As a certified color expert, I spend most of my days helping homeowners sift through endless paint chips and talking them off the ledge of second-guessing (because trust me, we’ve all been there). But my love for New England color didn’t start in a color studio. I grew up in a home on the Historic Registry, surrounded by quirky charm and old-house soul. And later, during our own multi-year Vermont farmhouse renovation, I learned just how transformative paint can be. The right color doesn’t just change a room,  it makes an older home feel warm, grounded, and true to its bones.

Over the years, I’ve noticed I return to the same tried-and-true hues again and again. Not because I’m stuck in a rut, but because these colors work beautifully with New England architecture and light. They feel timeless, cozy, and instantly welcoming. Today, I’m sharing those five go-to colors with you, plus the color principles behind why they’re so reliable.

Photo Credit: Crisp Architects

What Paint Colors Are Best for a New England Home?

You might be thinking, Why would paint colors behave differently here? I promise, they do. New England homes come with a special set of characteristics that influence how colors show up on your walls. Here’s what makes this region unique:

• Cooler, softer natural light. Many of my clients, especially those in rural areas, also get strong green reflections from surrounding woods, fields, and mountains especially in the summer months.
• Antique or unpainted wood tones. Older homes often feature warm, rich wood that plays beautifully with some colors and completely clashes with others. Add to that slate tile floors in the mudroom and brick fireplaces, and you have distinct russet browns and reddish earth tones that must be considered when picking paint colors.
• Classic architecture. Colonial lines, farmhouse bones, millwork, and low ceilings give older homes charm but can also create darker spaces. The right paint color can enhance this character instead of fighting against it.
• Major seasonal shifts. Summer sun washes colors out; winter brings cool shadows that make some hues look minty, dingy or muddy. The goal is to choose colors that ride these swings gracefully.
• Bright whites can fall flat. If clean modern whites feel harsh, sterile, or oddly gray in your home, you’re not imagining it. Luckily, there’s a workaround.
• Timeless New England style favors earthy, desaturated color. Ou color palette in New England is rooted in Colonial Pigments. As a result, low-chroma colors (aka dirty colors) and historically inspired hues feel naturally at home here (and no, you don’t have to stick to the “Historic” fan deck to get the look!)

With that foundation in mind, here are the five paint colors I recommend over and over for New England homes.

1. Warm, Creamy Off-Whites

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but one of my most reliable creamy off whites that looks gorgeous (even in the darkest spaces) is Sherwin Williams Dover White. This is the white paint I go to again and again for ceilings, trim and white walls.

Sherwin Williams Dover White. Photo Credit: @hatcliffconstruction

Why We Love Dover White By Sherwin Williams

• One of the biggest mistakes I made when we bought our 1790s farmhouse was painting the walls of our dark dining room White Dove by Benjamin Moore. What I didn’t know was that certain white paints look terrible in dark spaces! Silly me, I was just trying to brighten it up.
• What I learned in my Color Expert Certification traing is that this is a common misconception. In fact, bright whites can look flat or dingy in low light, but creamy whites glow in dark interiors with small windows or porches overhanging. Warm whites with yellow undertones can even handle the cool northern light we get in the winter!
• Now I know that Dover White is stunning in low light rooms. It has the same high LRV (83) as White Dove but carries more warmth, perfect for darker New England rooms.
• It plays beautifully with antique furniture, patina-rich wood, and traditional trim.
• While it isn’t stark, sterile, or overly yellow it also feels classic, cozy, and quietly historic.
• I highly suggest considering a warm off-white like Dover White as a softer alternative for trim when you want white but not builder-basic white.

Best for: Trim, ceiling and anywhere you want to use white. It looks great in foyers, on kitchen cabinets, living rooms, bedrooms and hallways.

2. Soft Beiges, Taupes & Warm Greiges

I feel like a broken record sometimes, but I will happily admit that Sherwin Williams Neutral Ground is one of my most recomended paint shades when coming up with clients home color combination . I literally cannot count the number of clients for whom I have specified this creamy warm neutral beige paint color!

