Heliotrope vs RAL 870-2
Heliotrope is a PPG color while RAL 870-2 comes from RAL Effect. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. With LRVs of 31 and 30, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. At ΔE 5.5, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Heliotrope vs RAL 870-2 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Heliotrope and RAL 870-2 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.
Color Details
Heliotrope vs RAL 870-2 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Heliotrope on one side and RAL 870-2 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 Heliotrope comparisons
See how Heliotrope stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Heliotrope encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 31, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 6, Heliotrope is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Heliotrope encloses it.
With LRVs of 31 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 31, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Heliotrope encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 31, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Heliotrope the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 31), opening up a space where Heliotrope encloses it.
Heliotrope reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 13, Heliotrope is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 31, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Heliotrope encloses it.
Heliotrope reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 31, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 31, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 31, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Heliotrope encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Heliotrope is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Heliotrope is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Heliotrope is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.