RAL 840-4 vs Retreat
Where RAL 840-4 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Retreat is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (21 vs 21), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. At ΔE 2.6, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 840-4 vs Retreat in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. RAL 840-4 and Retreat 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
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 two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
RAL 840-4 vs Retreat Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 840-4 on one side and Retreat 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 840-4 comparisons
See how RAL 840-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
