RAL 540-5 vs Artichoke
Where RAL 540-5 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. RAL 540-5 reads as pink-purple, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Artichoke (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 540-5 (LRV 13), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 44.8, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 540-5 vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 540-5 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 Artichoke will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 540-5 would.
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. Artichoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 540-5.
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. Artichoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 540-5.
Color Details
RAL 540-5 vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 540-5 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 540-5 comparisons
See how RAL 540-5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 13, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 13), opening up a space where RAL 540-5 encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where RAL 540-5 encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where RAL 540-5 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 13, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 13, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 13), opening up a space where RAL 540-5 encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 13, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 13, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 13), opening up a space where RAL 540-5 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 13, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 13, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 13, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 13, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 13), opening up a space where RAL 540-5 encloses it.
RAL 540-5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 13), opening up a space where RAL 540-5 encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 13), opening up a space where RAL 540-5 encloses it.