RAL 690-3 vs Artichoke
Where RAL 690-3 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, RAL 690-3 belongs to the blue family and Artichoke to the grey family. Artichoke (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 690-3 (LRV 11), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 35.4, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 690-3 vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 690-3 and Artichoke in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. The LRV gap is large enough that Artichoke will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 690-3 would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Artichoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 690-3.
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. Artichoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 690-3.
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. Artichoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 690-3.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Artichoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 690-3.
Color Details
RAL 690-3 vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 690-3 on one side and Artichoke 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 690-3 comparisons
See how RAL 690-3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 11, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 690-3 encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 690-3 encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 690-3 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 11, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 11, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 690-3 encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 11, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 11, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 690-3 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 11, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 11, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 11 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 11, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 11, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 11), opening up a space where RAL 690-3 encloses it.
RAL 690-3 reads slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.