RAL 850-4 vs Elephant Ear
RAL 850-4 (RAL Effect) and Elephant Ear (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, RAL 850-4 belongs to the grey family and Elephant Ear to the greige-grey family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 27 vs 28 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.6 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 850-4 vs Elephant Ear in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. RAL 850-4 and Elephant Ear 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
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 850-4 vs Elephant Ear Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 850-4 on one side and Elephant Ear 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 850-4 comparisons
See how RAL 850-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 27, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (30 vs 27) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 27, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
With LRVs of 27 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 27, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 27, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
RAL 850-4 reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
RAL 850-4 reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 27 vs 7, RAL 850-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 27 vs 24), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 57 vs 27, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.