Steam vs French Gray
Steam (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Steam reads as greige-white, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 35-point LRV gap — 78 for Steam vs 43 for French Gray — means Steam will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 21.1 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.
Steam vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Steam 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. Steam 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. Steam 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 Steam 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. Steam returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Steam vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steam 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 Steam comparisons
See how Steam stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 78), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 78 vs 52, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 30, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 60, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (84 vs 78) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
Steam reads slightly lighter (LRV 78 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Steam reads slightly lighter (LRV 78 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Steam reflects far more light (LRV 78 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 78 vs 31, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 78 vs 7, Steam is decisively the brighter choice.