Cantera vs French Gray

CanteraCloverdale PaintvsFrench GrayFarrow & BallΔE 8.3Noticeable difference

Cantera (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 15-point LRV gap — 58 for Cantera vs 43 for French Gray — means Cantera will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 8.3 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Cantera vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Cantera and French Gray are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.

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. Cantera reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.

CanteraCantera 0343 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

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. Cantera returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

CanteraCantera 0343 by Cloverdale Paint — Bedroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bedroom color review

@renovating_a_nightmare

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 Cantera will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.

CanteraCantera 0343 by Cloverdale Paint — Dining Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 dining room color

@kenliscountry_

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. Cantera returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

CanteraCantera 0343 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Color Details

Cantera
Cloverdale Paint · 0343
Hex#CEC6B1
LRV58.0
BrandCloverdale Paint
Number0343
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessLight
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Cantera vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cantera on one side and French Gray on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Cantera comparisons

See how Cantera stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Cantera
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Cantera
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads slightly lighter

Iron Ore
Cantera
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Cantera is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Cantera
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Cantera reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
Cantera
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Cantera is the lighter choice

Mizzle
Cantera
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Cantera reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Cantera
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Nearly identical in tone

Denim Drift
Cantera
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Cantera is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Cantera
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Cantera reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Cantera
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Cantera
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Cantera is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Cantera
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Cantera is the lighter choice

Pine Needle
Cantera
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Cantera is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Cantera
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cantera is the lighter choice

Black grey
Cantera
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Cantera is the lighter choice

Piazza
Cantera
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads slightly lighter

Humble Yellow
Cantera
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Nearly identical in tone

Windmill Lane
Cantera
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Cantera is the lighter choice

Senses
Cantera
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Cantera reads noticeably lighter

Lamp Black
Cantera
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Cantera is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Cantera
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Cantera reads slightly lighter

Tea with Florence
Cantera
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Cantera is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Cantera
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Cantera is the lighter choice

Ocean Abyss
Cantera
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Cantera is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Cantera
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Cantera reads slightly lighter

Teton Blue
Cantera
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Cantera is the lighter choice

RAL 110-2
Cantera
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-1
Cantera
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 reads noticeably lighter

Paper
Cantera
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Cantera
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Cantera is the lighter choice