Blue Spruce vs French Gray
Blue Spruce (Benjamin Moore) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Blue Spruce belongs to the blue-grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 26-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 17 for Blue Spruce — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. Where Blue Spruce leans blue, French Gray reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 31.6 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.
Blue Spruce vs French Gray in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blue Spruce 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.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Blue Spruce would.
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. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Blue Spruce vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blue Spruce 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 Blue Spruce comparisons
See how Blue Spruce stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 17), opening up a space where Blue Spruce encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 17, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (17 vs 6) makes Blue Spruce the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 17), opening up a space where Blue Spruce encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 17), opening up a space where Blue Spruce encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 17, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 17), opening up a space where Blue Spruce encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 17, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (27 vs 17) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
Blue Spruce reflects far more light (LRV 17 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 17, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (17 vs 13) makes Blue Spruce the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 17, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 17), opening up a space where Blue Spruce encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 17, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 17, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 17, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 17), opening up a space where Blue Spruce encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (17 vs 12) makes Blue Spruce the marginally brighter of the two.
A 9-point LRV gap (17 vs 8) makes Blue Spruce the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 17, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 17), opening up a space where Blue Spruce encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (17 vs 12) makes Blue Spruce the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 17, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 17), opening up a space where Blue Spruce encloses it.
Blue Spruce reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.