Timeless Taupe vs French Gray

Where Timeless Taupe belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, French Gray is a Farrow & Ball color. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. Timeless Taupe (LRV 50) reflects noticeably more light than French Gray (LRV 43), a difference of 7 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 5.9 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Timeless Taupe vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Timeless Taupe 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

In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The brightness difference is modest but present — Timeless Taupe gives the walls a little more lift.

Timeless TaupeTimeless Taupe EX014 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Timeless Taupe reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Timeless TaupeTimeless Taupe EX014 by Cloverdale Paint — Bedroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bedroom color review

@renovating_a_nightmare

Dining Room

A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Timeless Taupe has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.

Timeless TaupeTimeless Taupe EX014 by Cloverdale Paint — Dining Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 dining room color

@kenliscountry_

Bathroom

Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Timeless Taupe reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

Timeless TaupeTimeless Taupe EX014 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Color Details

Timeless Taupe
Cloverdale Paint · EX014
Hex#C8BAA6
LRV50.1
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberEX014
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Timeless Taupe vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Timeless Taupe 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 Timeless Taupe comparisons

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

White Dove
Timeless Taupe
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Timeless Taupe
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads noticeably lighter

Iron Ore
Timeless Taupe
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Timeless Taupe
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Nearly identical in tone

Evergreen Fog
Timeless Taupe
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Timeless Taupe reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Timeless Taupe
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Nearly identical in tone

Agreeable Gray
Timeless Taupe
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter

Denim Drift
Timeless Taupe
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Timeless Taupe reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Timeless Taupe
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Timeless Taupe
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Timeless Taupe
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Timeless Taupe
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Timeless Taupe reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Timeless Taupe
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Timeless Taupe
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice

Black grey
Timeless Taupe
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice

Piazza
Timeless Taupe
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads noticeably lighter

Humble Yellow
Timeless Taupe
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow reads slightly lighter

Windmill Lane
Timeless Taupe
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Timeless Taupe reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Timeless Taupe
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Timeless Taupe reads slightly lighter

Lamp Black
Timeless Taupe
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Timeless Taupe
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads slightly lighter

Tea with Florence
Timeless Taupe
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Timeless Taupe
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Timeless Taupe reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Timeless Taupe
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Timeless Taupe
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Nearly identical in tone

Teton Blue
Timeless Taupe
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Timeless Taupe reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Timeless Taupe
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-1
Timeless Taupe
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Timeless Taupe
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Timeless Taupe
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Timeless Taupe is the lighter choice