But don’t run away when you hear me say “beige” this is much softer and lighter than the beige paints of yore. This is much lighter and not as intensely yellow of the beiges of the early 2000s.

Neutral Ground on The walls with darker contrast trim in a mudroom. Photo: @buildingacasehouse

Why It Works

• Neutral Ground handles both summer’s strong directional light and winter’s cool blue shadows.
• A higher LRV (70) brightens darker homes with low ceilings and small windows.
• Feels grounding and warm during long winter months.
• Doesn’t clash with earthy fixed elements like brick and antique floors.
• A perfect backdrop for the muted greens, reds, and blues often found in historic New England homes. Having a workhorse neutral like Neutral Ground is key when using an accented neutral scheme for interior design.

Best For: living rooms, dining rooms, parlors, historic trim moments

3. Earthy Sage Greens

Examples: Benjamin Moore Nantucket Gray (shown above in my office) or Sherwin Williams Grassland

Why It Works

• Soft, muted, low-chroma greens feel naturally at home in New England’s landscapes and historic architecture.
• Timeless without drifting into “colonial kitsch.”
• Beautiful for cabinetry, wainscotting, and even exterior trim.
• Adds color while keeping the overall palette calm and refined.
• Looks great with muddy and complex undertones of fixed elements like stone, brick and aged wood.

Best For: mudrooms, kitchens, libraries, guest rooms

4. Dusty Gray-Blues

When I meet with my clients before our color consulting appointments, I always make sure to ask what colors they are drawn to. Three quarters of the time the answer is often greens or blues. When I sift back through the paint schedules I have created, these dusty blues come up time and time again.

Examples: Brewster Gray, Wales Gray, Templeton Gray, Puritan Gray (all Benjamin Moore)

Brewster Gray by Benjamin Moore is a perfect example of a New England paint color that can be used on walls, trim or accents and always feels timeless.

Why It Works

• All of these above mentioned blue gray paint colors have enough weight for traditional millwork but stay soft and livable thanks to gentle graying.
• These mid tones vibe effortlessly with historic wood, clear old-growth pine planks, aged oak, even yellow-leaning maple.
• Look New England coastal, farmhouse, or traditional depending on your styling.
• I love these colors for reverse trim in spaces with lots of ornamental woodwork.

Best For: Stairwells with tons of woodwork, bathrooms, bedrooms, mudrooms, breezeways, Federal-era home’s foyers and stately home offices.

5. Earthy, Desaturated Reds (Brick Tones)

While red is not a paint color that comes to mind for most people, earthy brick colored pigments are traditional early New England and always look at home in the classic homes of the North East. I use these red paint colors in moderation for my paint schemes. The key is to use them for a pop of contrast!
Examples: Benjamin Moore Audubon Russet, Walnut and Boston Brick

A rusty red bench in a mudroom gives a pop of contrast. Photo: @sanfordcollectiveinteriors

Why It Works

• Browned, earthy reds with warm undertones feel rooted and authentic, never costume-y like blue or purple-leaning burgundies. I love those that look like they were created using natural pigments.
• Provide the “pop” most color schemes need while still looking natural and historic.
• Perfect for unexpected moments of charm: interior doors, stair risers, a kitchen island, or built-ins.
• Echo classic New England barn reds and brick tones.

Best For: front doors, dining rooms, interior doors, built-ins

How to Choose the Right Color for Your New England Home

Keep these principles in mind as you narrow your options:

• Pay attention to light direction, it changes everything. North facing rooms and those with small windows or low ceilings get less warm direct light and the colors will need to be adjusted accordingly.
• Consider your wood undertones, they’re part of the palette whether you want them to be or not. A lot of older wood floors and beams have orange tones which pair well with blues and greens but clash with taupes. Keep that in mind when you are picking your main neutral and your highlight colors.
• Look down. Your floors matter more than most people realize. As do the other fixed elements in your home including brick, stone and slate.
• Your personal style determines how muted or saturated you should go. While traditional New England colors are based on colonial era pigments, if you prefer a bit more saturation, the key is keeping it consistant throughtout your whole home palette.

