Blue Heather vs French Gray

Blue HeatherBenjamin MoorevsFrench GrayFarrow & BallΔE 18.5Distinct difference

Blue Heather (Benjamin Moore) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Blue Heather belongs to the blue family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 8-point LRV gap — 51 for Blue Heather vs 43 for French Gray — means Blue Heather will open up a space more effectively. Where Blue Heather leans blue, French Gray reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 18.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Blue Heather vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blue Heather 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. Blue Heather reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Blue HeatherBenjamin Moore Blue Heather living room

@chelseamariestudio

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

Bathroom

Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Blue Heather has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Blue HeatherBlue Heather bathroom paint review

@therusticedgeco

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

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. Blue Heather has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Blue HeatherBenjamin Moore Blue Heather house exterior

@home_sweet_scarborough

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray house exterior review

@mylittledorsetcottageofdreams

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Blue Heather has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Blue HeatherBlue Heather kitchen cabinets before after

@timeless_refinishing_

French GrayFrench Gray kitchen cabinets photo

@myfirstvictorianhome_247

Color Details

Blue Heather
Benjamin Moore · 1620
Hex#B1BFC7
LRV50.9
BrandBenjamin Moore
Number1620
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Blue Heather vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blue Heather on one side and French Gray on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Blue Heather comparisons

See how Blue Heather stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

Blue Heather
White Dove
Blue Heather
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 51), opening up a space where Blue Heather encloses it.

Blue Heather
Ammonite
Blue Heather
Ammonite
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

At LRV 69 vs 51, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Iron Ore
Blue Heather
Iron Ore
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Blue Heather reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Blue Heather
Purbeck Stone
Blue Heather
Purbeck Stone
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 51), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Blue Heather
Evergreen Fog
Blue Heather
Evergreen Fog
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

At LRV 51 vs 30, Blue Heather is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Mizzle
Blue Heather
Mizzle
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Blue Heather
Agreeable Gray
Blue Heather
Agreeable Gray
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

A 9-point LRV gap (60 vs 51) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Blue Heather
Accessible Beige
Blue Heather
Accessible Beige
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Blue Heather
Denim Drift
Blue Heather
Denim Drift
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Blue Heather reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.

Blue Heather
Naval
Blue Heather
Naval
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 51 vs 4, Blue Heather is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Tranquil Dawn
Blue Heather
Tranquil Dawn
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Blue Heather
Bancha
Blue Heather
Bancha
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Blue Heather reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Blue Heather
Hardwick White
Blue Heather
Hardwick White
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Blue Heather reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Blue Heather
Pure White
Blue Heather
Pure White
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

At LRV 84 vs 51, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Artichoke
Blue Heather
Artichoke
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

At LRV 51 vs 21, Blue Heather is decisively the brighter choice.

Balboa Mist
Blue Heather
Balboa Mist
Blue Heather
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 51), opening up a space where Blue Heather encloses it.

Blue Heather
Shoji White
Blue Heather
Shoji White
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 51), opening up a space where Blue Heather encloses it.

Blue Heather
Snowbound
Blue Heather
Snowbound
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 51), opening up a space where Blue Heather encloses it.

Blue Heather
Pewter Green
Blue Heather
Pewter Green
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Blue Heather reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Blue Heather
Skimming Stone
Blue Heather
Skimming Stone
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 51), opening up a space where Blue Heather encloses it.

Blue Heather
Dix Blue
Blue Heather
Dix Blue
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

A 10-point LRV gap (51 vs 41) makes Blue Heather the marginally brighter of the two.

Blue Heather
Calamine
Blue Heather
Calamine
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

At LRV 68 vs 51, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Treron
Blue Heather
Treron
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

At LRV 51 vs 25, Blue Heather is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Vintage Vogue
Blue Heather
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Blue Heather reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Blue Heather
Saybrook Sage
Blue Heather
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

Blue Heather reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Blue Heather
Pale Green
Blue Heather
Pale Green
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

At LRV 51 vs 31, Blue Heather is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Pine Needle
Blue Heather
Pine Needle
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

At LRV 51 vs 7, Blue Heather is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Cement grey
Blue Heather
Cement grey
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

At LRV 51 vs 24, Blue Heather is decisively the brighter choice.

Blue Heather
Guilford Green
Blue Heather
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

A 6-point LRV gap (57 vs 51) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.

Blue Heather
Just Walnut
Blue Heather
Just Walnut
Benjamin Moore
Blue Heather
1620 · LRV 51

At LRV 72 vs 51, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.