RAL 280-4 vs Alchemy
Where RAL 280-4 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Alchemy is a Sherwin-Williams color. Both sit in the beige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. RAL 280-4 (LRV 44) reflects noticeably more light than Alchemy (LRV 38), a difference of 7 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 6.0 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 280-4 vs Alchemy in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. RAL 280-4 and Alchemy 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
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. RAL 280-4 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. RAL 280-4 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. RAL 280-4 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
RAL 280-4 vs Alchemy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 280-4 on one side and Alchemy 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 RAL 280-4 comparisons
See how RAL 280-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 44, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 280-4 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 280-4 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 44, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 27, RAL 280-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 44 and 43, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 11-point LRV gap (55 vs 44) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 280-4 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 44, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 44, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 12, RAL 280-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 8, RAL 280-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 44, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 12, RAL 280-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.
RAL 280-4 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.