RAL 840-5 vs Pure White
RAL 840-5 is a RAL Effect color while Pure White comes from Sherwin-Williams. RAL 840-5 reads as green-grey, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 84 vs 11, Pure White will read as the brighter of the two — a 73-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 54.4, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 840-5 vs Pure White in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 840-5 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
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. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 840-5 would.
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 Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 840-5 would.
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 Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 840-5 would.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 840-5 would.
Color Details
RAL 840-5 vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 840-5 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 840-5 comparisons
See how RAL 840-5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 11, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 11, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 11, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 11, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 11 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 840-5 encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 11, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (11 vs 7) makes RAL 840-5 the marginally brighter of the two.