Classic Silver vs Smalt
Where Classic Silver belongs to Behr's range, Smalt is a Little Greene color. Hue-wise, Classic Silver belongs to the grey family and Smalt to the blue family. Classic Silver (LRV 48) reflects noticeably more light than Smalt (LRV 6), a difference of 42 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Classic Silver runs yellow while Smalt is decidedly blue, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 58.1, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Classic Silver vs Smalt in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Classic Silver and Smalt 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Classic Silver will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Smalt would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Classic Silver reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smalt.
Color Details
Classic Silver vs Smalt Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Classic Silver on one side and Smalt 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 Classic Silver comparisons
See how Classic Silver stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
