Essex Blue vs French Gray
Essex Blue is a Behr color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. Hue-wise, Essex Blue belongs to the blue family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. At LRV 56 vs 43, Essex Blue will read as the brighter of the two — a 13-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Essex Blue's blue character against French Gray's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 24.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Essex Blue vs French Gray in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Essex Blue 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.
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. Essex Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Essex Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Essex Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Essex Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Essex Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
Color Details
Essex Blue vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Essex Blue 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 Essex Blue comparisons
See how Essex Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
