Smokescreen vs French Gray
Smokescreen (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Smokescreen belongs to the grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 31-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 12 for Smokescreen — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 32.6 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.
Smokescreen vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Smokescreen 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 Smokescreen.
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 Smokescreen 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
Smokescreen vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Smokescreen 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 Smokescreen comparisons
See how Smokescreen stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 12, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (12 vs 6) makes Smokescreen the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 12, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 12, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
Smokescreen reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 12, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 12, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 12, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 12, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 12, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 12, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
Smokescreen reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 12), opening up a space where Smokescreen encloses it.