Alabaster vs French Gray
Alabaster (Benjamin Moore) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 42-point LRV gap — 85 for Alabaster vs 43 for French Gray — means Alabaster will open up a space more effectively. Where Alabaster leans yellow, French Gray reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 24.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Alabaster vs French Gray in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Alabaster 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Alabaster reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Alabaster returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Alabaster returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Alabaster vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Alabaster 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 Alabaster comparisons
See how Alabaster stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 85 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 58, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 27, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 55, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 44, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 85 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 85 vs 66, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (85 vs 74) makes Alabaster the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 85 vs 12, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 68, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 12, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 45, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 72), opening up a space where Just Walnut encloses it.