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Behr White Metal Will Look White Hot in Your Home! (Dupe for SW Passive?)

    White Metal is a beautiful, light, silvery gray. It should top your list for subtle true grays from Behr!

    Behr White Metal Paint dot swatched over a white background with a silver chain necklace.

    Here we will see White Metal in real homes, get coordinating colors, discuss that pesky undertone, and fetch some dupes!

    What Color is Behr White Metal (N520-1)

    White Metal is what you might picture if you are thinking of a true silver paint color. It’s dark enough to not be an off-white, but you might not realize how dark it is until you see white next to it.

    Swatch of Behr White Metal beside a photo of a white metal chain

    LRV and RBG of Behr White Metal

    The LRV of White Metal is 63.

    What’s an LRV anyways?

    The LRV of a color indicates on a scale of 0 – 100 how much light a color reflects (or doesn’t reflect). True black has an LRV of 0 and pure white has an LRV of 100.

    In the paint world, we are working in a range of about 3 – 93 because no paint color is purely black or completely white.

    The LRV of Behr White Metal plotted at 63 on a scale of 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) over a background of a twisted metal art piece

    At 63, White Metal is darker than any off-white paint colors, but it’s on the lighter end of most whole-home wall colors.

    Behr lists the RGB of White Metal as Red 209, Green 209, Blue 207.

    Using the RGB from Behr, the hex code for White Metal is #D1D1CF.

    What Are the Undertones of White Metal?

    The undertones of White Metal are a little complicated. You can see from the hex chart that it’s in the yellow color family, but in reality this color is sooo gray that the color family doesn’t matter much.

    Behr White Metal plotted on the hex chart over a white and silver metallic background

    So what are the undertones then?

    Used on it’s own, or paired with warmer colors, White Metal will have subtle purple undertones.

    Used with truly cool colors, it will look like a true gray, or have the slightest greigey undertone.

    We will see more on this when we look at trim and real life photos.

    I really don’t want a purple undertone to scare you though! White Metal is certainly still gray, and I happen to like a purple undertone more than beige sometimes.

    Is White Metal Warm or Cool

    The question of the hour! I would say that White Metal most often looks cool.

    Technically a purple undertone can read slightly warmer than a blue gray, but generally plan on it looking cool.

    The Behr White Metal Color Strip

    Let’s take a look at all of the colors on this Behr color strip:

    Behr White Metal color strip includes white metal, silver bullet, flannel gray, cool ashes, Iron mountain, asphalt gray, and carbon
    • White Metal (N520-1)
    • Silver Bullet (N520-2)
    • Flannel Gray (N520-3)
    • Cool Ashes (N520-4)
    • Iron Mountain (N520-5)
    • Asphalt Gray (N520-6)
    • Carbon (N520-7)

    Behr White Metal Color Palette

    Here is a color palette for White Metal, featuring all Behr coordinating colors:

    White Metal color palette features colors swatched on paint lids over a dark wood background. Colors are White Metal, Extreme, Diamonds Therapy, Iron Mountain, and Perfect Taupe

    Coordinating Colors for Behr White Metal

    Diamonds Therapy

    Diamonds Therapy is an underrated Behr white that is warm but also decently gray, which keeps it nice and neutral.

    Paint dot of white metal beside a paint dot of coordinating color Diamonds Therapy

    If you don’t want White Metal to look purple, this is the warmest that I would go with a coordinating white. Anything with an especially warm undertone (particularly yellow) may emphasize that purple undertone.

    Read my post about this color here: Behr Diamonds Therapy Review and Comparison

    Perfect Taupe

    It’s a bit hard to pick a coordinating neutral for White Metal since:

    1. You are probably considering White Metal as your neutral
    2. Warm neutrals emphasize the purple
    Paint dot of white metal beside a paint dot of coordinating color Perfect Taupe

    I went with Behr Perfect Taupe, since taupes often also have purple undertones. This combo should allow Perfect Taupe to look more beige, and White Metal to look more gray.

    Iron Mountain

    Behr Iron Mountain (not to be confused with the Benjamin Moore color of the same name) is a deep gray that also has subtle purple undertones. This will allow White Metal to look like a true gray.

    Paint dot of white metal beside a paint dot of coordinating color Iron Mountain

    Extreme

    Behr Extreme is another coordinating color that has a very slight purple undertone. Blue is a hard color to use with White Metal and still have it looking gray, but this combo should do the trick.

