Totally Cool vs French Gray
Totally Cool (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Totally Cool reads as yellow, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 12-point LRV gap — 43 for French Gray vs 31 for Totally Cool — means French Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 23.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Totally Cool vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Totally Cool 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
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 Totally Cool.
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.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that French Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Totally Cool would.
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. French Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Totally Cool vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Totally Cool 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 Totally Cool comparisons
See how Totally Cool stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Totally Cool encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 31, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 6, Totally Cool is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Totally Cool encloses it.
With LRVs of 31 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 31, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Totally Cool encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 31, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Totally Cool the marginally brighter of the two.
Totally Cool reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 13, Totally Cool is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 31, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Totally Cool encloses it.
Totally Cool reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 31, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 31, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 31, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Totally Cool encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Totally Cool is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Totally Cool is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Totally Cool is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Totally Cool reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.