Traffic grey A vs French Gray

RAL Classic
·
Farrow & Ball

Traffic grey A is a RAL Classic color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. At LRV 43 vs 31, French Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 12-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 17.0, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions.

Traffic grey A vs French Gray Color Comparison

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.

ΔE 17.0Distinct difference

Color Details

Traffic grey A
RAL Classic · RAL 7042
Hex#8E9291
LRV30.9
BrandRAL Classic
NumberRAL 7042
Undertone
Temperature
Brightnessmedium
View Traffic grey A
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
Temperaturewarm
Brightnessmedium
View French Gray

Traffic grey A vs French Gray in Real Spaces

Seeing Traffic grey A 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. Showing 3 room types where both colors have photos.

Living Room

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Traffic grey A
RAL Classic  Traffic grey A RAL 7042 living room

@reninaraci

French Gray
Farrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

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

Traffic grey A
RAL Classic  Traffic grey A RAL 7042 front door

@technicolourspraying

French Gray
French Gray front door inspiration

@the_rutland_lady

Kitchen Cabinets

On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Traffic grey A would.

Traffic grey A
RAL 7042 kitchen cabinets color review

@mjb.decorating

French Gray
French Gray kitchen cabinets photo

@myfirstvictorianhome_247

More Traffic grey A comparisons

See how Traffic grey A stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Traffic grey A
White Dove

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Benjamin Moore

Ammonite
Traffic grey A
Ammonite

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Farrow & Ball

Iron Ore
Traffic grey A
Iron Ore

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Sherwin-Williams

Purbeck Stone
Traffic grey A
Purbeck Stone

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Farrow & Ball

Evergreen Fog
Traffic grey A
Evergreen Fog

RAL Classic vs Sherwin-Williams

RAL Classic vs Sherwin-Williams

Mizzle
Traffic grey A
Mizzle

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Farrow & Ball

Agreeable Gray
Traffic grey A
Agreeable Gray

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Sherwin-Williams

Denim Drift
Traffic grey A
Denim Drift

RAL Classic vs Dulux

RAL Classic vs Dulux

Tranquil Dawn
Traffic grey A
Tranquil Dawn

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Dulux

Balboa Mist
Traffic grey A
Balboa Mist

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Benjamin Moore

Vintage Vogue
Traffic grey A
Vintage Vogue

Traffic grey A reads lighter

RAL Classic vs Benjamin Moore

Pale Green
Traffic grey A
Pale Green

Two RAL Classic colors

RAL Classic

Pine Needle
Traffic grey A
Pine Needle

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Dulux

Cement grey
Traffic grey A
Cement grey

Two RAL Classic colors

RAL Classic

Black grey
Traffic grey A
Black grey

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic

Humble Yellow
Traffic grey A
Humble Yellow

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Jotun

Windmill Lane
Traffic grey A
Windmill Lane

RAL Classic vs Little Greene

RAL Classic vs Little Greene

Senses
Traffic grey A
Senses

Senses reads lighter

RAL Classic vs Jotun

Lamp Black
Traffic grey A
Lamp Black

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Little Greene

Washed Linen
Traffic grey A
Washed Linen

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Jotun

Tea with Florence
Traffic grey A
Tea with Florence

Traffic grey A reads lighter

RAL Classic vs Little Greene

Ocean Abyss
Traffic grey A
Ocean Abyss

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs Behr

Classic Silver
Traffic grey A
Classic Silver

Classic Silver reads lighter

RAL Classic vs Behr

Teton Blue
Traffic grey A
Teton Blue

RAL Classic vs Behr

RAL Classic vs Behr

RAL 110-2
Traffic grey A
RAL 110-2

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs RAL Effect

RAL 110-1
Traffic grey A
RAL 110-1

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs RAL Effect

RAL 180-1
Traffic grey A
RAL 180-1

RAL 180-1 reads lighter

RAL Classic vs RAL Effect

S 8000-N
Traffic grey A
S 8000-N

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs NCS

S 0500-N
Traffic grey A
S 0500-N

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs NCS

S 0502-Y
Traffic grey A
S 0502-Y

Light vs dark contrast

RAL Classic vs NCS