Macadamia Brown vs French Gray

Macadamia Brown (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 41 vs 43 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. ΔE 7.2 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.

Macadamia Brown vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Macadamia Brown 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Macadamia BrownMacadamia Brown 0184 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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Macadamia BrownMacadamia Brown 0184 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. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

Macadamia BrownMacadamia Brown 0184 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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Macadamia BrownMacadamia Brown 0184 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Color Details

Macadamia Brown
Cloverdale Paint · 0184
Hex#BAA893
LRV41.0
BrandCloverdale Paint
Number0184
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Macadamia Brown vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

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

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

White Dove
Macadamia Brown
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Macadamia Brown
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Macadamia Brown
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Macadamia Brown is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Macadamia Brown
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
Macadamia Brown
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Macadamia Brown reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Macadamia Brown
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Macadamia Brown
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Macadamia Brown
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Macadamia Brown reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Macadamia Brown
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Macadamia Brown
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Macadamia Brown
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Macadamia Brown is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Macadamia Brown
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Macadamia Brown reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Macadamia Brown
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Macadamia Brown is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Macadamia Brown
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Macadamia Brown reads noticeably lighter

Black grey
Macadamia Brown
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Macadamia Brown is the lighter choice

Piazza
Macadamia Brown
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads noticeably lighter

Humble Yellow
Macadamia Brown
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow reads noticeably lighter

Windmill Lane
Macadamia Brown
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Macadamia Brown reads slightly lighter

Senses
Macadamia Brown
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Nearly identical in tone

Lamp Black
Macadamia Brown
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Macadamia Brown is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Macadamia Brown
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads noticeably lighter

Tea with Florence
Macadamia Brown
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Macadamia Brown reads noticeably lighter

Thames Fog
Macadamia Brown
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Macadamia Brown reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Macadamia Brown
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Macadamia Brown is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Macadamia Brown
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads slightly lighter

Teton Blue
Macadamia Brown
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Macadamia Brown reads slightly lighter

RAL 110-2
Macadamia Brown
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Macadamia Brown
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Macadamia Brown
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Macadamia Brown
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Macadamia Brown is the lighter choice