Old Salem Gray vs Calamine
Old Salem Gray (Benjamin Moore) and Calamine (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Old Salem Gray belongs to the beige-greige family and Calamine to the pink-red family. The 36-point LRV gap — 68 for Calamine vs 32 for Old Salem Gray — means Calamine will open up a space more effectively. Where Old Salem Gray leans yellow, Calamine reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 26.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Old Salem Gray vs Calamine in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Old Salem Gray and Calamine in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Calamine returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Calamine reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Old Salem Gray.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Calamine returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Old Salem Gray vs Calamine Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Old Salem Gray on one side and Calamine 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 Old Salem Gray comparisons
See how Old Salem Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 32, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
Old Salem Gray reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 32, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 32 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 32, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
Old Salem Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (43 vs 32) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 32 vs 4, Old Salem Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
Old Salem Gray reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 32, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (32 vs 21) makes Old Salem Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 32, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Old Salem Gray reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Old Salem Gray reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (41 vs 32) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Old Salem Gray reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 32), opening up a space where Old Salem Gray encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 32 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.