    Paint dot of white metal beside a paint dot of coordinating color Extreme

    Extreme also works as a complementary color for White Metal, as it is across the color wheel. This color also happens to be very similar to the Benjamin Moore Blue Nova (their “Color of the Year” for 2024).

    What Trim Colors Go With Behr White Metal?

    White Metal is a little bit tricky to pair with a trim white. You definitely don’t want to go with an overly warm white as I mentioned earlier. This will emphasize White Metal’s purple undertones a lot, and the color will probably not look at all like you had planned.

    You can see here that the popular warm white Swiss Coffee clashes a lot with White Metal (in my opinion), and to a lesser extent, so does Polar Bear:

    Behr White Metal with trim options including Vibrant White, Diamonds Therapy, Ultra Pure White, Swiss Coffee, and Polar Bear

    White Paint that Goes with White Metal

    So what white is a good match?

    My suggestion is to use a slightly darker, cooler white with White Metal, such as Vibrant White. This one helps White Metal look nice and neutral.

    Behr Ultra Pure White is a nice bright white that will help White Metal look like a true plain gray.

    If you really want to use a warmer white, Diamonds Therapy is a slightly grayer option that shouldn’t make White Metal look too purple.

    Behr White Metal for Your Home Interior

    Moving on to the fun part, let’s see how White Metal looks in real homes!

    Behr White Metal in the Living Room

    First up, we have White Metal looking subtle and lovely in Samantha’s house (@comfyandcozyathome):

    White Metal in a living room with wood shelves, bright oak floors, and light furniture.
    Photo Credit: @comfyandcozyathome

    When I say that White Metal has a purple undertone, this is all I’m talking about. It’s nothing to write home about, and nobody will think your walls are actually purple.

    I see it, but maybe you don’t. I happen to have used a very similar color in my own home before, so I just know exactly how this translates.

    In this next photo of Samantha’s living room, the undertone looks slightly more blue:

    White Metal on a small wall with a charcoal door in the middle and framed photos around it.
    Photo Credit: @comfyandcozyathome

    Here is one last shot where White Metal looks very neutral.

    White Metal on a wall on either side of a beige stone fireplace with two windows also on either side.
    @comfyandcozyathome

    You can see the undertone a bit more under the window.

    Behr White Metal in the Kitchen and on Cabinets

    Really quickly before we see cabinets painted in White Metal, here are kitchen walls in White Metal with white cabinets:

    Behr White Metal walls with white cabinets in a kitchen.
    Photo Credit: @comfyandcozyathome

    I think the cabinet paint is a very cool white, because White Metal looks very much gray here.

    Moving on to cabinets themselves, this kitchen will have you doing a double take:

    Behr White Metal on cabinets with gray walls and countertops.
    Photo Credit: @calo501

    Yes, these cabinets are White Metal. They were refinished by Daniel (@calo501). You can see that the walls are a darker blue gray and it really makes White Metal look as light and warm as possible.

    Behr White Metal on cabinets with gray walls and countertops and a stainless stove
    Photo Credit: @calo501

    Behr White Metal on an Exterior

    Unfortunately for us, there aren’t a lot of people sharing their fabulous White Metal projects. When it comes to exteriors we just have to do our best.

    Luckily I have seen SW Passive (one of our White Metal dupes) on an exterior, so I do know what to look for.

    White Metal is actually a pretty light color, and every color looks lighter and more reflective outside. You can expect White Metal to be a very subtle gray off-white.

    This is a pretty good example of how White Metal will look on an exterior:

    A very light gray stucco exterior, similar to Behr White Metal.
    Photo Credit: @peanutbuttertoast

    The only way you can tell this is gray, is because of the subtle contrast with the white trim around the windows.

    White Metal Compared to Other Light Gray Paint Colors

    Behr White Metal vs Silver Bullet (N250-2)

    As we saw when we looked at the color strip, Silver Bullet is one shade darker than White Metal. It’s LRV is 56.

    Behr White Metal vs Silver Drop (790C-2)

    Behr Silver Drop is lighter and much more beige than White Metal:

    Behr White Metal compared to a variety of similar colors. The swatch of Silver Drop is enlarged to show the difference.

    You can see more from this color here: Behr Silver Drop Will Keep You Guessing!

    Behr White Metal vs Dolphin Fin (790C-3)

    Dolphin Fin is actually the shade darker than Silver Drop on the same color strip. It is a little bit darker than White Metal, and again more beige.

    That being said, Dolphin Fin can sometimes have a blueish undertone, so you may want to consider it.

    Behr White Metal compared to a variety of similar colors. The swatch of Dolphin Fin is enlarged to show the difference.

