Straw vs French Gray
Straw is a Cloverdale Paint color while French Gray comes from Farrow & Ball. Straw reads as beige, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 51 vs 43, Straw will read as the brighter of the two — a 7-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 10.8, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Straw vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Straw 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.
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. Straw has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Straw gives the walls a little more lift.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Straw reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Straw gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Straw vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Straw on one side and 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 Straw comparisons
See how Straw stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 51, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Straw reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (58 vs 51) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 51 vs 27, Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (55 vs 51) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 44) makes Straw the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 51), opening up a space where Straw encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 51, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 51, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 51, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Straw is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (51 vs 45) makes Straw the marginally brighter of the two.
Straw reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Straw reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.