The post The Essential New England Color Palette: 5 Foolproof Paint Colors for Classic Homes appeared first on A Season For Home.

My favorite thing about BM Ballet White OC-9 is that it lacks any bossy tonality or noticible undertones. I go to it over and over again when someone wants a paint color other than white, but doesn’t really want much color at all!

What Color is Ballet White Benjamin Moore?

Ballet White (OC-9) is a beautifully balanced, soft neutral that sits somewhere between an off-white and a light greige. It’s part of Benjamin Moore’s Off-White Collection, which includes some of their most versatile, designer-loved shades. Ballet White has a creamy warmth that gives it a gentle, inviting feel without trending yellow.

In natural light, it feels fresh and soft without being stark. In low light, I’ve noticed that it deepens into the gray side of its personality, while retaining just enough warmth to prevent it from looking like a gray paint color. In sunnier rooms it can lean peachy at times.

In my house I used it in our primary suite. Our bedroom is painted Benjamin Moore Natural Cream, and I used Ballet White which is a bit lighter, just in the darker hallway and dressing room. In my work as a professional color consultant, it is one of the Minimalist Paint Colors I turn to again and again for clients who don’t want to paint their walls white but who are looking for a bright neutral that won’t darken their space.

What is the LRV of BM Ballet White?

Ballet White has an LRV (Light Reflectance Value) of 73.54, which means it reflects a good amount of light while still having enough body to show up clearly on the wall. Its color value is bright enough to keep a space feeling open and airy but not so light that it washes out. In other words, it’s the kind of neutral that looks intentional, not just “painted white.”

What Are Its Undertones?

Ballet White has warm undertones with a mix of beige and gray, and a very subtle hint of peach. It’s like a greige with a creamy twist. The undertones are soft and muted, which helps the color stay neutral and flexible. It rolls from lightly peachy to warm gray depending on the lighting exposure.

Notes About Lighting and Exposure

As with any paint color, lighting makes all the difference.

• In the winter, I have noticed a cooler green-gray tonality in the spaces in our primary suite (those that don’t have much direct light.) While I personally do not have Ballet White in North Facing spaces, I can surmise that without direct light, you’ll notice this cooler gray quality more.
• In our daughter’s East Facing bathroom, there is quite a bit of reflection that pulls out the warmth.
• When the setting sun hits our West-facing dressing room, Ballet White has a soft peachiness that feels lovely. In rooms with southern exporsure warm light brings out any paint color’s warmth.

If you’re using Ballet White throughout your home, these shifts in tone can actually be a strength. The color adapts beautifully to changing light, which is one reason it works so well as a whole-house color.

Whites to Pair with Ballet White by Benjamin Moore

Because Ballet White leans warm, it pairs best with softer, warmer whites rather than crisp, cool ones. A few great options include:

• Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17): a soft, creamy white that complements Ballet White without feeling too yellow. All of the photos in this post show White Dove trim and ceilings.
• Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW 7005: This tried and true all-purpose white is a great match for Ballet White. I’ve included it in our Ballet White Color Palette below.
• Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117): Slightly brighter and cleaner than White Dove, it’s perfect for trim if you want more contrast.
• Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45): adds a tone-on-tone warmth that feels cohesive and cozy.

Ballet White Color Palette

Ballet white is an ideal whole-house color! Use this Ballet White Color Palette to plan your home’s interior. It’s lovely for large open concept living spaces. Or use it in transitional spaces (like your foyer and hallways) and the accent colors for rooms off of the main space.

