Alloy vs Light French Gray paint color comparison

Alloy vs Light French Gray

Alloy and Light French Gray come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 27-point LRV gap — 53 for Light French Gray vs 25 for Alloy — means Light French Gray will open up a space more effectively. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 20.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Alloy vs Light French Gray in Real Spaces

7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Alloy and Light 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.

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

AlloyA mid century living room painted in Alloy

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Light French GrayLight French Gray SW 0055 by sherwin williams 0055 living room

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

AlloyA art deco bedroom painted in Alloy

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Light French GrayBy sherwin williams 0055 bedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Light French Gray

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Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Light French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

AlloyAlloy — earthy kitchen

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Light French GraySherwin Williams Light French Gray by sherwin williams 0055 kitchen cabinets

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

AlloyAlloy — wabi-sabi bathroom

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Light French GrayGray by sherwin williams 0055 bathroom in Light French Gray by Sherwin Williams

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Home Office

Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Light French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

AlloySherwin-Williams Alloy in a minimalist home office

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Light French GraySW 0055 by sherwin williams 0055 home office inspiration

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House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Light French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

AlloyAlloy color — maximalist house inspiration

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Light French GrayLight French Gray by sherwin williams 0055 house color review

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Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Light French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Alloy.

Alloystylish front door featuring Alloy by Sherwin-Williams

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Light French GrayGray by sherwin williams 0055 front door with Light French Gray SW 0055

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Color Details

Alloy
Sherwin-Williams · 9569
Hex#8E8A81
LRV25.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9569
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Light French Gray
Sherwin-Williams · 0055
Hex#C2C0BB
LRV52.8
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number0055
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium

Alloy vs Light French Gray Simulated Comparison

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

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

White Dove
Alloy
White Dove
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Ammonite
Alloy
Ammonite
Alloy
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 69 vs 25, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

Alloy
Iron Ore
Alloy
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Alloy reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

Purbeck Stone
Alloy
Purbeck Stone
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 52 vs 25, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Alloy
Evergreen Fog
Alloy
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

A 5-point LRV gap (30 vs 25) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.

Mizzle
Alloy
Mizzle
Alloy
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Agreeable Gray
Alloy
Agreeable Gray
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 60 vs 25, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Accessible Beige
Alloy
Accessible Beige
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Denim Drift
Alloy
Denim Drift
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

With LRVs of 27 and 25, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

French Gray
Alloy
French Gray
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 43 vs 25, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Alloy
Naval
Alloy
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 25 vs 4, Alloy is decisively the brighter choice.

Tranquil Dawn
Alloy
Tranquil Dawn
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Bancha
Alloy
Bancha
Alloy
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Alloy reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Hardwick White
Alloy
Hardwick White
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Alloy
Pure White
Alloy
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 84 vs 25, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Alloy
Artichoke
Alloy
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

A 4-point LRV gap (25 vs 21) makes Alloy the marginally brighter of the two.

Balboa Mist
Alloy
Balboa Mist
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Alloy
Shoji White
Alloy
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Alloy
Snowbound
Alloy
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Alloy
Pewter Green
Alloy
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Alloy reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Skimming Stone
Alloy
Skimming Stone
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Dix Blue
Alloy
Dix Blue
Alloy
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 41 vs 25, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Calamine
Alloy
Calamine
Alloy
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 68 vs 25, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.

Treron
Alloy
Treron
Alloy
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 25 vs 25), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Vintage Vogue
Alloy
Vintage Vogue
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Alloy reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Saybrook Sage
Alloy
Saybrook Sage
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 25), opening up a space where Alloy encloses it.

Pale Green
Alloy
Pale Green
Alloy
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

A 6-point LRV gap (31 vs 25) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.

Pine Needle
Alloy
Pine Needle
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 25 vs 7, Alloy is decisively the brighter choice.

Cement grey
Alloy
Cement grey
Alloy
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 25 vs 24), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Guilford Green
Alloy
Guilford Green
Alloy
Sherwin-Williams
Alloy
9569 · LRV 25

At LRV 57 vs 25, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.