Benjamin Moore Navajo White OC-95: Paint Color Review

One of the most POPULAR cream paint colors – Navajo White

While gray, greige and beige take turns on the great wheel of trends, there’s one color that has a certain TIMELESS quality to it, and that color is cream. This is why we’re taking a look at one of my FAVOURITE cream paint colors, Benjamin Moore Navajo White.

In order to show you RELATEABLE & REAL homes, I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality photos I need or the RIGHT photos, but DEFINITELY have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!

What type of paint color is Navajo White? Is it WHITE?

HECK NO! Even though its name suggests otherwise, Navajo White is definitely not a white paint color, it’s a CREAM paint color and a wicked one at that.

EVERY cream paint color has a yellow undertone, there’s no getting away from it. And while we’ll get into undertones a bit more shortly, it’s the yellow hue of Navajo White that makes it a great choice for cool north-facing rooms as well as rooms with flat eastern afternoon or western morning light.

South-facing light

On the other hand, Navajo White isn’t SO warm and yellow that it looks obnoxious in a south-facing room, although it WILL warm up considerably.

North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?

What’s the LRV of Navajo White?

Navajo White has an LRV of somewhere around 78 or 79. I gave you both as Benjamin Moore can’t seem to get it straight between their fan decks and their website! Either way, Navajo White is an OFF-WHITE paint color.

With a higher LRV like this, you can expect Navajo White to wash out CONSIDERABLY if you have a room with intense natural light. However, its softness and undertones make it a great choice for many dark rooms as well as rooms with more moderate amounts of light.

The above photo shows Navajo White in a BRIGHT north-facing space. Notice how it washes out on the main part of the wall and you start to see the ‘color’ more by the baseboard.

Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

How to Make a Dark Room Look Brighter – and it ain’t with paint! 

The Best LIGHT Paint Colors for a DARK room

What are the undertones of Navajo White? 

As you just learned, Navajo White has a yellow undertone, as does every cream paint color. Now, yellow undertones can lean slightly yellow-green or yellow-orange – Navajo White leans yellow-orange, but not by a lot – just enough to calm down the yellow, along with a GORGEOUS neutral base.

How should you sample paint colors?

Undoubtedly, you’ll be heading out in the near future to grab paint samples – stop right there! I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a FEW reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…

• samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1 DAY, depending on location

• they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling

• if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room

Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE

What’s the best white trim color with Navajo White walls?

• Benjamin Moore Cloud White
• Benjamin Moore Simply White

The ULTIMATE GUIDE to White Paint Colors

The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors

Is Navajo White a good exterior paint color?

It’s not that Navajo White is a BAD exterior color, it’s just most people who are looking for a color like this, lean into creams that are more flexible with less YELLOW in them (along the lines of Benjamin Moore Ballet White or Sherwin Williams White Duck).

5 Tips to Choosing an Exterior Paint Color

Is Navajo White a popular color for kitchen cabinets?

WELLLLLLL, yes. But I don’t mean popular in a GOOD way. I can’t tell you HOW MANY CLIENTS I’ve had who are trying to update the look of their Navajo White kitchen cabinets and are having a HECK of a time finding coordinating paint colors.

The best way to update this space would be to paint the island black! 

If you love cream cabinets, you can fill yer boots, but know that down the road, they may affect your resale value. Regardless of your personal tastes, MOST people prefer white cabinets as they’re the most timeless and the most flexible as it relates to new styles and updated features.

How to Choose the Best White Paint Color for Your Kitchen Cabinets

Should You Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets or Keep Them Stained? A QUESTIONNAIRE!

Which paint colors are similar to Navajo White

Sherwin Williams Navajo White is similar to Benjamin Moore Navajo White. The difference is that Sherwin William’s version has more orange mixed in. You can also check out Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream if you want a bit more depth (I have MAD love for Gentle Cream).

If you’re thinking of color matching between brands, please read THIS first.

What paint colors go well with Navajo White?

If you’re wondering which paint colors look good with Navajo White CABINETS or TRIM, please read this blog post.

Why?

Well, the way you treat Navajo White cabinets and trims is MUCH different from how you treat rooms that are ADJOINING Navajo White; cabinets and trim are much fussier.

As for creating a color palette for adjoining rooms…

• some gray paint colors, including stormy shades of gray well as warmer earthy shades, just make sure the gray is DARKER than Navajo White
• darker beige paint colors with similar undertones
• some shades of blue-green or earth-toned green paint colors
• warm white paint colors

Not sure if Navajo White is right for you? I’ve got more!

READ MORE

The 16 Best Wall Paint Colors to Update Cream Cabinets & Trim

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Creamy

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore White Down

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Ballet White

The Best Cream Paint Colors from Benjamin Moore & Sherwin Williams

Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!

Chat soon,