• Sherwin Williams Pure White: This softened white has a smidge of gray and warmth to it that goes with nearly every paint color. This is a beauty paired with Ballet White. It is crisp without feeling dated or stark
• Benjamin Moore Pashmina: Use this soft taupe in spaces adjacent to BM Ballet White when you want an enveloping coziness. It is great for a family room or home office.
• Benjamin Moore Brentwood: I love the way rich terracottas and low chroma reds look with Ballet White Benjamin Moore. Paint built-ins or cabinets in this russet color with Ballet White on the walls for a look with classic appeal. I’d encourage you to fins accessories in this hue as well to repeat this color through your space.
• Benjamin Moore October Mist: This softened green is a notch lighter than Creekside Green and appeals to those who favor lighter tones like Ballet White. October Mist and Ballet White would make a stunning combo in a kitchen!
• Benjamin Moore Puritain Gray: Don’t let the name fool you, this is a blue paint color without any vibrant saturation. It looks so good with reverse trim. You could also use it to paint furniture pieces in a bedroom painted Ballet White.
• Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal: Instead of a harsh black, opt to give your scheme depth with a little softness. I love Kendall Charcoal for its warmth while lacking any overt yellow tones.

If this paint color scheme isn’t perfect for you, but you love the idea of having a planned out cohesive color palette, make sure you download our 5-free color palettes.

How to Use in Your Home

Ballet White is one of those colors that truly shines as a whole-house paint color. It flows beautifully from room to room, creating a sense of continuity and calm. It’s especially well-suited for open-concept homes where you want subtle variation without sharp transitions.

As you map out your home’s color palette, remember that it’s important to create flow from room to room. Ballet White can help smooth this transition in any hallways or spaces where a more colorful hue would feel jarring. I like to use colors like this in hallways and large

It brightens a space and pairs well with warm wood tones, woven textures, or brass accents. This is the ideal color to use in an Accented Neutral Color Scheme. In bedrooms and living spaces, it provides the perfect soft backdrop for art and textiles without feeling flat or sterile.

If you have a vaulted ceiling, Ballet White is light enough to use on the walls and ceiling, which will help to avoid the patchy effect created by the angles where the walls and ceiling join.

Ballet White for Exterior

For exteriors, Ballet White reads as a creamy off-white. It won’t look stark in bright sunlight, and it maintains just enough warmth to complement both stone and brick. Paired with a crisp white trim and soft black accents like Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron, it creates a balanced, classic look.

Ballet White Cabinets

Ballet White kitchen cabinets are a great option if you are thinking of white cabinets, but want something a little creamier or warmer. Pair the cabinets with marble-like quartz or natural stone countertops, light wood floors, and brass hardware for a lighter feel. To balance the brightness of the Ballet White you could opt for a darker countertop like granite or soapstone to offer contrast. If you love the trend toward a Cashmere Kitchen, defintely look at Ballet White as an option!

Similar Colors to Try

If you’re drawn to Ballet White but want to explore a few close alternatives, consider:

• Benjamin Moore Classic Gray (OC-23) – a lighter, cooler and whispy option that passes as white when color drenched. To see its effermal warmer character pair it with a stark white like Chantilly lace or a cool white like Decorator’s White.
• Benjamin Moore Natural Cream – Natural Cream is a touch darker than Ballet White and a good choice to paint in adjacent spaces with more natural light. This is a very popular color (for a reason) and another great one to look at for cabinetry.
• Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige (SW 7036) – a comparable taupey greige paint color with considerably more depth.
• Benjamin Moore Winds Breath (OC-24) – similar softness, a bit less warmth. This paint color can look light gray in certain houses- but is a good shade to look at if you want a barely there look.

How to Know if Ballet White Is Right for Your Home

The best way to know if Ballet White will work in your space is to test it. Paint a few large swatches on different walls and observe how it changes throughout the day. Look at it next to your trim, flooring, and furnishings—these fixed elements will affect how the undertones appear.

If you’re looking for a color that feels calm, timeless, and elegant without being too white or too beige, Ballet White might just be the perfect middle ground. It’s one of those colors that quietly supports everything around it, and in my experience, that’s exactly what makes it so enduring.

