RAL 740-2 vs Pure White
RAL 740-2 (RAL Effect) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, RAL 740-2 belongs to the green family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. The 25-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 59 for RAL 740-2 — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 17.0 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 740-2 vs Pure White in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 740-2 and Pure 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
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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 740-2.
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. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
RAL 740-2 vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 740-2 on one side and Pure 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 740-2 comparisons
See how RAL 740-2 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 59), opening up a space where RAL 740-2 encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (59 vs 52) makes RAL 740-2 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 59 vs 30, RAL 740-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 59), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 59 and 58, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
RAL 740-2 reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 59 vs 43, RAL 740-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 740-2 reads slightly lighter (LRV 59 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 740-2 reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 59), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 59), opening up a space where RAL 740-2 encloses it.
RAL 740-2 reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
RAL 740-2 reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 59), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 740-2 reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
RAL 740-2 reflects far more light (LRV 59 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 59 vs 31, RAL 740-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 59 vs 7, RAL 740-2 is decisively the brighter choice.