Onyx vs French Gray
Onyx is a Benjamin Moore color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. Onyx reads as grey, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 43 vs 5, French Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 38-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Onyx's red character against French Gray's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 51.7, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Onyx vs French Gray in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Onyx 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.
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 Onyx would.
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 Onyx would.
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 Onyx would.
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.
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 Onyx would.
Color Details
Onyx vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Onyx 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 Onyx comparisons
See how Onyx stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 5, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 5, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 5, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 5, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 5), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Duck Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 8 vs 5), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 5), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 5, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 5), so neither reads brighter in a room.