French Gray vs RAL 120-M
Where French Gray belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, RAL 120-M is a RAL Effect color. Hue-wise, French Gray belongs to the beige-greige family and RAL 120-M to the grey family. French Gray (LRV 43) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 120-M (LRV 27), a difference of 16 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 16.1, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
French Gray vs RAL 120-M in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing French Gray and RAL 120-M 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 French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than RAL 120-M would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 120-M.
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. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 120-M.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 120-M.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 120-M.
Color Details
French Gray vs RAL 120-M Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see French Gray on one side and RAL 120-M 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 French Gray comparisons
See how French Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
