True Grey vs French Gray

True GreyCloverdale PaintvsFrench GrayFarrow & BallΔE 14.0Distinct difference

True Grey (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, True Grey belongs to the blue-grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 41 vs 43 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 14.0 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.

True Grey vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing True Grey 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

True GreyTrue Grey EX346 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

True GreyTrue Grey EX346 by Cloverdale Paint — Bedroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bedroom color review

@renovating_a_nightmare

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

True GreyTrue Grey EX346 by Cloverdale Paint — Dining Room

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 dining room color

@kenliscountry_

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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

True GreyTrue Grey EX346 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Color Details

True Grey
Cloverdale Paint · EX346
Hex#A4ADAE
LRV40.8
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberEX346
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

True Grey vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see True Grey 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 True Grey comparisons

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

White Dove
True Grey
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
True Grey
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
True Grey
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

True Grey is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
True Grey
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
True Grey
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

True Grey reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
True Grey
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
True Grey
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
True Grey
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

True Grey reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
True Grey
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
True Grey
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
True Grey
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

True Grey is the lighter choice

Pale Green
True Grey
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

True Grey reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
True Grey
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

True Grey is the lighter choice

Cement grey
True Grey
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

True Grey reads noticeably lighter

Black grey
True Grey
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

True Grey is the lighter choice

Piazza
True Grey
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads noticeably lighter

Humble Yellow
True Grey
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow reads noticeably lighter

Windmill Lane
True Grey
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

True Grey reads slightly lighter

Senses
True Grey
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Nearly identical in tone

Lamp Black
True Grey
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

True Grey is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
True Grey
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads noticeably lighter

Tea with Florence
True Grey
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

True Grey reads noticeably lighter

Thames Fog
True Grey
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

True Grey reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
True Grey
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

True Grey is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
True Grey
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads slightly lighter

Teton Blue
True Grey
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

True Grey reads slightly lighter

RAL 110-2
True Grey
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
True Grey
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
True Grey
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
True Grey
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

True Grey is the lighter choice