Tarnished Silver vs French Gray

Tarnished Silver is a Cloverdale Paint color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. Hue-wise, Tarnished Silver belongs to the grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. At LRV 43 vs 11, French Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 33-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 35.4, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Tarnished Silver vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Tarnished Silver 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Tarnished SilverTarnished Silver EX228 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Tarnished Silver would.

Tarnished SilverTarnished Silver EX228 by Cloverdale Paint — Bedroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bedroom color review

@renovating_a_nightmare

Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Tarnished Silver.

Tarnished SilverTarnished Silver EX228 by Cloverdale Paint — Dining Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 dining room color

@kenliscountry_

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Tarnished Silver would.

Tarnished SilverTarnished Silver EX228 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Color Details

Tarnished Silver
Cloverdale Paint · EX228
LRV10.6
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberEX228
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Tarnished Silver vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Tarnished Silver on one side and French Gray on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Tarnished Silver comparisons

See how Tarnished Silver stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

Tarnished Silver
Ammonite
Tarnished Silver
Ammonite
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

At LRV 69 vs 11, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

White Dove
Tarnished Silver
White Dove
Tarnished Silver
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Iron Ore
Tarnished Silver
Iron Ore
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Tarnished Silver reads slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Tarnished Silver
Purbeck Stone
Tarnished Silver
Purbeck Stone
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

At LRV 52 vs 11, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Tarnished Silver
Evergreen Fog
Tarnished Silver
Evergreen Fog
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

At LRV 30 vs 11, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.

Tarnished Silver
Mizzle
Tarnished Silver
Mizzle
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Agreeable Gray
Tarnished Silver
Agreeable Gray
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

At LRV 60 vs 11, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Tarnished Silver
Accessible Beige
Tarnished Silver
Accessible Beige
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Denim Drift
Tarnished Silver
Denim Drift
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Naval
Tarnished Silver
Naval
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

A 6-point LRV gap (11 vs 4) makes Tarnished Silver the marginally brighter of the two.

Tarnished Silver
Tranquil Dawn
Tarnished Silver
Tranquil Dawn
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Bancha
Tarnished Silver
Bancha
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

With LRVs of 13 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Tarnished Silver
Hardwick White
Tarnished Silver
Hardwick White
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Pure White
Tarnished Silver
Pure White
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

At LRV 84 vs 11, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Tarnished Silver
Artichoke
Tarnished Silver
Artichoke
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

A 11-point LRV gap (21 vs 11) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.

Balboa Mist
Tarnished Silver
Balboa Mist
Tarnished Silver
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Shoji White
Tarnished Silver
Shoji White
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Snowbound
Tarnished Silver
Snowbound
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Pigeon
Tarnished Silver
Pigeon
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Pigeon
LRV 51

At LRV 51 vs 11, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.

Tarnished Silver
Pewter Green
Tarnished Silver
Pewter Green
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Tarnished Silver
Duck Green
Tarnished Silver
Duck Green
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

With LRVs of 11 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Tarnished Silver
Skimming Stone
Tarnished Silver
Skimming Stone
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Dix Blue
Tarnished Silver
Dix Blue
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

At LRV 41 vs 11, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Tarnished Silver
Hicks' Blue
Tarnished Silver
Hicks' Blue

Tarnished Silver vs Hicks' Blue

Tarnished Silver
Slaked Lime Deep
Tarnished Silver
Slaked Lime Deep

Tarnished Silver vs Slaked Lime Deep

Vintage Vogue
Tarnished Silver
Vintage Vogue
Tarnished Silver
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Tarnished Silver
Livid
Tarnished Silver
Livid
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Tarnished Silver vs Livid

Saybrook Sage
Tarnished Silver
Saybrook Sage
Tarnished Silver
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 11), opening up a space where Tarnished Silver encloses it.

Tarnished Silver
Pale Green
Tarnished Silver
Pale Green
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

At LRV 31 vs 11, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.

Tarnished Silver
Pine Needle
Tarnished Silver
Pine Needle
Cloverdale Paint
Tarnished Silver
EX228 · LRV 11

A 4-point LRV gap (11 vs 7) makes Tarnished Silver the marginally brighter of the two.