Cotton Ball vs French Gray
Cotton Ball (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Cotton Ball reads as beige, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 43-point LRV gap — 86 for Cotton Ball vs 43 for French Gray — means Cotton Ball will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 22.6 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.
Cotton Ball vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cotton Ball 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. Cotton Ball reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
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. Cotton Ball 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 Cotton Ball will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray 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. Cotton Ball returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Cotton Ball vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cotton Ball 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 Cotton Ball comparisons
See how Cotton Ball stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 69), opening up a space where Ammonite encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 86 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 86 vs 6, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 52, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 58, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 27, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 55, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 13, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 44, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 86 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 66, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (86 vs 74) makes Cotton Ball the marginally brighter of the two.
A 3-point LRV gap (86 vs 83) makes Cotton Ball the marginally brighter of the two.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 12, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 8, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 68, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 12, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 45, Cotton Ball is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Cotton Ball reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.