Astronomical vs French Gray
Where Astronomical belongs to Behr's range, French Gray is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Astronomical belongs to the grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. French Gray (LRV 43) reflects noticeably more light than Astronomical (LRV 7), a difference of 36 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Astronomical runs green while French Gray is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 42.3, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Astronomical vs French Gray in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Astronomical and French Gray in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Astronomical.
Color Details
Astronomical vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Astronomical on one side and French Gray 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 Astronomical comparisons
See how Astronomical stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 7, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 7 and 6, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 7, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 7, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 7, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 4), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 7, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 7, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 7, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 7, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 7, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 7), opening up a space where Astronomical encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 7, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 24 vs 7, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 7, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 7, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.