RAL 850-1 vs Colonnade Gray
RAL 850-1 is a RAL Effect color while Colonnade Gray comes from Sherwin-Williams. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. With LRVs of 53 and 53, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 2.0, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 850-1 vs Colonnade Gray in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. RAL 850-1 and Colonnade 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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Color Details
RAL 850-1 vs Colonnade Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 850-1 on one side and Colonnade 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 850-1 comparisons
See how RAL 850-1 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 53, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 53 and 52, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
RAL 850-1 reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 53), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 4-point LRV gap (58 vs 53) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 53 vs 27, RAL 850-1 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 850-1 reads slightly lighter (LRV 53 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 55 vs 53), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 10-point LRV gap (53 vs 44) makes RAL 850-1 the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 53), opening up a space where RAL 850-1 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 53, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 53, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 53 vs 12, RAL 850-1 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 53, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 53 vs 12, RAL 850-1 is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (53 vs 45) makes RAL 850-1 the marginally brighter of the two.
RAL 850-1 reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
RAL 850-1 reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
RAL 850-1 reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 53), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.