Britannia Blue vs Old Silk
Britannia Blue (Benjamin Moore) and Old Silk (PPG) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 18 vs 17 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.5 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Britannia Blue vs Old Silk in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Britannia Blue and Old Silk are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Britannia Blue vs Old Silk Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Britannia Blue on one side and Old Silk 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 Britannia Blue comparisons
See how Britannia Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 18, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
Britannia Blue reflects far more light (LRV 18 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 18, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 18, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 18, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 18), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 18, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 18 vs 4, Britannia Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
Britannia Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 18, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (21 vs 18) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 18, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Britannia Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Britannia Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 18, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Britannia Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 18), opening up a space where Britannia Blue encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 18, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.