Au Gratin vs Charlotte's Locks
Au Gratin is a Cloverdale Paint color while Charlotte's Locks comes from Farrow & Ball. Hue-wise, Au Gratin belongs to the beige family and Charlotte's Locks to the pink-red family. At LRV 48 vs 21, Au Gratin will read as the brighter of the two — a 27-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 25.0, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Au Gratin vs Charlotte's Locks in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Au Gratin and Charlotte's Locks 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. Au Gratin returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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 Au Gratin will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Charlotte's Locks would.
Color Details
Au Gratin vs Charlotte's Locks Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Au Gratin on one side and Charlotte's Locks 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 Au Gratin comparisons
See how Au Gratin stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 48), opening up a space where Au Gratin encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (52 vs 48) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 48 vs 30, Au Gratin is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 48, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 48), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Au Gratin reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (48 vs 43) makes Au Gratin the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 48), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Au Gratin reads slightly lighter (LRV 48 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 48, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 48), opening up a space where Au Gratin encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 48), opening up a space where Au Gratin encloses it.
Au Gratin reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Au Gratin reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 48), opening up a space where Au Gratin encloses it.
Au Gratin reflects far more light (LRV 48 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 48 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 48 vs 31, Au Gratin is decisively the brighter choice.