Totally Cool vs French Gray
Totally Cool (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Totally Cool reads as yellow, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 12-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 31 for Totally Cool — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 23.4 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.
Totally Cool vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Totally Cool 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 Totally Cool.
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 Totally Cool 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
Totally Cool vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Totally Cool 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 Totally Cool comparisons
See how Totally Cool stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
