RAL 540-4 vs Agreeable Gray

RAL 540-4RAL EffectvsAgreeable GraySherwin-WilliamsΔE 46.0Very different colors

RAL 540-4 is a RAL Effect color while Agreeable Gray comes from Sherwin-Williams. Hue-wise, RAL 540-4 belongs to the pink-purple family and Agreeable Gray to the greige-grey family. At LRV 60 vs 21, Agreeable Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 40-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 46.0, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

RAL 540-4 vs Agreeable Gray in Real Spaces

6 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 540-4 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

RAL 540-4RAL Effect 540-4 living room interior

@visualization

Agreeable GrayAgreeable Gray SW 7029 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 540-4 would.

RAL 540-4RAL Effect 540-4 bedroom

@visualization

Agreeable GrayBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 540-4 would.

RAL 540-4RAL Effect 540-4 kitchen painted backsplash

@visualization

Agreeable GraySherwin Williams Agreeable Gray kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 540-4 would.

RAL 540-4RAL Effect 540-4 bathroom

@visualization

Agreeable GrayModern Agreeable Gray bathroom

@homeimprovementdude

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 540-4 would.

RAL 540-4RAL Effect 540-4 victorian house interior

@visualization

Agreeable GrayFarmhouse Agreeable Gray house exterior

@homeimprovementdude

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 540-4 would.

RAL 540-4RAL Effect 540-4 kitchen cabinets

@visualization

Agreeable GrayAgreeable Gray kitchen cabinets paint review

@katylynndesign

Color Details

RAL 540-4
RAL Effect · RAL 540-4
Hex#966B98
LRV20.7
BrandRAL Effect
NumberRAL 540-4
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams · 7029
Hex#D1CBC1
LRV60.4
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7029
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

RAL 540-4 vs Agreeable Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 540-4 on one side and Agreeable Gray 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 540-4 comparisons

See how RAL 540-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
RAL 540-4
White Dove
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

Ammonite
RAL 540-4
Ammonite
RAL 540-4
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 69 vs 21, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

RAL 540-4
Iron Ore
RAL 540-4
Iron Ore
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

RAL 540-4 reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Purbeck Stone
RAL 540-4
Purbeck Stone
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 52 vs 21, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

RAL 540-4
Evergreen Fog
RAL 540-4
Evergreen Fog
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

A 10-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.

Mizzle
RAL 540-4
Mizzle
RAL 540-4
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

RAL 540-4
Accessible Beige
RAL 540-4
Accessible Beige
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

Denim Drift
RAL 540-4
Denim Drift
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

French Gray
RAL 540-4
French Gray
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 43 vs 21, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

RAL 540-4
Naval
RAL 540-4
Naval
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 21 vs 4, RAL 540-4 is decisively the brighter choice.

Tranquil Dawn
RAL 540-4
Tranquil Dawn
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

Bancha
RAL 540-4
Bancha
RAL 540-4
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

RAL 540-4 reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Hardwick White
RAL 540-4
Hardwick White
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

RAL 540-4
Pure White
RAL 540-4
Pure White
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 84 vs 21, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

RAL 540-4
Artichoke
RAL 540-4
Artichoke
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 21 vs 21), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Balboa Mist
RAL 540-4
Balboa Mist
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

RAL 540-4
Shoji White
RAL 540-4
Shoji White
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

RAL 540-4
Snowbound
RAL 540-4
Snowbound
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

RAL 540-4
Pewter Green
RAL 540-4
Pewter Green
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

RAL 540-4 reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Skimming Stone
RAL 540-4
Skimming Stone
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

Dix Blue
RAL 540-4
Dix Blue
RAL 540-4
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 41 vs 21, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Calamine
RAL 540-4
Calamine
RAL 540-4
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 68 vs 21, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.

Treron
RAL 540-4
Treron
RAL 540-4
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

A 4-point LRV gap (25 vs 21) makes Treron the marginally brighter of the two.

Vintage Vogue
RAL 540-4
Vintage Vogue
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

RAL 540-4 reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Saybrook Sage
RAL 540-4
Saybrook Sage
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 21), opening up a space where RAL 540-4 encloses it.

Pale Green
RAL 540-4
Pale Green
RAL 540-4
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

A 11-point LRV gap (31 vs 21) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.

Pine Needle
RAL 540-4
Pine Needle
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 21 vs 7, RAL 540-4 is decisively the brighter choice.

Cement grey
RAL 540-4
Cement grey
RAL 540-4
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

A 3-point LRV gap (24 vs 21) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.

Guilford Green
RAL 540-4
Guilford Green
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 57 vs 21, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.

Just Walnut
RAL 540-4
Just Walnut
RAL 540-4
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 540-4
RAL 540-4 · LRV 21

At LRV 72 vs 21, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.