Clam Shell vs RAL 770-4 paint color comparison

Clam Shell vs RAL 770-4

Clam ShellPPGvsRAL 770-4RAL EffectΔE 4.0Noticeable difference

Where Clam Shell belongs to PPG's range, RAL 770-4 is a RAL Effect color. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (18 vs 20), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. The ΔE 4.0 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Clam Shell vs RAL 770-4 in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Clam Shell and RAL 770-4 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

In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. 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.

Clam ShellA mid century living room painted in Clam Shell

@simplywalldecor

RAL 770-4RAL Effect 770-4 living room

@visualization

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Clam ShellA industrial bedroom painted in Clam Shell

@simplywalldecor

RAL 770-4RAL Effect 770-4 bedroom

@visualization

Bathroom

Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Clam ShellClam Shell — industrial bathroom

@simplywalldecor

RAL 770-4RAL Effect 770-4 bathroom

@visualization

House

Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Clam ShellClam Shell color — eclectic house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

RAL 770-4RAL Effect 770-4 victorian house interior

@visualization

Color Details

Clam Shell
PPG · PPG1023-6
LRV18.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG1023-6
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
RAL 770-4
RAL Effect · RAL 770-4
LRV19.6
BrandRAL Effect
NumberRAL 770-4
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark

Clam Shell vs RAL 770-4 Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Clam Shell on one side and RAL 770-4 on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Clam Shell comparisons

See how Clam Shell stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

Ammonite
Clam Shell
Ammonite
Clam Shell
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

At LRV 69 vs 18, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

White Dove
Clam Shell
White Dove
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Clam Shell
Iron Ore
Clam Shell
Iron Ore
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Clam Shell reflects far more light (LRV 18 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Purbeck Stone
Clam Shell
Purbeck Stone
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

At LRV 52 vs 18, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Clam Shell
Evergreen Fog
Clam Shell
Evergreen Fog
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

At LRV 30 vs 18, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.

Mizzle
Clam Shell
Mizzle
Clam Shell
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Clam Shell
Agreeable Gray
Clam Shell
Agreeable Gray
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

At LRV 60 vs 18, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Clam Shell
Accessible Beige
Clam Shell
Accessible Beige
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Denim Drift
Clam Shell
Denim Drift
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 18), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

French Gray
Clam Shell
French Gray
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

At LRV 43 vs 18, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Clam Shell
Naval
Clam Shell
Naval
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 18 vs 4, Clam Shell is decisively the brighter choice.

Tranquil Dawn
Clam Shell
Tranquil Dawn
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Bancha
Clam Shell
Bancha
Clam Shell
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Clam Shell reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Hardwick White
Clam Shell
Hardwick White
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Clam Shell
Pure White
Clam Shell
Pure White
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

At LRV 84 vs 18, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Clam Shell
Artichoke
Clam Shell
Artichoke
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

A 3-point LRV gap (21 vs 18) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.

Balboa Mist
Clam Shell
Balboa Mist
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Clam Shell
Shoji White
Clam Shell
Shoji White
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Clam Shell
Snowbound
Clam Shell
Snowbound
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Pigeon
Clam Shell
Pigeon
Clam Shell
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

At LRV 51 vs 18, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.

Clam Shell
Pewter Green
Clam Shell
Pewter Green
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Clam Shell reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Duck Green
Clam Shell
Duck Green
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Clam Shell reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Skimming Stone
Clam Shell
Skimming Stone
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Dix Blue
Clam Shell
Dix Blue
Clam Shell
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

At LRV 41 vs 18, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Hicks' Blue
Clam Shell
Hicks' Blue
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Hicks' Blue vs Clam Shell

Slaked Lime Deep
Clam Shell
Slaked Lime Deep
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Slaked Lime Deep vs Clam Shell

Vintage Vogue
Clam Shell
Vintage Vogue
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Clam Shell reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Livid
Clam Shell
Livid
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Livid vs Clam Shell

Saybrook Sage
Clam Shell
Saybrook Sage
Clam Shell
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 18), opening up a space where Clam Shell encloses it.

Clam Shell
Pale Green
Clam Shell
Pale Green
PPG
Clam Shell
PPG1023-6 · LRV 18
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

At LRV 31 vs 18, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.