Hudson Bay vs French Gray

Hudson BayBenjamin MoorevsFrench GrayFarrow & BallΔE 46.1Very different colors

Hudson Bay (Benjamin Moore) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Hudson Bay belongs to the blue family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 33-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 10 for Hudson Bay — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. Where Hudson Bay leans blue, French Gray reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 46.1 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.

Hudson Bay vs French Gray in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hudson Bay 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. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hudson Bay.

Hudson BayBenjamin Moore Hudson Bay living room paint

@l_behr_ii

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

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 Hudson Bay would.

Hudson Bay1680 Dining Room

@goodmorningtonboys

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 dining room color

@kenliscountry_

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.

Hudson BayHudson Bay kitchen cabinets picture

@rustyrosepainting

French GrayFrench Gray kitchen cabinets photo

@myfirstvictorianhome_247

Color Details

Hudson Bay
Benjamin Moore · 1680
Hex#3F5266
LRV9.8
BrandBenjamin Moore
Number1680
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Hudson Bay vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hudson Bay 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 Hudson Bay comparisons

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

White Dove
Hudson Bay
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Hudson Bay
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Hudson Bay
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Hudson Bay reads slightly lighter

Purbeck Stone
Hudson Bay
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Hudson Bay
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Hudson Bay
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Hudson Bay
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Hudson Bay
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Hudson Bay
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Hudson Bay
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Hudson Bay
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Pale Green
Hudson Bay
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Hudson Bay
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Cement grey
Hudson Bay
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Black grey
Hudson Bay
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Hudson Bay reads slightly lighter

Piazza
Hudson Bay
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Hudson Bay
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Hudson Bay
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Hudson Bay
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses is the lighter choice

Lamp Black
Hudson Bay
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Hudson Bay reads slightly lighter

Washed Linen
Hudson Bay
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
Hudson Bay
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Tea with Florence reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
Hudson Bay
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Thames Fog reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Hudson Bay
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Classic Silver
Hudson Bay
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
Hudson Bay
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Hudson Bay
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Hudson Bay
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Hudson Bay
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Hudson Bay
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Passageway reads slightly lighter