Read all about Sherwin Williams Light French Gray (LFG), plus see it in action in 20 real homes!
Sherwin William Light French Gray #SW 0055 is a mid-toned, neutral gray paint. It’s a very versatile gray with a nice balance of warm and cool tones that make it perhaps an ideal interior and exterior choice for gray paint.
In fact, this color is so balanced, that some people may call it a perfect gray. Fun fact: LFG has the slightest of purple undertones which only show up in certain lighting situations. This will be important later on, but for now, just keep that tidbit in the back of your mind ;).
Gray paints have pretty much shot into the stratosphere in terms of popularity in the last few years, and it’s not hard to see why. Gray is a pretty awesome neutral background…it provides some color but not too much so it’s more appealing than white for a lot of people.
And yet anything – and everything – can go with it, making it a nice building block for the rest of your decor.
I admit it…while it’s not my all-time favorite gray, but I like Light French Gray very much. It’s mostly a true gray, rather than a greige, and it looks absolutely beautiful in lots of different lights (just wait – you’ll see for yourself down below).
Let’s begin our detailed look at Sherwin Williams Light French Gray SW 0055.
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LRV of Light French Gray
As a quick refresh, LRV (light reflectance value) is a number between 0 and 100 indicating the amount of light a paint color either reflects or absorbs. An LRV of 0 means pitch-black while an LRV of 100 is glaring, blinding white.
The lower the number, the more light the paint absorbs, and the darker it will look. The opposite is also true: the higher the number means that paint color reflects more light, and the lighter it will appear.
With LRV 53, SW Light French Gray is just a titch lighter than right in the middle. As Goldilocks would say: it’s not too bright; it’s not too dark. It’s just right.
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Light French Gray vs. Similar Paint Colors
Have you tried picking out a gray paint lately? It’s a daunting task, no doubt! At surface level, you may find yourself thinking “how hard can REALLY be to pick a gray paint?” Oh, friend, let me tell you.
I painted my basement gray one time and agonized over the choice between SEVEN similar gray paints. So don’t despair if you’re feeling like something that seems as if it should be easy isn’t feeling that way. It took me a LONG while to get comfy with the paint picking process.
Let’s see how Light French Gray stacks up next to some other amazing gray paints.
Sherwin Williams Light French Gray vs Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
Repose Gray is a trusty, very popular gray that reads warm with slight purple undertones. In fact, it’s so warm that it leans towards being a greige (that’s a blend of gray and beige). It may lean towards greige, but make no mistake that Repose Gray is definitely gray.
Light French Gray vs Repose Gray – which is lighter? Well, because they are fairly close when you look at them side by side, we need to take a look at their LRVs. Maybe you remember that Light French Gray has an LRV of 53. As it turns out, Repose Gray has an LRV of 58.
It’s only a smidge of a difference, but it’s enough to see that Repose Gray is lighter (and warmer) than Light French Gray.
Sherwin Williams Light French Gray vs Behr Light French Gray
At first blush, you might think “same name = same color”. That couldn’t be more untrue, however.
SW LFG is a very neutral gray that is balanced between warm and cool and has no strong undertones.
Behr’s Light French Gray, on the other hand, reads more cool as a blue-toned gray with undertones of brown and green. Plus, Behr’s version is lighter with an LRV rating of 61 compared to Sherwin Williams’s version at LRV 53.
Sherwin Williams Light French Gray vs Sherwin Williams On The Rocks
SW On The Rocks (SW 7671) has an LRV of 62, automatically making it a tad lighter than Light French Gray. On The Rocks tends to read a little warmer with undertones that can almost look like an off white color in rooms with a lot of bright, natural light.
Light French Gray tends to read completely neutral or slightly cool and anywhere from a pale gray to a medium gray, depending on the lighting.
Sherwin Williams Light French Gray vs Benjamin Moore Nimbus
Nimbus is the shade directly below Light Pewter in the fan deck if you’re familiar with that popular shade.
Nimbus, with an LRV of 60.23 is lighter than Light French Gray. And Nimbus is a TRUE gray. In fact, it’s probably my personal favorite TRUE GRAY, and a very reliable one, at that. I’ve used Nimbus many times over the years.
While you’ll see Light French Gray can read pretty dark in certain lighting situations and has a tinge of purplish undertones, Nimbus reads true gray in any light.
You can see Benjamin Moore Nimbus on the walls of my foyer, below.
Here’s another shot of Nimbus in our entryway. The color in the dining room on the right side of the shot is Pale Smoke. Also by Ben Moore.
I still don’t know if it’s the right paint color for me…
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Real Life Homes Using Light French Gray
Of course, gray paints are notorious for reading very differently in different rooms and at different times of the day as the lighting changes.
Tip: No matter which grays you think you like, paint a swatch (or several) in the room you want to paint so that you can see how the color looks with your decor and how it changes throughout the day.
