Charcoal Blue vs Classic French Gray
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Charcoal Blue belongs to the blue-grey family and Classic French Gray to the grey family. Classic French Gray (LRV 24) reflects noticeably more light than Charcoal Blue (LRV 6), a difference of 18 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Charcoal Blue runs cool while Classic French Gray is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 29.7, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Charcoal Blue vs Classic French Gray in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Charcoal Blue and Classic 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.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Classic French Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Charcoal Blue.
Color Details
Charcoal Blue vs Classic French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charcoal Blue on one side and Classic French Gray 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 Charcoal Blue comparisons
See how Charcoal Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
