RAL 850-5 vs Artichoke
Where RAL 850-5 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Artichoke is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Artichoke (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 850-5 (LRV 14), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 15.5, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 850-5 vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 850-5 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Artichoke gives the walls a little more lift.
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 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. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Artichoke reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
RAL 850-5 vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 850-5 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 850-5 comparisons
See how RAL 850-5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 14, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where RAL 850-5 encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 14), opening up a space where RAL 850-5 encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 14), opening up a space where RAL 850-5 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 14, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 14, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 14), opening up a space where RAL 850-5 encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 14, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 14, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 14), opening up a space where RAL 850-5 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 14, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 14, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 6-point LRV gap (14 vs 8) makes RAL 850-5 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 14, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 14 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 14, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 14), opening up a space where RAL 850-5 encloses it.
RAL 850-5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.