Periwinkle vs French Gray
Where Periwinkle belongs to Behr's range, French Gray is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Periwinkle belongs to the blue family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. French Gray (LRV 43) reflects noticeably more light than Periwinkle (LRV 35), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Periwinkle runs blue while French Gray is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 42.9, 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.
Periwinkle vs French Gray in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Periwinkle 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
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 French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Periwinkle would.
Color Details
Periwinkle vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Periwinkle 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 Periwinkle comparisons
See how Periwinkle stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 35), opening up a space where Periwinkle encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 35, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Periwinkle reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 35, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (35 vs 30) makes Periwinkle the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 35), opening up a space where Periwinkle encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 35, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 35), opening up a space where Periwinkle encloses it.
Periwinkle reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 35 vs 4, Periwinkle is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 35), opening up a space where Periwinkle encloses it.
Periwinkle reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 35, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 21, Periwinkle is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 35), opening up a space where Periwinkle encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 35), opening up a space where Periwinkle encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 35), opening up a space where Periwinkle encloses it.
Periwinkle reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 35), opening up a space where Periwinkle encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (41 vs 35) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 35, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (35 vs 25) makes Periwinkle the marginally brighter of the two.
Periwinkle reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 4-point LRV gap (35 vs 31) makes Periwinkle the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 35 vs 7, Periwinkle is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (35 vs 24) makes Periwinkle the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 35, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 35, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.