Sphere vs French Gray
Sphere (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Sphere reads as beige, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 37-point LRV gap — 80 for Sphere vs 43 for French Gray — means Sphere 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.
Sphere vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Sphere 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. Sphere reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
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. Sphere 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 Sphere will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray 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. Sphere returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Sphere vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Sphere 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 Sphere comparisons
See how Sphere stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 3-point LRV gap (83 vs 80) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
Sphere reflects far more light (LRV 80 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Sphere reflects far more light (LRV 80 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Sphere reflects far more light (LRV 80 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 80 vs 58, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 80 vs 27, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 80 vs 55, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 80 vs 44, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 80), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 80 vs 66, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (80 vs 74) makes Sphere the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 80 vs 12, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 80 vs 8, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (80 vs 68) makes Sphere the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 80 vs 12, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 80 vs 45, Sphere is decisively the brighter choice.
Sphere reflects far more light (LRV 80 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Sphere reflects far more light (LRV 80 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.