Steel Parade vs French Gray
Steel Parade (Dulux) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Steel Parade belongs to the blue-grey family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 4-point LRV gap — 47 for Steel Parade vs 43 for French Gray — means Steel Parade will open up a space more effectively. Where Steel Parade leans cool, French Gray reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 16.9 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steel Parade vs French Gray in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Steel Parade 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. Steel Parade reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Steel Parade vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steel Parade 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 Steel Parade comparisons
See how Steel Parade stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 47), opening up a space where Steel Parade encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 47, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Steel Parade reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (52 vs 47) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 47 vs 30, Steel Parade is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 47, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steel Parade reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 47 vs 4, Steel Parade is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steel Parade reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Steel Parade reads slightly lighter (LRV 47 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 47, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 21, Steel Parade is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 47), opening up a space where Steel Parade encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 47), opening up a space where Steel Parade encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 47), opening up a space where Steel Parade encloses it.
Steel Parade reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 47), opening up a space where Steel Parade encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (47 vs 41) makes Steel Parade the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 47, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 25, Steel Parade is decisively the brighter choice.
Steel Parade reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 47 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 47 vs 31, Steel Parade is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 7, Steel Parade is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 24, Steel Parade is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (57 vs 47) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 72 vs 47, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.