Vapor vs French Gray
Where Vapor belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, French Gray is a Farrow & Ball color. Vapor reads as yellow, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Vapor (LRV 55) reflects noticeably more light than French Gray (LRV 43), a difference of 12 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 7.1 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.
Vapor vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Vapor 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 LRV gap is large enough that Vapor will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Vapor reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
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. Vapor returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Vapor reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
Color Details
Vapor vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Vapor 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 Vapor comparisons
See how Vapor stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 55), opening up a space where Vapor encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Vapor the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 55 vs 30, Vapor is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (60 vs 55) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Vapor reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
With LRVs of 55 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Vapor reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 55, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 55), opening up a space where Vapor encloses it.
Vapor reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Vapor reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Vapor encloses it.
Vapor reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Vapor reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Vapor is decisively the brighter choice.
