Chic Shade vs French Gray
Chic Shade (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Chic Shade reads as green-grey, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 15-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 28 for Chic Shade — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 15.4 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.
Chic Shade vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Chic Shade 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 Chic Shade.
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 Chic Shade 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
Chic Shade vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Chic Shade 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 Chic Shade comparisons
See how Chic Shade stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 28), opening up a space where Chic Shade encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 28, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 6, Chic Shade is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 28), opening up a space where Chic Shade encloses it.
With LRVs of 30 and 28, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 28, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 28), opening up a space where Chic Shade encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 28, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 28 vs 27), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Chic Shade reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 28, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 13, Chic Shade is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 28, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 28), opening up a space where Chic Shade encloses it.
Chic Shade reads slightly lighter (LRV 28 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 28, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 28, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 28, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 28), opening up a space where Chic Shade encloses it.
At LRV 28 vs 12, Chic Shade is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 8, Chic Shade is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 28, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 28), opening up a space where Chic Shade encloses it.
At LRV 28 vs 12, Chic Shade is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 28, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 28), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Chic Shade reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.