More Warm Neutral Paint Colors

If you are researching neutral paint colors don’t miss these other color reviews.

• Benjamin Moore Tapestry Beige: This greige has a subtle touch of green
• Benjamin Moore Collingwood: This is a more gray option if Ballet feels too warm for you.
• Muslin by Benjamin Moore: A soft pink undertone gives this beige a bit of character without clashing
• Navajo White by Benjamin Moore: A popular cream paint color with peachy undertones
• Sherwin-Williams Wool Skein: A soft khaki with very little saturation.
• Smoky Taupe by Benjamin Moore: A mid-tone taupe without any brassy undertones. So if you like greige and taupes vs beige, this is one to look at. Consider it for additional spaces in your home if you like Ballet!

If you are still not sure, sign up for a one on one virtual color consultation with me!

The post Ballet White Benjamin Moore Review appeared first on A Season For Home.

Color trends are Getting Warmer

As a color consultant, I need to stay on top of color trends and forecasting. Whether my clients want to follow the trends or not, it is important to know where the trends are going. Without a doubt, color trends are moving warm. Gone is the gray era and the White and Black farmhouse. Warm neutrals are here!

Interiors by (clockwise from top left ) DeVOL, Becki Owens, Amber Interiors Design Studio and Haldon House.

This shift to warmer neutrals and warmer shades is not just a blip on the social media feed, this warming of the collective palette is a macro trend that has been shifting for a few years and will likely endure about a 10 to 15 year tenure as most macro-trends do in the color world.

I am here for this trend in a big way! That’s why I wanted to talk about Navajo White OC-95 today. I used it recently in my home gym and know it’ll be a popular choice for my color consultations in the coming years.

Read this if you’re not sure what warm colors vs cool colors are?

Why Is Navajo White Benjamin Moore Popular?

While Benjamin Moore Navajo White (OC-95 also known as 947 and PM-29) has been a popular paint color for a long time, but it is about to get a whole lot more popular thanks to the shift to warm neutrals!

A living room painted Navajo White designed by Mariann Simon

What is the Undertone of Navajo White?

When finding the color undertone of a neutral or off-white paint color I first compare it to a gray and white paint without any strong undertones. Here you can see my control paint chips taped to the Benjamin Moore Navajo White wall.

In this example you can see the warm pinky peach undertone of the Navajo White.

You can see below where the hex code for this paint falls on a digital meter. It is in the orange family but because it is so pale it is more of a distant relative of orange.

You can see that the orange is on the yellow side so when someone tells you Navajo White has a yellow undertone they’re not wrong, but it does have a wee bit of red mixed into it which gives it a soft peachy quality.

This unique orange undertone is why Navajo White paint is so lovely compared to a strictly yellow-undertoned cream paint color.

Will Navajo White Look Beige, Off-White or Cream in my room?

The answer is it depends on two things: The light and and what color(s) you pair it with.

First, on the matter of Color Pairing. By now, if you have been following me here or on Instagram then you know that color is always relative to what’s next to it because our brains use the other color to calibrate.

With a clean white like Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore, the Navajo White will look peach.

But when we compare Navajo White to a more deeply saturated pink beige like Kilim Beige by Sherwin Williams you can see that it is relatively pale and muted in comparison.

When compared to another popular beige paint color with pink undertones, like Muslin by Benjamin Moore, you can see the yellow in the undertones making it appear more creamy than beige.

And as to the lighting, it’s best to look at paint colors in natural light when trying to decide which to use. But I also recommend looking at the paint color at night too so you’re sure to love it all day and night. Your lightbulbs will make a big difference so when possible use bulbs with a high CRI (over 90.)

In the above photo, the light was quite diffused and it was a cloudy winter day so the light is on the cool side- this will affect the way all the colors look too!

What Trim Color To Use With Navajo White

My recommendation is to use Navajo white on all the surfaces. This will give you an allover creamy feel, but it won’t make the room seem peach. Adding white trim will make the undertones pop. Instead, vary the sheens, using a flat paint for the ceiling, eggshell on the walls and pearl or satin on the trim.

