Refined vs French Gray
Refined (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Refined reads as beige-yellow, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 4-point LRV gap — 47 for Refined vs 43 for French Gray — means Refined will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 8.8 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.
Refined vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Refined 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. Refined reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Refined has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The brightness difference is modest but present — Refined gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Refined has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Refined vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Refined 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 Refined comparisons
See how Refined stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 47, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Refined reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 47), opening up a space where Refined encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (58 vs 47) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 47 vs 27, Refined is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (55 vs 47) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 3-point LRV gap (47 vs 44) makes Refined the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 47), opening up a space where Refined encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 47, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 47, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 12, Refined is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 47, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 12, Refined is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 47 vs 45), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Refined reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Refined reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Refined reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 47), opening up a space where Refined encloses it.