Cocoa vs French Gray

CocoaCloverdale PaintvsFrench GrayFarrow & BallΔE 33.1Very different colors

Cocoa is a Cloverdale Paint color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. Hue-wise, Cocoa belongs to the greige-grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. At LRV 43 vs 11, French Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 32-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 33.1, 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.

Cocoa vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cocoa 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.

CocoaCocoa EX180 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

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 Cocoa would.

CocoaCocoa EX180 by Cloverdale Paint — Bedroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bedroom color review

@renovating_a_nightmare

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 Cocoa.

CocoaCocoa EX180 by Cloverdale Paint — Dining Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 dining room color

@kenliscountry_

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 Cocoa would.

CocoaCocoa EX180 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Color Details

Cocoa
Cloverdale Paint · EX180
Hex#655B4D
LRV10.8
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberEX180
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Cocoa vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cocoa 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 Cocoa comparisons

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

Cocoa
Ammonite
Cocoa
Ammonite
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 11), opening up a space where Cocoa encloses it.

White Dove
Cocoa
White Dove
Cocoa
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 83 vs 11, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Iron Ore
Cocoa
Iron Ore
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

A 5-point LRV gap (11 vs 6) makes Cocoa the marginally brighter of the two.

Cocoa
Purbeck Stone
Cocoa
Purbeck Stone
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 11), opening up a space where Cocoa encloses it.

Cocoa
Evergreen Fog
Cocoa
Evergreen Fog
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 11), opening up a space where Cocoa encloses it.

Cocoa
Mizzle
Cocoa
Mizzle
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

At LRV 52 vs 11, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Agreeable Gray
Cocoa
Agreeable Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 11), opening up a space where Cocoa encloses it.

Cocoa
Accessible Beige
Cocoa
Accessible Beige
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 58 vs 11, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Denim Drift
Cocoa
Denim Drift
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 27 vs 11, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Naval
Cocoa
Naval
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Cocoa reads slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Cocoa
Tranquil Dawn
Cocoa
Tranquil Dawn
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 55 vs 11, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Bancha
Cocoa
Bancha
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Cocoa
Hardwick White
Cocoa
Hardwick White
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 44 vs 11, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Pure White
Cocoa
Pure White
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 11), opening up a space where Cocoa encloses it.

Cocoa
Artichoke
Cocoa
Artichoke
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 11), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Balboa Mist
Cocoa
Balboa Mist
Cocoa
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 66 vs 11, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Shoji White
Cocoa
Shoji White
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 74 vs 11, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Snowbound
Cocoa
Snowbound
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 11, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Pigeon
Cocoa
Pigeon
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51

Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 11), opening up a space where Cocoa encloses it.

Cocoa
Pewter Green
Cocoa
Pewter Green
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Cocoa
Duck Green
Cocoa
Duck Green
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 11 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Cocoa
Skimming Stone
Cocoa
Skimming Stone
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 68 vs 11, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Dix Blue
Cocoa
Dix Blue
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 11), opening up a space where Cocoa encloses it.

Cocoa
Hicks' Blue
Cocoa
Hicks' Blue
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Cocoa vs Hicks' Blue

Cocoa
Slaked Lime Deep
Cocoa
Slaked Lime Deep
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Cocoa vs Slaked Lime Deep

Vintage Vogue
Cocoa
Vintage Vogue
Cocoa
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Cocoa
Livid
Cocoa
Livid
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Cocoa vs Livid

Saybrook Sage
Cocoa
Saybrook Sage
Cocoa
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

At LRV 45 vs 11, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.

Cocoa
Pale Green
Cocoa
Pale Green
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 11), opening up a space where Cocoa encloses it.

Cocoa
Pine Needle
Cocoa
Pine Needle
Cloverdale Paint
Cocoa
EX180 · LRV 11

Cocoa reads slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.