In this bedroom, by Crisp Architects, the walls are painted Ben Moore Navajo White and the stark contrast of the Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White (and bright white bed linens) creates a strong differential. In this case the paint appears to be an ever-so-lovely peach to warm up this bright and airy space.

If you like the above look, you can go with Decorators White for the sharpest contrast. Other Benjamin Moore whites you can use for trim or ceiling are White Dove Oc-17, Cloud White 967 or Swiss Coffee OC-45.

Why I Love Navajo White

It was Navajo White to the rescue when we had a recent unexpected color quandary in our home gym. What happened was the unfinished maple hardwood flooring we ordered looked very different than that which I had seen in the showroom. It had a distinct pink color to it. We tried staining it, which helped it a bit, but in the end, the floor was much brighter than we had hoped for.

The rest of the adjoining spaces had Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee on the walls, but that looked very starkly white with the warm floor and creamy Greenbrier Beige HC-79 trim. So I knew I needed to go with a creamy off-white for the walls and ceiling.

After testing it out. We used BM Navajo White to paint the walls and you can see how it came out in these photos above and below.

One really important detail to note is we painted the ceiling with the Navajo White because I wanted the walls to look “white” so I avoided a bright white ceiling which would have made the peach undertones in the Navajo White more obvious. In other words, I didn’t want to have a pure white to throw off the eye-brain calibration. Without the stark white ceiling, the walls look white and it’s only the bright white in the posters that tips you off that the walls are so creamy!

Does Navajo White Work For Trim?

Yes! You can use Navajo White for a trim color, especially if your house is dark, like a lot of the homes in New England. As I explained in my tutorial about Mistakes To Avoid for New England Homes, which is basically a cheat sheet of how to deal with dark houses, I explain that yellowish undertones and creaminess in whites like BM Navajo White, BM Linen White, SW Dover White and SW Creamy is an important feature that helps the paint from looking sad and gray. But, the key is to commit to it, and not use any other white paint at all in the house. Otherwise, you’ll be able to see how peach it is by comparison.

That said, I would pick Navajo White in only a handful of cases because it has an orange undertone not a yellow undertone, and this can unintentionally clash with some colors. It would be stunning for a whole-house palette when pired with soft mid-toned beiges and creams SW Cream and Sugar, BM Manchester Tan, BM Carrington Beige. In all of these cases there is a low differential (something that is KEY to choosing the right trim color.)

What Colors Go With Navajo White?

If you are looking for ideas for coordinating colors for Navajo White, you are in luck because it goes with so many paint colors. I have pulled together a list of a few favorite coordinating colors for Navajo White.

• White: A longtime favorite of interior designers, Atrium White by Ben Moore is known for it’s wildly flattering pink undertone, this white paint would be a great option if you want a crisp contrast.
• Beige: Choose beiges from the gold beige or pink beige family and avoid greige or cooler taupe-based beiges. Some favorites are Ben Moore Greenbrier Beige and Crisp Khaki wich are warm yellow gold based beiges with a whisper of green in their undertones to keep them lower-chroma and complex. I also love a pink beige with Navajo White, but make sure it is not too overtly pink- Malabar by Sherwin-Williams is a favorite of mine.
• Green: Navajo White looks stunning with green. I like it best with warmer greens (those in the olive family) like Thicket, Urban Legend, both by BM. Or if you are going with a cooler green (a bluer one) make sure it is very greyed-out like Antique Pewter.
• Blue: Probably my favorite contrasting color for Navajo White is a deep navy (like Lead Gray by Benjamin Moore.) You could also use a blue-green like Greyhound or Brewster Gray for an accent color.
• Blackish Brown: I don’t love true black paints as a rule, and definitely not with Navajo White- it looks way too Halloweenish. Instead go with a moody-as-heck deep brown like Clove by Sherwin-Williams (a current favorite and one of their 2025 colors of the year.)
• Orange: If you love russets, peach tones, deep orangey brick colors and rustic orange tones, Navajo White by all means add them to a room painted with Navajo White. If using Navajo White as a whole-house color, you can color drench a smaller rooms (like a home-office or powder room) in a color like Mountain Hideaway or Firenze and the look will be so sophisticated!

