RAL 870-3 vs Expressive Plum
RAL 870-3 is a RAL Effect color while Expressive Plum comes from Sherwin-Williams. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 12 and 12, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. At ΔE 5.1, 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 870-3 vs Expressive Plum in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. RAL 870-3 and Expressive Plum 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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
RAL 870-3 vs Expressive Plum Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 870-3 on one side and Expressive Plum 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 870-3 comparisons
See how RAL 870-3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 12, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 12, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 12, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 12, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 12, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 12, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 12, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 4-point LRV gap (12 vs 8) makes RAL 870-3 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 12, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.