Soft Apple vs French Gray
Soft Apple (Dulux) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Soft Apple belongs to the yellow family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 40-point LRV gap — 83 for Soft Apple vs 43 for French Gray — means Soft Apple will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 20.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Soft Apple vs French Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Soft Apple 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. Soft Apple reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
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. Soft Apple returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Soft Apple vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Soft Apple 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 Soft Apple comparisons
See how Soft Apple stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
