RAL 850-4 vs Dovetail
RAL 850-4 is a RAL Effect color while Dovetail comes from Sherwin-Williams. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. With LRVs of 27 and 26, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. With a ΔE of 1.4, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 850-4 vs Dovetail in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. RAL 850-4 and Dovetail 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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Color Details
RAL 850-4 vs Dovetail Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 850-4 on one side and Dovetail 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 850-4 comparisons
See how RAL 850-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 27, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (30 vs 27) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 27, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
With LRVs of 27 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 27, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 27, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
RAL 850-4 reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
RAL 850-4 reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
RAL 850-4 reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 27), opening up a space where RAL 850-4 encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.