Gray Lake vs French Gray
Where Gray Lake belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, French Gray is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Gray Lake belongs to the green-grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. Gray Lake (LRV 79) reflects noticeably more light than French Gray (LRV 43), a difference of 36 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Gray Lake runs green while French Gray is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 21.9, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gray Lake vs French Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gray Lake 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Gray Lake reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Gray Lake reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
Color Details
Gray Lake vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gray Lake 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 Gray Lake comparisons
See how Gray Lake stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 79), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 79 vs 52, Gray Lake is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 30, Gray Lake is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 60, Gray Lake is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Lake reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Gray Lake reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Gray Lake reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Gray Lake reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (84 vs 79) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
Gray Lake reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
Gray Lake reads slightly lighter (LRV 79 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Gray Lake reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Gray Lake reads slightly lighter (LRV 79 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Gray Lake reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Gray Lake reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 31, Gray Lake is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 7, Gray Lake is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 24, Gray Lake is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 57, Gray Lake is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (79 vs 72) makes Gray Lake the marginally brighter of the two.