Arctic Willow vs French Gray

Tikkurila
·
Farrow & Ball

Arctic Willow (Tikkurila) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. The 11-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 33 for Arctic Willow — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 10.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives.

Arctic Willow 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 10.2Distinct difference

Color Details

Arctic Willow
Tikkurila · M495
Hex#9A9C90
LRV32.5
BrandTikkurila
NumberM495
Undertone
Temperature
Brightnessmedium
View Arctic Willow
French Gray
Farrow & Ball · 18
Hex#b5b19a
LRV43.3
BrandFarrow & Ball
Number18
Undertone
Temperaturewarm
Brightnessmedium
View French Gray

Arctic Willow vs French Gray in Real Spaces

Seeing Arctic Willow 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

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

Arctic Willow
Tikkurila Arctic Willow M495 accent wall

@kauralyhde

French Gray
Farrow and Ball 18 living room paint

@over_at_overview

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

Arctic Willow
Tikkurila Arctic Willow M495 bedroom

@elina.hyttinen

French Gray
Farrow and Ball French Gray bedroom color review

@renovating_a_nightmare

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Arctic Willow
Tikkurila Arctic Willow M495 kitchen cabinets

@lumpuilumpui

French Gray
French Gray kitchen cabinets photo

@myfirstvictorianhome_247

More Arctic Willow comparisons

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

White Dove
Arctic Willow
White Dove

Light vs dark contrast

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Ammonite
Arctic Willow
Ammonite

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Iron Ore
Arctic Willow
Iron Ore

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Purbeck Stone
Arctic Willow
Purbeck Stone

Purbeck Stone reads lighter

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Evergreen Fog
Arctic Willow
Evergreen Fog

Tikkurila vs Sherwin-Williams

Tikkurila vs Sherwin-Williams

Mizzle
Arctic Willow
Mizzle

Mizzle reads lighter

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Agreeable Gray
Arctic Willow
Agreeable Gray

Light vs dark contrast

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Denim Drift
Arctic Willow
Denim Drift

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Tikkurila vs Dulux

Tranquil Dawn
Arctic Willow
Tranquil Dawn

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Balboa Mist
Arctic Willow
Balboa Mist

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Vintage Vogue
Arctic Willow
Vintage Vogue

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Pale Green
Arctic Willow
Pale Green

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Pine Needle
Arctic Willow
Pine Needle

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Cement grey
Arctic Willow
Cement grey

Arctic Willow reads lighter

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Black grey
Arctic Willow
Black grey

Light vs dark contrast

Tikkurila vs RAL Classic

Piazza
Arctic Willow
Piazza

Light vs dark contrast

Tikkurila

Humble Yellow
Arctic Willow
Humble Yellow

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Windmill Lane
Arctic Willow
Windmill Lane

Tikkurila vs Little Greene

Tikkurila vs Little Greene

Senses
Arctic Willow
Senses

Senses reads lighter

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Lamp Black
Arctic Willow
Lamp Black

Light vs dark contrast

Tikkurila vs Little Greene

Washed Linen
Arctic Willow
Washed Linen

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Tea with Florence
Arctic Willow
Tea with Florence

Arctic Willow reads lighter

Tikkurila vs Little Greene

Thames Fog
Arctic Willow
Thames Fog

Tikkurila vs Valspar

Tikkurila vs Valspar

Ocean Abyss
Arctic Willow
Ocean Abyss

Light vs dark contrast

Tikkurila vs Behr

Classic Silver
Arctic Willow
Classic Silver

Classic Silver reads lighter

Tikkurila vs Behr

Teton Blue
Arctic Willow
Teton Blue

Tikkurila vs Behr

Tikkurila vs Behr

RAL 110-2
Arctic Willow
RAL 110-2

Light vs dark contrast

Tikkurila vs RAL Effect

RAL 110-1
Arctic Willow
RAL 110-1

Light vs dark contrast

Tikkurila vs RAL Effect

Paper
Arctic Willow
Paper

Light vs dark contrast

Tikkurila

Passageway
Arctic Willow
Passageway

Arctic Willow reads lighter

Tikkurila vs Valspar