Violet Ash vs French Gray

Violet AshCloverdale PaintvsFrench GrayFarrow & BallΔE 25.2Very different colors

Where Violet Ash belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, French Gray is a Farrow & Ball color. Violet Ash reads as pink-purple, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Violet Ash (LRV 75) reflects noticeably more light than French Gray (LRV 43), a difference of 32 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 25.2, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Violet Ash vs French Gray in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Violet Ash 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

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 Violet Ash will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.

Violet AshViolet Ash 1181 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. Violet Ash reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.

Violet AshViolet Ash 1181 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. Violet Ash returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Violet AshViolet Ash 1181 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. Violet Ash reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.

Violet AshViolet Ash 1181 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Color Details

Violet Ash
Cloverdale Paint · 1181
Hex#EEDBE7
LRV75.0
BrandCloverdale Paint
Number1181
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessLight
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium

Violet Ash vs French Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Violet Ash 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 Violet Ash comparisons

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

White Dove
Violet Ash
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove reads slightly lighter

Ammonite
Violet Ash
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Violet Ash reads slightly lighter

Iron Ore
Violet Ash
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Violet Ash
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Violet Ash reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
Violet Ash
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Mizzle
Violet Ash
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Violet Ash reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
Violet Ash
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Violet Ash reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Violet Ash
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Violet Ash
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Violet Ash reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Violet Ash
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Violet Ash reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Violet Ash
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Violet Ash
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Pine Needle
Violet Ash
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Violet Ash
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Black grey
Violet Ash
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Piazza
Violet Ash
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Violet Ash reads slightly lighter

Humble Yellow
Violet Ash
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Violet Ash reads noticeably lighter

Windmill Lane
Violet Ash
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Senses
Violet Ash
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Lamp Black
Violet Ash
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Violet Ash
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Violet Ash reads noticeably lighter

Tea with Florence
Violet Ash
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Violet Ash
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Ocean Abyss
Violet Ash
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Violet Ash
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
Violet Ash
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Violet Ash is the lighter choice

RAL 110-2
Violet Ash
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

Violet Ash reads slightly lighter

RAL 110-1
Violet Ash
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 reads slightly lighter

Paper
Violet Ash
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper reads noticeably lighter

Passageway
Violet Ash
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Violet Ash is the lighter choice