After Rain vs RAL 180-3
After Rain (Behr) and RAL 180-3 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 66 vs 68 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.1 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
After Rain vs RAL 180-3 in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. After Rain and RAL 180-3 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.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. 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
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.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. 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
After Rain vs RAL 180-3 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see After Rain on one side and RAL 180-3 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 After Rain comparisons
See how After Rain stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
With LRVs of 69 and 66, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 83 vs 66, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 6, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
After Rain reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
After Rain reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 52, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
After Rain reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (66 vs 58) makes After Rain the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 66 vs 27, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
After Rain reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
After Rain reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (66 vs 55) makes After Rain the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 66 vs 13, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 44, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 66), opening up a space where After Rain encloses it.
After Rain reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 8-point LRV gap (74 vs 66) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 66, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
After Rain reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 12, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 8, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
After Rain reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 12, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 45, After Rain is decisively the brighter choice.
After Rain reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.