5 vs Shoji White in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 490-5 and Shoji 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 Shoji White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 490-5 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. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 490-5.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 490-5.
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. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 490-5.
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. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 490-5.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 490-5.
Color Details
RAL 490-5 vs Shoji White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 490-5 on one side and Shoji White 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 490-5 comparisons
See how RAL 490-5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 29, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 29), opening up a space where RAL 490-5 encloses it.
With LRVs of 30 and 29, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 29), opening up a space where RAL 490-5 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 29, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 29 vs 27), so neither reads brighter in a room.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 29), opening up a space where RAL 490-5 encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 29, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 29, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 29), opening up a space where RAL 490-5 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 29, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 29 vs 12, RAL 490-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 29, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 29 vs 12, RAL 490-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 29, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 29, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
RAL 490-5 reflects far more light (LRV 29 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
RAL 490-5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 29 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 29), opening up a space where RAL 490-5 encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 29), opening up a space where RAL 490-5 encloses it.