RAL 840-3 vs Agreeable Gray

RAL 840-3RAL EffectvsAgreeable GraySherwin-WilliamsΔE 8.7Noticeable difference

RAL 840-3 is a RAL Effect color while Agreeable Gray comes from Sherwin-Williams. Both sit in the greige-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 60 vs 46, Agreeable Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 15-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 8.7, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

RAL 840-3 vs Agreeable Gray in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. RAL 840-3 and Agreeable 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.

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 840-3RAL Effect 840-3 living room

@visualization

Agreeable GrayAgreeable Gray SW 7029 living room

@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 840-3 would.

RAL 840-3RAL Effect 840-3 kitchen interior

@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 840-3 would.

RAL 840-3RAL Effect 840-3 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 840-3 would.

RAL 840-3RAL Effect 840-3 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 840-3 would.

RAL 840-3RAL Effect 840-3 kitchen cabinets

@visualization

Agreeable GrayAgreeable Gray kitchen cabinets paint review

@katylynndesign

Color Details

RAL 840-3
RAL Effect · RAL 840-3
Hex#B8B4A8
LRV45.6
BrandRAL Effect
NumberRAL 840-3
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams · 7029
Hex#D1CBC1
LRV60.4
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7029
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

RAL 840-3 vs Agreeable Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 840-3 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 840-3 comparisons

See how RAL 840-3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
RAL 840-3
White Dove
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 46), opening up a space where RAL 840-3 encloses it.

Ammonite
RAL 840-3
Ammonite
RAL 840-3
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 69 vs 46, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

RAL 840-3
Iron Ore
RAL 840-3
Iron Ore
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

RAL 840-3 reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Purbeck Stone
RAL 840-3
Purbeck Stone
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

A 6-point LRV gap (52 vs 46) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.

RAL 840-3
Evergreen Fog
RAL 840-3
Evergreen Fog
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 46 vs 30, RAL 840-3 is decisively the brighter choice.

Mizzle
RAL 840-3
Mizzle
RAL 840-3
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 46), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

RAL 840-3
Accessible Beige
RAL 840-3
Accessible Beige
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 46), opening up a space where RAL 840-3 encloses it.

Denim Drift
RAL 840-3
Denim Drift
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

RAL 840-3 reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.

French Gray
RAL 840-3
French Gray
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 46 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.

RAL 840-3
Naval
RAL 840-3
Naval
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 46 vs 4, RAL 840-3 is decisively the brighter choice.

Tranquil Dawn
RAL 840-3
Tranquil Dawn
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 46), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Bancha
RAL 840-3
Bancha
RAL 840-3
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

RAL 840-3 reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Hardwick White
Hardwick White
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3
Hardwick White vs RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

With LRVs of 46 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

RAL 840-3
Pure White
RAL 840-3
Pure White
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 84 vs 46, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

RAL 840-3
Artichoke
RAL 840-3
Artichoke
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

At LRV 46 vs 21, RAL 840-3 is decisively the brighter choice.

Balboa Mist
RAL 840-3
Balboa Mist
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 46), opening up a space where RAL 840-3 encloses it.

RAL 840-3
Shoji White
RAL 840-3
Shoji White
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 46), opening up a space where RAL 840-3 encloses it.

RAL 840-3
Snowbound
RAL 840-3
Snowbound
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 46), opening up a space where RAL 840-3 encloses it.

RAL 840-3
Pewter Green
RAL 840-3
Pewter Green
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

RAL 840-3 reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Skimming Stone
RAL 840-3
Skimming Stone
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 46), opening up a space where RAL 840-3 encloses it.

Dix Blue
RAL 840-3
Dix Blue
RAL 840-3
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

A 5-point LRV gap (46 vs 41) makes RAL 840-3 the marginally brighter of the two.

Calamine
RAL 840-3
Calamine
RAL 840-3
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 68 vs 46, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.

Treron
RAL 840-3
Treron
RAL 840-3
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 46 vs 25, RAL 840-3 is decisively the brighter choice.

Vintage Vogue
RAL 840-3
Vintage Vogue
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

RAL 840-3 reflects far more light (LRV 46 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Saybrook Sage
RAL 840-3
Saybrook Sage
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

With LRVs of 46 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Pale Green
RAL 840-3
Pale Green
RAL 840-3
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 46 vs 31, RAL 840-3 is decisively the brighter choice.

Pine Needle
RAL 840-3
Pine Needle
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 46 vs 7, RAL 840-3 is decisively the brighter choice.

Cement grey
RAL 840-3
Cement grey
RAL 840-3
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 46 vs 24, RAL 840-3 is decisively the brighter choice.

Guilford Green
RAL 840-3
Guilford Green
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

A 12-point LRV gap (57 vs 46) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.

Just Walnut
RAL 840-3
Just Walnut
RAL 840-3
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 840-3
RAL 840-3 · LRV 46

At LRV 72 vs 46, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.