French Gray vs Humble Yellow

French GrayFarrow & BallvsHumble YellowJotunΔE 9.0Noticeable difference

French Gray (Farrow & Ball) and Humble Yellow (Jotun) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, French Gray belongs to the beige-greige family and Humble Yellow to the beige-yellow family. The 13-point LRV gap — 57 for Humble Yellow vs 43 for French Gray — means Humble Yellow 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. ΔE 9.0 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

French Gray vs Humble Yellow in Real Spaces

4 real rooms side by side. French Gray and Humble Yellow 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

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. Humble Yellow reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

Humble YellowJotun Humble Yellow cozy living room color review

@fru_heidiandersen

Bedroom

Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Humble Yellow returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bedroom color review

@renovating_a_nightmare

Humble YellowJotun Humble Yellow cozy bedroom interior

@etthusbliretthem

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Humble Yellow will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.

French GrayFarrow and Ball 18 dining room color

@kenliscountry_

Humble YellowJotun Humble Yellow cozy dining room interior

@ida__ryden

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. Humble Yellow returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

French GrayFarrow and Ball French Gray bathroom review

@livingwithchlo_

Humble YellowJotun Humble Yellow bathroom color review

@interior_silvia

Color Details

French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Humble Yellow
Jotun · 11173
Hex#d3c5ab
LRV56.5
BrandJotun
Number11173
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

French Gray vs Humble Yellow Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see French Gray on one side and Humble Yellow 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 French Gray comparisons

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

White Dove
French Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
French Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
French Gray
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

French Gray is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
French Gray
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
French Gray
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
French Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
French Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
French Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
French Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
French Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
French Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

French Gray is the lighter choice

Pale Green
French Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
French Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

French Gray is the lighter choice

Cement grey
French Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Black grey
French Gray
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

French Gray is the lighter choice

Piazza
French Gray
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza reads noticeably lighter

Windmill Lane
French Gray
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Senses
French Gray
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Nearly identical in tone

Lamp Black
French Gray
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

French Gray is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
French Gray
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads slightly lighter

Antique White
French Gray
Antique White
Jotun
Antique White
LRV 56

Antique White reads noticeably lighter

Tea with Florence
French Gray
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

French Gray is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
French Gray
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
French Gray
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

French Gray is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
French Gray
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads slightly lighter

Teton Blue
French Gray
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
French Gray
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
French Gray
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
French Gray
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
French Gray
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

French Gray is the lighter choice