Zen vs RAL 860-2
Zen (PPG) and RAL 860-2 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Zen belongs to the blue family and RAL 860-2 to the blue-grey family. The 5-point LRV gap — 69 for Zen vs 64 for RAL 860-2 — means Zen will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 3.3 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Zen vs RAL 860-2 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Zen and RAL 860-2 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
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. Zen reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Zen has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Zen has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Zen vs RAL 860-2 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Zen on one side and RAL 860-2 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 Zen comparisons
See how Zen stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 69, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Zen reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (69 vs 58) makes Zen the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 69 vs 27, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 55, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 44, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 69), opening up a space where Zen encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (69 vs 66) makes Zen the marginally brighter of the two.
A 5-point LRV gap (74 vs 69) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 69 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 45, Zen is decisively the brighter choice.
Zen reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.