    Read more about this color here: The Mysterious Color That is Behr Dolphin Fin

    Behr White Metal vs Classic Silver (PPU18-11)

    Classic Silver is actually very similar to White Metal in terms of color family, it’s just a good bit darker. It’s in the exact same area of the color wheel.

    Behr White Metal compared to a variety of similar colors. The swatch of Classic Silver is enlarged to show the difference.

    Behr White Metal vs Platinum/Sterling (PPU26-11 or 780-3)

    Platinum and Sterling are actually the very same color. Compared to White Metal, Platinum is much cooler. It is a green based gray, but does still have a purple or blue undertone.

    It is more likely to look blueish than White Metal, and it is also a hair lighter.

    Behr White Metal compared to a variety of similar colors. The swatch of Platinum is enlarged to show the difference.

    I also have a post for this one! : Read This Before Choosing Behr Platinum OR Sterling

    Behr White Metal vs Silver Feather (BWC-29)

    Technically Silver Feather is in a cooler area of the color wheel than White Metal, but because it is much less gray, it is actually warmer. It is also a little bit lighter.

    Behr White Metal compared to a variety of similar colors. The swatch of Silver Feather is enlarged to show the difference.

    Silver Feather can have a slightly green undertone.

    Behr White Metal vs Silver Shadow (N510-1)

    Silver Shadow is a very light blue gray, as opposed to White Metal which is just gray. You can pretty clearly see the difference between these two:

    Behr White Metal compared to a variety of similar colors. The swatch of Silver Shadow is enlarged to show the difference.

    If you like this look, you might also like Sherwin Williams Upward.

    Dupes for Behr White Metal

    Looking for White Metal in another brand?

    Here are the best color matches from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and Valspar:

    Behr White Metal with swatches of dupes including: Passive, Filtered Shade, Tempered Gray, and Cement Gray

    Benjamin Moore White Metal Equivalent

    From Benjamin Moore the best color match for White Metal is the shade Cement Gray.

    Benjamin Moore Cement Gray (2112-60)

    Cement Gray is just a little bit warmer and darker than White Metal.

    Benjamin Moore Cement Gray on one half of a wall, with White Metal on the other half. A mustard couch is in the foreground.

     

    Valspar (Lowe’s) Equivalent to White Metal

    Neither of my Valspar dupes are perfect today, and both are just a touch warmer than White Metal. Normally if I can’t find a super close match I would choose one warmer and one cooler, but all of the similar Valspar grays were quite blue when they were cooler.

    Valspar Tempered Gray (4004-1A)

    Tempered Gray is a little bit warmer, lighter, and less gray than White Metal.

    Valspar White Metal alternatives Filtered Shade and Tempered Gray swatched on one half of a wall, with White Metal on the other half. A camel colored couch is in the foreground with a black and white rug.

    Valspar Filtered Shade (4003-1B)

    Filtered Shade is also a little warmer than White Metal, in addition to being slightly darker. Technically Filtered Shade is warmer than Tempered Gray too, but it is less saturated so that keeps it from getting too greige.

    Sherwin Williams Equivalent for White Metal

    From Sherwin Williams the closest dupe for White Metal is the color Passive.

    Sherwin Williams Passive (SW 7064)

    Passive is a tiny bit darker and cooler than White Metal. I do find that it looks very similar in real life.

    Sherwin Willims Passive, a dupe for Behr White Metal on one half of a wall, with White Metal on the other half. Two black chairs and matching plant stands are in the foreground

    Here are all of the color matches again:

    Behr White Metal with swatches of dupes including: Passive, Filtered Shade, Tempered Gray, and Cement Gray over a background of white metal with a leaf graphic over top

    White Metal Pros & Cons

    White Metal is perfect if you want a truly gray paint color that is nice and light and doesn’t ever look greige.

    Pros

    • A subtle barely-there gray for cabinets
    • Totally blank canvas for your other decor
    • Light but not an off-white

    Cons

    • Probably not “enough” on an exterior
    • Slight purple undertone

    Not the one for you? Check out these other posts:

    Behr Light French Gray color strip includes Frost, Reflecting Pool, Light French Gray, Rocky Mountain Sky, Flint Smoke, Nature Retreat, and Amphibian
    The Behr Irish Mist color strip includes darker colors Silver Drop, Dolphin Fin, Granite Boulder, Squirrel, Dusty Mountain, and Black Bean
    Dolphin Fin looking like a traditional gray on the wall behind round natural fiber wall decor