As far as sampling goes, I highly recommend these mess-free, re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick paint samples ⤵
Let’s take a look at several real-world examples of Light French Gray in action so you can see for yourself how it behaves.
SW Light French Gray Bathrooms
I don’t know about you, but I love a good crisp and clean-looking bathroom. To me, gray is a lovely color choice for a bathroom because you can keep the room looking bright by painting the trim white and having a white vanity.
A quick note here: don’t forget to consider picking the right paint finish…it’s not only about getting the color right! We have an in-depth explanation of choosing sheens here.
Don’t forget the finish! For bathrooms the perfect sheen is either an eggshell or satin. Why? We’ll tell you in this post about paint sheen.
Take a look at these gorgeous bathrooms painted with Light French Gray!
1. Light French Gray in Lots of Natural Light
In Amara’s home from @homeonspringwood, LFG is used as the vanity and window trim color, and those are two fabulous uses for this shade, I think.
In this space, there’s no lack of natural light, but often in north-facing rooms that tend to be darker, this Light French Gray color can appear more like “dark” french gray. So it’s important to really test it out to make sure it’s giving you the look you’re hunting for.
“What’s the wall color in this space,” you’re wondering? It’s Sherwin Williams Alabaster.
2. Board and Batten Buddy
This paint shade is often used to team up with trimwork like beadboard or board and batten, and I love it when used that way.
In this space, Light French Gray is showing up as a bit of a warmer tone, but still not so warm you’d call it greige. The white paint used on the beadboard here is Benjamin Moore Super White.
3. A Great, Pure Gray
Once again used in conjunction with white beadboard, this space from Laine & Layne has such a timeless, classic palette.
Trends come and go, but it’s hard to go wrong when you stick to black, white and gray…throw in some wood tones, and you’ve created a winning combo!
4. Mixes with Marble
If you aren’t sure what gray paint color to use with marble, there’s no doubt that Light French Gray works well. In this space, you can see LFG on the walls works with a number of different types of tile containing gray, from faux wood to gray penny tiles, and of course, marble.
Bedrooms That Use Light French Gray
A good gray can create a perfect, relaxing environment in a bedroom. Take a look at these beauties— each bedroom here is painted with Sherwin Williams Light French Gray.
In general for bedrooms, and low-traffic areas, flat paint is fine. If you like something with a bit of shine (and more ease of cleaning) opt for eggshell or satin.
5. Light in Airy in (Lots of) Natural Light
If you have a space that’s flooded with natural light, then Light French Gray becomes an even easier choice. It can give you the saturation and punch that you’re looking for, without making the space look dreary or cave-chic.
Here’s a great example of LFG looking like there’s certainly color on the wall, but it’s definitely not too dark.
6. Serene Shade
A smidge of sophisticated drama, without looking somber, this statement trim painted Light French Gray at @homeonspringwood has so much appeal. And the wall color is once again, the uber popular SW Alabaster.
7. French Country Flair
Can you believe it? The huge amount of natural light in this bedroom from Kim at @my.cozy.cottage.life makes Light French Gray read almost as an off-white.
This space also helps us appreciate the bits of warmth that can sometimes be seen with LFG when paired with warm shades like the florals in this room.
8. Good Choice for a Little Guy’s Room
Here’s Light French Gray looking nice and neutral gray in a boy’s bedroom.
9. Gorgeous Gray
Oh my, this is a gorgeous light gray bedroom. Perfectly gray. Perfectly neutral.
10. Relaxation Station
In this bedroom, Light French Gray reads as a pure gray, but it looks darker here than it does in some of the images above.
Fabulous Kitchens Using Light French Gray
Check out these enviable real-life kitchens that use Light French Gray.
For kitchens, eggshell or satin are popular finish choices for walls. For cabinets consider semi-gloss or high gloss for the most durable finish (and a gorgeous glow).
11. Charming Cabinet Color
Light French Gray kitchen cabinets! Great color, right? The paint has a bit of sheen to it to help keep the color more reflective and slightly brighter than it would have been if it was more matte.
12. Stunning Gray Kitchen
As you scroll through the images, you’ll see how the light plays with the Light French Gray walls and changes how the color reads.
13. Kitchen Wall Color for the Win
Jessica uses Light French Gray as the wall color in her beautiful farmhouse style kitchen. It reads pretty light and bright in here thanks to lots of natural light, as well as light colors in the rest of the palette, like the cabinetry.
You also may pick up hints of green in the shade here. That’s common when windows open to lots of trees, grass, etc. So you can often see hints of green poking through many paint colors, and LFG is no exception!
Living Rooms That Use Light French Gray
Let’s chat about living rooms. Since we all tend to spend a lot of time in living and family room spaces, this can be one of the highest pressure rooms to pick a paint color for! So let’s see how others have used this color in similar spaces!
