French Gray vs RAL 440-1
Where French Gray belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, RAL 440-1 is a RAL Effect color. Hue-wise, French Gray belongs to the beige-greige family and RAL 440-1 to the pink-red family. French Gray (LRV 43) reflects noticeably more light than RAL 440-1 (LRV 13), a difference of 30 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 67.9, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
French Gray vs RAL 440-1 in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing French Gray and RAL 440-1 in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 440-1.
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 440-1.
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 440-1.
Color Details
French Gray vs RAL 440-1 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see French Gray on one side and RAL 440-1 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.
At LRV 83 vs 43, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 6, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 43) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 43, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 27, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (55 vs 43) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 43 vs 13, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 43, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 43, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 43, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 12, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 43, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 43 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 12, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.