These are just a few ideas, but in reality there are tons of others that would work too. Just keep in mind, it looks great with warmer colors and those that are either low-chroma or lacking saturation.

Sherwin Williams Navajo White vs Benjamin Moore Navajo White

Before I sign off, I need to mention an important thing. There is another Navajo White out there from Sherwin Williams. While these two creamy peachy colors are quite similar, do not use them interchangeably and make sure your painter knows which one you want! Sherwin Williams Navajo White is a little darker and pinker.

Key Takeaways About BM Navajo White

This is a great paint color to make your room feel warm and cozy because it is both distinctly warm but it is light enough that it can help keep your space feeling bright.

Use it with a white trim for a lighter alternative to a pink beige. For example, if you love BM Muslin, but it is too dark for you, go with Navajo White instead.

If you are somewhat color-averse but want to warm up your space, give Navajo White a peek. A hue like this is a great way to envelop your space with warmth without committing to a bold paint color.

The most important thing to note: If you want overall warmth but are afraid the room will look like it is painted peach or yellow, then I highly recommend painting the ceiling and trim BM Navajo White too. Or you can do a modern colonial paint scheme like I did and paint the trim a darker color.

That’s all for now, Happy Painting! If you’re looking for the perfect beige, don’t miss our Tapestry Beige Paint Review or read about Wool Skein by Sherwin-Williams.

The post Benjamin Moore Navajo White appeared first on A Season For Home.

Is Benjamin Moore Natural Cream a Beige, Cream, Gray or Greige paint color?

Natural Cream OC-14, also known as Nature’s Essentials 1521, is a greige or complex cream paint color with subtle undertones. Natural Cream can be a true chameleon! Depending on the sun exposure and natural light in the space it can look like an understated cream or a subtle greige tone. Our living room is north-facing and our bedroom is south-facing and it looks like two completely different paint colors!

LRV For Natural Cream by Benjamin Moore

Natural Cream is a bright cream paint with an LRV of 64.78. Natural Cream is what I would call a Light Tone. It is lighter than a Mid-tone paint (which I classify as 40 to 60 LRV) and it is slightly deeper than an off-white.

What Are The Undertones?

Natural Cream is a subtly warm greige that has minimal orange undertones. As far as cream colors go, it has very little saturation. To see a neutral paint color’s undertone, I always start by comparing it to Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams, which doesn’t lean warm or cool. When I do this with Natural Cream (aka Nature’s Essentials) you can see its warmth.

I have found on gray days (especially when it is raining or snowing) this paint color really leans into its the gray part of its greige personality and shows cool or green undertones. And as I mentioned, our Living Room is North-facing, so I see the blue gray green undertones in this room much more than our sunny bedroom.

As a paint color consultant, I have access to the above book of all of Benjamin Moore’s catalog which is mathematically arranged. I love using this book when I am trying to find a slight adjustment to a color scheme. Using this book is super helpful in seeing the true nature of Natural Cream with the subtle nuances of whites next to it.

When you see where Natural Cream falls as part of the off-white color collection it is clear that it is a warm gray (aka a griege.) Almost all of the saturation is pulled out of this color and it is left with only a bit of warmth. This is why Natural Cream looks creamy without being yellow.

How To Use Natural Cream In Your Home

Why did I use Natural Cream? When we bought our house I needed to pick out paint colors that would work with our existing furniture, rejuggled to fit our new spaces. That means I was looking at a lot of shades from the off-white collection. While I used Collingwood as more of a Whole House Color in spaces like our grand foyer, hallway and kitchen, I knew I wanted a creamier warmer tone to cozy up our living spaces. That’s where Natural Cream came into play.

