Hemlock vs French Gray

HemlockCloverdale PaintvsFrench GrayFarrow & BallΔE 34.1Very different colors

Hemlock is a Cloverdale Paint color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. Hue-wise, Hemlock belongs to the green-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 33-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 34.1, 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.

Hemlock vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hemlock 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.

HemlockHemlock CA180 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 Hemlock would.

HemlockHemlock CA180 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 Hemlock.

HemlockHemlock CA180 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 Hemlock would.

HemlockHemlock CA180 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Color Details

Hemlock
Cloverdale Paint · CA180
Hex#525F52
LRV10.6
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberCA180
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Hemlock vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

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

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

White Dove
Hemlock
White Dove
Hemlock
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Ammonite
Hemlock
Ammonite
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

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

Hemlock
Iron Ore
Hemlock
Iron Ore
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Purbeck Stone
Hemlock
Purbeck Stone
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Evergreen Fog
Hemlock
Evergreen Fog
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Mizzle
Hemlock
Mizzle
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

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

Hemlock
Agreeable Gray
Hemlock
Agreeable Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Accessible Beige
Hemlock
Accessible Beige
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Denim Drift
Hemlock
Denim Drift
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Naval
Hemlock
Naval
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

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

Hemlock
Tranquil Dawn
Hemlock
Tranquil Dawn
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Bancha
Hemlock
Bancha
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

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

Hemlock
Hardwick White
Hemlock
Hardwick White
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Pure White
Hemlock
Pure White
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Artichoke
Hemlock
Artichoke
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · 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
Hemlock
Balboa Mist
Hemlock
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Shoji White
Hemlock
Shoji White
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Snowbound
Hemlock
Snowbound
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

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

Hemlock
Pewter Green
Hemlock
Pewter Green
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Skimming Stone
Hemlock
Skimming Stone
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Dix Blue
Hemlock
Dix Blue
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

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

Hemlock
Calamine
Hemlock
Calamine
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 11), opening up a space where Hemlock encloses it.

Hemlock
Treron
Hemlock
Treron
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 11), opening up a space where Hemlock encloses it.

Vintage Vogue
Hemlock
Vintage Vogue
Hemlock
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Saybrook Sage
Hemlock
Saybrook Sage
Hemlock
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Pale Green
Hemlock
Pale Green
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

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

Hemlock
Pine Needle
Hemlock
Pine Needle
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

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

Hemlock
Cement grey
Hemlock
Cement grey
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 11), opening up a space where Hemlock encloses it.

Guilford Green
Hemlock
Guilford Green
Hemlock
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 11), opening up a space where Hemlock encloses it.

Hemlock
Just Walnut
Hemlock
Just Walnut
Cloverdale Paint
Hemlock
CA180 · LRV 11

Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 11), opening up a space where Hemlock encloses it.