Blackwater vs French Gray
Blackwater is a Cloverdale Paint color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. Hue-wise, Blackwater belongs to the blue-grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. At LRV 43 vs 12, French Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 31-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 36.8, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blackwater vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Blackwater 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 Blackwater would.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Blackwater.
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 Blackwater would.
Color Details
Blackwater vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blackwater 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 Blackwater comparisons
See how Blackwater stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Blackwater reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 12, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 12, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Blackwater the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 12, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 12, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Blackwater encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 7) makes Blackwater the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 24 vs 12, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 12, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 12, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.