French Gray vs Refresh
French Gray is a Farrow & Ball color while Refresh comes from Sherwin-Williams. French Gray reads as beige-greige, while Refresh reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 59 vs 43, Refresh will read as the brighter of the two — a 15-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — French Gray's warm character against Refresh's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 22.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
French Gray vs Refresh in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing French Gray and Refresh 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 amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Refresh will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Refresh will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Refresh returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
French Gray vs Refresh Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see French Gray on one side and Refresh 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.
