Rainfall vs French Gray
Rainfall (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Rainfall belongs to the blue-grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 11-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 32 for Rainfall — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 19.6 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.
Rainfall vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Rainfall 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 Rainfall.
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 Rainfall 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
Rainfall vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Rainfall 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 Rainfall comparisons
See how Rainfall stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 32, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 32), opening up a space where Rainfall encloses it.
With LRVs of 32 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 32), opening up a space where Rainfall encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 32, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (32 vs 27) makes Rainfall the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 55 vs 32, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (44 vs 32) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 32), opening up a space where Rainfall encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 32, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 32, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 32 vs 12, Rainfall is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 32, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 32 vs 12, Rainfall is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 32, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 32 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Rainfall reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Rainfall reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 32), opening up a space where Rainfall encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 32), opening up a space where Rainfall encloses it.