Steeped Tea vs RAL 850-4
Steeped Tea is a PPG color while RAL 850-4 comes from RAL Effect. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. At LRV 30 vs 27, Steeped Tea will read as the brighter of the two — a 3-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 3.5, 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.
Steeped Tea vs RAL 850-4 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Steeped Tea and RAL 850-4 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
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. Steeped Tea has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Steeped Tea gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The brightness difference is modest but present — Steeped Tea gives the walls a little more lift.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Steeped Tea gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Steeped Tea vs RAL 850-4 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steeped Tea on one side and RAL 850-4 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 Steeped Tea comparisons
See how Steeped Tea stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 30), opening up a space where Steeped Tea encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 30, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 6, Steeped Tea is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Steeped Tea encloses it.
With LRVs of 30 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 30, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 30), opening up a space where Steeped Tea encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 30, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (30 vs 27) makes Steeped Tea the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 30), opening up a space where Steeped Tea encloses it.
Steeped Tea reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 30, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 13, Steeped Tea is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 30, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 30), opening up a space where Steeped Tea encloses it.
Steeped Tea reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 30, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 30, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 30, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 30), opening up a space where Steeped Tea encloses it.
At LRV 30 vs 12, Steeped Tea is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 8, Steeped Tea is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 30, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 30 vs 12, Steeped Tea is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 30, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.