RAL 820-4 vs Serious Gray
RAL 820-4 (RAL Effect) and Serious Gray (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 23 vs 23 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 1.8 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 820-4 vs Serious Gray in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. RAL 820-4 and Serious Gray are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
RAL 820-4 vs Serious Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 820-4 on one side and Serious 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 820-4 comparisons
See how RAL 820-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 23, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 23), opening up a space where RAL 820-4 encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 23), opening up a space where RAL 820-4 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 23, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (27 vs 23) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 23), opening up a space where RAL 820-4 encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 23, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 23, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 23), opening up a space where RAL 820-4 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 23, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 23, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (23 vs 12) makes RAL 820-4 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 23, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (23 vs 12) makes RAL 820-4 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 23, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 820-4 reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
With LRVs of 24 and 23, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 23), opening up a space where RAL 820-4 encloses it.