Brewster Gray vs French Gray paint color comparison

Brewster Gray vs French Gray

Brewster GrayBenjamin MoorevsFrench GrayFarrow & BallΔE 17.6Distinct difference

Brewster Gray is a Benjamin Moore color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. Brewster Gray reads as blue-grey, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 43 vs 30, French Gray 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 — Brewster Gray's blue character against French Gray's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 17.6, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Brewster Gray vs French Gray in Real Spaces

7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Brewster Gray 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. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Brewster GrayBenjamin Moore Brewster Gray living room interior

@wendmilldesigns

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

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 French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Brewster Gray would.

Brewster GrayBenjamin Moore Brewster Gray bedroom panelling color

@studio5ksl

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bedroom color review

@renovating_a_nightmare

Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Brewster Gray.

Brewster GrayBenjamin Moore Brewster Gray modern dining room review

@athomedesignandstaging

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 dining room color

@kenliscountry_

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 French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Brewster Gray would.

Brewster GrayBenjamin Moore HC-162 bathroom color

@designingthedillons

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

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 French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Brewster Gray would.

Brewster GrayBenjamin Moore Brewster Gray house exterior color paint

@thecolorconcierge

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray house exterior review

@mylittledorsetcottageofdreams

Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Brewster GrayBrewster Gray front door color

@crestedbuttecolors

French GrayFrench Gray front door inspiration

@the_rutland_lady

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Brewster Gray would.

Brewster GrayBenjamin Moore Brewster Gray kitchen cabinets paint review

@jodigould_kitchenandbath

French GrayFrench Gray kitchen cabinets photo

@myfirstvictorianhome_247

Color Details

Brewster Gray
Benjamin Moore · HC-162
Hex#8A9696
LRV30.0
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberHC-162
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Brewster Gray vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Brewster Gray 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 Brewster Gray comparisons

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

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
White Dove
White Dove
Brewster Gray vs White Dove
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Ammonite
Ammonite
Brewster Gray vs Ammonite
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

At LRV 69 vs 30, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Iron Ore
Iron Ore
Brewster Gray vs Iron Ore
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Brewster Gray reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Purbeck Stone
Purbeck Stone
Brewster Gray vs Purbeck Stone
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

At LRV 52 vs 30, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Evergreen Fog
Evergreen Fog
Brewster Gray vs Evergreen Fog
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Mizzle
Mizzle
Brewster Gray vs Mizzle
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray
Brewster Gray vs Agreeable Gray
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

At LRV 60 vs 30, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Accessible Beige
Accessible Beige
Brewster Gray vs Accessible Beige
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Denim Drift
Denim Drift
Brewster Gray vs Denim Drift
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

With LRVs of 30 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Naval
Naval
Brewster Gray vs Naval
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 30 vs 4, Brewster Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Tranquil Dawn
Brewster Gray vs Tranquil Dawn
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Bancha
Bancha
Brewster Gray vs Bancha
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Brewster Gray reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Hardwick White
Hardwick White
Brewster Gray vs Hardwick White
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Pure White
Pure White
Brewster Gray vs Pure White
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

At LRV 84 vs 30, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Artichoke
Artichoke
Brewster Gray vs Artichoke
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

A 9-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Brewster Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Balboa Mist
Balboa Mist
Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Balboa Mist vs Brewster Gray
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Shoji White
Shoji White
Brewster Gray vs Shoji White
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Snowbound
Snowbound
Brewster Gray vs Snowbound
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Pewter Green
Pewter Green
Brewster Gray vs Pewter Green
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Brewster Gray reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Skimming Stone
Skimming Stone
Brewster Gray vs Skimming Stone
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Dix Blue
Dix Blue
Brewster Gray vs Dix Blue
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

A 11-point LRV gap (41 vs 30) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Calamine
Calamine
Brewster Gray vs Calamine
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

At LRV 68 vs 30, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Treron
Treron
Brewster Gray vs Treron
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

A 5-point LRV gap (30 vs 25) makes Brewster Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Vintage Vogue
Vintage Vogue
Brewster Gray vs Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Brewster Gray reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Saybrook Sage
Saybrook Sage
Brewster Gray vs Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Brewster Gray encloses it.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Pale Green
Pale Green
Brewster Gray vs Pale Green
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Pine Needle
Pine Needle
Brewster Gray vs Pine Needle
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

At LRV 30 vs 7, Brewster Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Cement grey
Cement grey
Brewster Gray vs Cement grey
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

A 6-point LRV gap (30 vs 24) makes Brewster Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Guilford Green
Guilford Green
Brewster Gray vs Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

At LRV 57 vs 30, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.

Brewster Gray
Brewster Gray
Just Walnut
Just Walnut
Brewster Gray vs Just Walnut
Benjamin Moore
Brewster Gray
HC-162 · LRV 30

At LRV 72 vs 30, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.