It worked perfectly to warm up the walls (compared to Collingwood) but it was not so colorful that I would be forced into any specific color palette. I’ve found that it goes with a lot of colors. Blues in particular play well with its undertones.

When To Avoid Natural Cream

Natural Cream is a good all-around off-white paint but there are a few circumstances where I would avoid it:

• If your room is lacking in visual interest like a powder room without millwork or drapery Natural Cream is not your paint color. It is too boring to do much for a space like this.
• Avoid clashing with neutrals with different undertones. I find that it looks awesome with off-whites and neutrals with similar undertones. However, I had a greige rug with a rose undertone and it looked terrible with the undertones of Natural Cream.
• I know I said this paint sometimes has a cool undertone, but do not use it if you want a greenish beige. If you want a beige that has noticeable green undertones Tapestry Beige is a much better choice.
• Do not use if you are looking for a statement wall color. You will be disappointed because it is not a noticeable color.
• While I call it a greige, do not use if you are hoping for a beige. This paint is more gray than beige.
• Do not use it as your white paint for a trim color. With a LRV in the mid-sixties is too dark. Use our guide to picking a trim color instead.
• Do not pair with blue-tinted whites like Decorator’s White or Carerra marble. It will look grungy! Opt for Calacatta marble or a warm Quartz instead.

What Are The Best Benjamin Moore Natural Cream Coordinating Colors

Like Edgecomb Gray, this neutral looks best with low chroma colors. However if you like brighter colors you can use this paint too. It is desaturated enough that you can pair it with Clean Colors or high chroma colors especially in South-facing rooms where it will be washed out.

Use our Natural Cream color palette for inspiration to paint your home.

• Use OC-14 in your open concept in your living room and entry hall and any open areas and use the other shades in this palette in enclosed spaces.
• Save the darker tones for moodier rooms (like Virtual Taupe or Wynwood in an office, Vanderberg Blue in a bathroom or color drench your dining room in Tavern Charcoal.)
• Then use the lighter colors like Creekside Green and Brewster Gray for bedrooms and Nutmeg in your kitchen.

I always recommend testing a paint out before you commit to painting the whole room. When I work with clients for a color consultation, we look at large scale paint samples, and you can do this too! Test Natural Cream with a large scale peel-and-stick sample in your space to make sure you love it. (That’s an affiliate link by the way.) The samples from Samplize are made with two coats of real paint for 100% color accuracy, offering a no-mess, quick way to decide if this is the right paint color for you!

FAQs for BM Natural Cream

More Colors Like Natural Cream

If you’re like me, when you’re making a big decision, you like to have comparisons and other options so you know that you’re making the right choice. That’s why in my color consultations I usually have clients look at similar colors before settling on one in particular. The following is a list of other colors I would recommend that you consider before settling on Natural Cream.

• Ballet White By Benjamin Moore: I used this in the hallway and walk-in closet in our Primary suite where it gets less natural light, and you really can’t tell that they are a shade off from the Natural Cream in the bedroom. The Ballet White is just a hair brighter with a tiny whisper more pink- so if you like Natural Cream but want a slightly lighter paint color, go with Ballet!
• Baby Fawn, Wind’s Breath, Ashwood: Consider these three Benjmain Moore off-whites too. Baby Fawn is a similar color as far as saturation/gray but it is a hair darker in value. Whereas Wind’s Breath and Ashwood have slightly varying undertones. Ashwood reads a little green and Wind’s Breath is a little creamier by comparison.
• Sherwin Williams Oat Milk: This is a nice light cream color to compare it to. It is slightly lighter and has a bit more pink than orange as far as undertone.
• Farrow and Ball Shadow White: This beauty of a color is one to look at too. It is more expensive than the Benjamin Moore, but certainly worth considering especially for a high-priced expense like kitchen cabinets.

Are you trying to find the perfect paint color? Download our 5 Free Color Palettes for your home or sign up for a one hour Virtual Color Consultation and we will work together to find the perfect paint!

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