Agate vs French Gray
Agate (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. The 10-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 34 for Agate — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 10.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Agate vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Agate 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 Agate.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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 Agate would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. 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
Agate vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Agate 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 Agate comparisons
See how Agate stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 34), opening up a space where Agate encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 34, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (34 vs 30) makes Agate the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 34, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 34), opening up a space where Agate encloses it.
Agate reads slightly lighter (LRV 34 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 34), opening up a space where Agate encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 34, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 34), opening up a space where Agate encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 34), opening up a space where Agate encloses it.
Agate reflects far more light (LRV 34 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Agate reflects far more light (LRV 34 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 34), opening up a space where Agate encloses it.
Agate reflects far more light (LRV 34 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 34 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 34 vs 7, Agate is decisively the brighter choice.