Whitemud vs French Gray
Where Whitemud 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. Whitemud (LRV 51) reflects noticeably more light than French Gray (LRV 43), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 5.0 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.
Whitemud vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Whitemud 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 — Whitemud gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Whitemud reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Whitemud has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Whitemud reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Whitemud vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Whitemud 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 Whitemud comparisons
See how Whitemud stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 51, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Whitemud reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (58 vs 51) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 51 vs 27, Whitemud is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (55 vs 51) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 44) makes Whitemud the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 51), opening up a space where Whitemud encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 51, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 51, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Whitemud is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 51, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Whitemud is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (51 vs 45) makes Whitemud the marginally brighter of the two.
Whitemud reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Whitemud reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Whitemud reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 51), opening up a space where Whitemud encloses it.