Calluna vs RAL 170-5
Calluna (Farrow & Ball) and RAL 170-5 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Calluna belongs to the grey family and RAL 170-5 to the blue family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 57 vs 57 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. ΔE 5.9 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Calluna vs RAL 170-5 in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Calluna and RAL 170-5 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Calluna vs RAL 170-5 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Calluna on one side and RAL 170-5 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 Calluna comparisons
See how Calluna stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 57, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Calluna reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calluna reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 58 vs 57), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 57 vs 27, Calluna is decisively the brighter choice.
Calluna reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 55), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 57 vs 44, Calluna is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 57), opening up a space where Calluna encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (66 vs 57) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 57, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 12, Calluna is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 8, Calluna is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (68 vs 57) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 12, Calluna is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (57 vs 45) makes Calluna the marginally brighter of the two.
Calluna reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.