Billowing Clouds vs RAL 860-1
Billowing Clouds (PPG) and RAL 860-1 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. Billowing Clouds reads as blue, while RAL 860-1 reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 72 vs 70 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.8 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Billowing Clouds vs RAL 860-1 in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Billowing Clouds and RAL 860-1 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.
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.
Color Details
Billowing Clouds vs RAL 860-1 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Billowing Clouds on one side and RAL 860-1 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 Billowing Clouds comparisons
See how Billowing Clouds stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 3-point LRV gap (72 vs 69) makes Billowing Clouds the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 72), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 52, Billowing Clouds is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 30, Billowing Clouds is decisively the brighter choice.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (72 vs 60) makes Billowing Clouds the marginally brighter of the two.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 43, Billowing Clouds is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 4, Billowing Clouds is decisively the brighter choice.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (84 vs 72) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 72 vs 21, Billowing Clouds is decisively the brighter choice.
Billowing Clouds reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 74 and 72, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 72), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 72 vs 51, Billowing Clouds is decisively the brighter choice.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Billowing Clouds reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 72 vs 41, Billowing Clouds is decisively the brighter choice.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Billowing Clouds reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 31, Billowing Clouds is decisively the brighter choice.