There are thousands of articles about white paint colors. The truth is that to pick the right white paint color within Benjamin Moore whites all you have to do is compare them to Chantilly Lace paint in the following way:
- Compare Chantilly Lace paint – Benjamin Moore true white, to a white paint you are considering to use. Does it look darker, lighter, brighter, colder? Do you see the difference?
- Look at the colors of your home’s surfaces, such as flooring, tile, carpet, countertops to determine if these colors are warm, cool or neutral. Warm white goes with warm colors of your finishes, cold white goes with cold colors of your finishes.
- Decide on your decorative style, i.e., traditional, modern, transitional or anything in between. Traditional style interiors use more contrast with moldings, modern interiors use much less contrast with moldings.
True White
Chantilly Lace 2121-70
So, what makes Chantilly Lace paint true white?
Because Chantilly Lace paint has no tint it is the starting point when you compare it to any other Benjamin Moore whites.
Other white paints will have variations from very subtle to obvious. They will look warmer, colder, darker, lighter, cleaner, more muted, and everything in between.
How to compare Chantilly Lace paint to other Benjamin Moore whites
I place two paint chips side by side and look at them at different light and different times of the day.
When you place two white paint color chips side by side you will notice a slight difference. For example, White Dove paint color will look warmer compared to Chantilly Lace. Yet by itself, it will appear white and crisp.
How to use Chantilly Lace paint
Chantilly Lace paint is pretty much universal. You can use it for traditional moldings and doors, modern style walls if you want them to appear bright in a house with high ceilings and many windows. It will work great with Carrara marble. It is hard to go wrong with this paint color. However, it won’t make a dark room look brighter. No bright white ever will.
Cool (Blue) Whites
What if your surfaces, such as flooring, tile, granite, countertop, furniture fabric, etc, have a lot of cool colors, such as gray and blue?
If your surfaces and materials have cool colors in them choose white paint that is cooler, or more bluish compared to Chantilly Lace paint, such as White Diamond.
White Diamond 2121-60
Benjamin Moore White Diamond paint is colder, that is, it has a more blue tint compared to Chantilly Lace paint but in a room, it looks cool white without any yellowish tones.
Off- Whites
If your surfaces and furnishings have a combination of cool and warm colors or you just don’t want stark white walls you might want to consider off white paint colors.
Following are popular off white paint colors:
White Dove OC-17
White Dove is a soft white neutral without being yellowish. It is an off white with a slightly creamy tint ( designers call it undertone). It is white with a touch of cream. It will work with beige and brown. It looks clean and crisp but yet warm enough in modern style interiors, even though it is just slightly warmer than true white colors. In traditional rooms, it still looks crisp and clean without being stark or cold. But if you are using Carrera marble for the countertop, White Dove is not your best choice. Use Chantilly Lace instead.
Simply White 2143-70
Simply White is the most versatile that looks fresh with either warm colors or cool colors. It is less creamy and warm than White Dove. It will work if you want a paint color that is not stark white but still a white that works with warmer tones of your surfaces. It’s a safe white that works with most colors as it is a color of choice by designers and architects. However, it might look too bright with very dark colors.
Cloud White OC-130
Cloud White is a classic white color. It is more creamy with yellowish undertones compared to Simply White. However, it looks warm and soft but yet fresh and inviting. It doesn’t appear as a sharp contrast with other wall colors. It works well with Benjamin Moore Historical Colors.
Creamy Whites
Ivory White 925
Use Ivory White if you want your room to look warm white without being peachy or yellow.
Mascarpone AF-20
Mascarpone is a perfect creamy white that is pretty and warm. Not too stark and not too creamy/yellowish. This paint has a pastel base and needs more coats, especially on the cabinets.
This is all for today to make your life picking white colors easier. But please come back, okay? I will write more on the subject.
Of course, as usual, if you want to chat just post your comments here below!