14. Stylish Living Space
Less lighting translates into a darker looking – but still chic and neutral gray.
15. So Fresh, So Clean
Wow, with so much cross lighting in this room, going a little darker like Light French Gray is perfect to tone down the light just a little without looking dark at all.
16. Pretty in Purple
Remember how I mentioned oh-so-briefly that Light French Gray has purple undertones – here they are!
17. Cool, Calm, Collected
This room from @bethanyinteriordesign has significantly less light, which gives this paint color a lot more depth.
Lower natural light also makes it easier for those cooler, blue undertones to come through, especially when paired with coordinating colors that are also on the cool side, like you see in that lovely large-scale artwork on the wall.
18. An All-Time Fave Gray
As Jennifer Allwood describes it, this gray is her all-time favorite. Here you see it in her living room.
She acknowledges that it certainly has blue undertones, so it leans cooler in her home…so if you’re aiming for a greige, you’re barking up the wrong gray tree!
19. Can Play with Punchy Colors
In this family room, teal is the star, but LFG plays a strong supporting role.
Make sure to take note of the variability in how this paint plays with the light…it goes from looking like a medium gray, to quite dark in the corners.
Dining Rooms Done in Sherwin Williams Light French Gray
Neutral colors are perfect for dining rooms, and Sherwin Williams French Gray is no exception.
20. Stunning Silver
In this space from @montecitointeriors, Light French Gray has almost a silver quality to it—and I dig it. It looks perfectly elegant in this lovely dining space, and I love how the white trim pops!
21. Dinner with a Side of a French Country Feel
Tara chose Light French Gray as an accent color above the chair rail beadboard trim in her french country styled dining room.
Other Spaces Sporting SW Light French Gray
Here are some beautiful examples of Sherwin William Light French Gray in other areas inside, and outside of the house, that will keep you coming back for more.
22. Will Make You Love Laundry Day
Light, chic, and the perfect neutral backdrop for this fantastic laundry room from Lily Pad Cottage. Yes, those cabinets are painted Sherwin Williams Light French Gray, believe it or not!
23. Marvelous in a Mudroom
This entryway has very little natural light yet it looks bright and fresh painted Light French Gray.
24. Happy Hallway
Jennifer Allwood has used LFG throughout her home since she loves the shade so much. Here you can see how lovely it looks as the wall color in her mudroom hallway.
25. Match Made in Heaven with Marble
Check out how lovely LFG looks against the marble fireplace surround in this home. The dark, punchy gray makes this architectural element a stand-out rather than just fading into the background as it may have painted in a much lighter shade.
26. Standout Trim Shade
Adrienne uses Light French Gray throughout the upstairs of her beautiful home as a trim color. Often, people just go with white for trim because it’s kind of a no-brainer. But when you see what a standout the trim can be when choosing an alternate shade like LFG, it makes you think twice, right?
Well, there you go! I hope this article provided all the info you needed about Sherwin Williams Light French Gray to help you decide whether this popular choice of gray could also be a great option for you!
And if this is a color you’re seriously considering, remember paint-sampling is better than ending up paint-sorry! Because by now you’ve seen that real paint can look very different from space to space and under different lighting conditions.
I recommend these peel and stick paint samples because they are inexpensive, re-usable and re-positionable…
Need More Gray Colors To Consider?
If you are still not sure whether SW Light French Gray is the perfect shade, no worries! I have more color resources for you. Each of these articles breaks down everything you need to know about each paint color, plus gives examples of how it looks in real homes!
- Shoreline (Benjamin Moore) – a soft, warm-leaning neutral light gray.
- Horizon (Benjamin Moore) – a pale gray color with subtle blue undertones.
- SW Mindful Gray – a deep greige that bounces between a warm gray and taupe.
- Calm (Benjamin Moore) – a soft, light off-white with purple undertones.
- Popular Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a mid-light blue-green with gray undertones.
- Gray Owl (Benjamin Moore) – a beautiful neutral gray paint color.
- Wickham Gray (Benjamin Moore) – a mid-toned gray with blue undertones.
- Stonington Gray (Benjamin Moore) – a neutral, mid-toned gray.
- SW Agreeable Gray – want something more greige? Check out this Sherwin-Williams company crowd favorite
Pin this Light French Gray paint review for later!
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Nan says
I recently had my (Her’s) master bath vanity, painted SW Light French Gray.
I debated between SW LFG and BM Nimbus & I’m pleased to say I’m thrilled with the way it turned out. Although, a darker/cooler gray, I found SW LFG to have a slightly more feminine feel than BM Nimbus & it complaints my marble floors nicely.
I spent months (seriously) agonizing over gray paint colors in our current farmhouse, total remodel.
This is NOT our first major remodel & I have been successfully choosing paint colors for 30+ years, I am however, a newbie to the GRAY’s !!!!!
Thank you, Heather for all your HONEST opinions.