Badlands vs French Gray
Badlands (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Badlands belongs to the beige family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 7-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 36 for Badlands — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 13.7 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.
Badlands vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Badlands 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 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The brightness difference is modest but present — French Gray gives the walls a little more lift.
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 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Badlands vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Badlands 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 Badlands comparisons
See how Badlands stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 36, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 36), opening up a space where Badlands encloses it.
Badlands reads slightly lighter (LRV 36 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 36), opening up a space where Badlands encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 36, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (36 vs 27) makes Badlands the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 55 vs 36, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (44 vs 36) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 36), opening up a space where Badlands encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 36, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 36, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 36 vs 12, Badlands is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 36, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 36 vs 12, Badlands is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (45 vs 36) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Badlands reads slightly lighter (LRV 36 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Badlands reflects far more light (LRV 36 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Badlands reflects far more light (LRV 36 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 36), opening up a space where Badlands encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 36), opening up a space where Badlands encloses it.